Troy: From Homer'S Iliad To Hollywood Epic

This is the first book systematically to examine Wolfgang Petersen's epic film Troy from different archaeological, literary, cultural, and cinematic perspectives.

The first book systematically to examine Wolfgang Petersen's epic film Troy from different archaeological, literary, cultural, and cinematic perspectives.

Examines the film's use of Homer's Iliad and the myth of the Trojan War, its presentation of Bronze-Age archaeology, and its place in film history.

Identifies the modern political overtones of the Trojan War myth as expressed in the film and explains why it found world-wide audiences.

Editor and contributors are archaeologists or classical scholars, several of whom incorporate films into their teaching and research.

Includes an annotated list of films and television films and series episodes on the Trojan War.

Contains archaeological illustrations of Troy, relevant images of ancient art, and stills from films on the Trojan War.

Martin M. Winkler is Professor of Classics at George Mason University. Most recently he has edited the essay collections Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema (2001) and Gladiator: Film and History (Blackwell, 2004).

"These essays—all clearly written and accessible to wide audiences—will thus provide invaluable supporting material for teachers of 'classics and film'. The breadth of the contributions and their willingness to provide a good level of background information are ... indications of this volume's usefulness to students." (The Classical Review, 2008)
"Winkler’s attractive collection of thirteen essays explores a little of the current state of research on the non-cinematic Troy, but focuses primarily on the film’s various achievements.... Winkler’s engaging essay on ‘The Iliad and the Cinema’ turns reception-study on its head and reads several scenes from Homer through the lens of film studies; Winkler’s annotated filmography of the Trojan war, along with his wide-ranging and passionate introduction, will be essential research material for scholars exploring Troy – or just the original Windy City." (Journal of Hellenic Studies, February 2009)
"Classics and film is a staple of university curricula; it has become respectable, in large part thanks to Winkler's own persistent dedication ... Certainly [the book's] roster of contributors is aptly chosen for philological and ... archaeological strength-in-depth ... All of us working in the subject area will need to familiarize ourselves with the volume's contents ... We will be seeing a lot of this material in student essays and dissertations from here on in ... A strong and appealingly diverse field of essays ... adventurous in scope and very well informed. It will inspire students and professionals alike to fresh explorations." (Arion)
"Any reader interested in understanding the relationship between the Homeric texts and this film will profit greatly from this collection… I would even highly recommend this collection to readers of Homer with little interest in contemporary film. [Such] insights should encourage the reader to look at the Homeric texts with a new perspective." (New England Classical Journal)
“A well-elaborated study of the impact Troy has had on philological and other circles.”
–Anthony Makrinos, Greek and Latin Department, University College
"A fascinating collection of highly-readable essays by prominent film scholars and ancient historians, covering topics all the way from the place of ancient literature in modern film to the archaeology of the actual ancient Troy, to the politics of the new Petersen movie — and the politics of a historian advising a Hollywood film. Highly recommended."
–Arthur M. Eckstein, University of Maryland

List of Plates.

Notes on Contributors.

Editor's Introduction.

1 Was There a Trojan War? Troy Between Fiction and Archaeological Evidence.

(Manfred O. Korfmann).

2 From Homer's Troy to Petersen's Troy. (Joachim Latacz).

3 The Iliad and the Cinema. (Martin M. Winkler).

4 The Story of Troy Through the Centuries. (Georg Danek).

5 Viewing Troy: Authenticity, Criticism, Interpretation. (Jon Solomon).

6 Troy and the Role of the Historical Advisor. (J. Lesley Fitton).

7 From Greek Myth to Hollywood Story: Explanatory. (Kim Shahabudin).

8 The Fate of Troy. (Stephen Scully).

9 Helen of Troy. (Monica S. Cyrino).

10 Briseis in Homer, Ovid, and Troy. (Alena Allen).

11 Troy and Memorials of War. (Frederick Ahl).

12 The Realist Politics of Troy. (Robert J. Rabel).

13 The Trojan War on the Screen: An Annotated. (Martin M. Winkler).

Bibliography.