Homer and Troy

Author: Edited by Ma Yunyun, U.S. Kales Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: When Homer is mentioned, the image of ancient Greeks and Trojans clashing on the vast Troy Plain immediately comes to mind. Even today, the vivid battle scenes depicted by Homer still exude a unique charm, making readers feel as if they are a battlefield filled with clashing weapons and wails. Centuries have passed, and people have continuously questioned the authenticity of Homer's epics, with some even doubting whether a person named Homer truly existed. However, almost no one has doubted the influence and status of his two epic masterpieces, the Iliad and the Odyssey, in the Western world. His themes, character portrayals, style, and the emotions he expressed have been borrowed by countless artists, sculptors, writers, and musicians. The personal qualities and actions of his characters have long inspired many great generals and leaders of our world. In fact, when people mention the Trojan War and the legendary beauty—Helen, the Queen of Sparta—who is said to have caused this decade-long catastrophe, they often quote a line from Christopher Marlowe's play Faust, written in 1604: "Is this the face that drove a thousand ships across the sea? Is this the face that leveled Ilium to the ground?" Let us trace the course of history backward and return to Homer's world, to the time of the Greek playwright Euripides, who focused on the tragic fates of Trojan women, and feel the shock history brings to us!