The Possible Causes Of The Trojan War

The Trojan War is believed to have been a war fought between the Trojans and Greeks in around 1250 BC, but there is a level of uncertainty over if a war actually did occur. There are a number of sources providing evidence that reveal the probable causes and likelihood of the Trojan War as a historical event. These sources include ancient epics such as Homer’s Iliad, the Cypria, historical tablets such as the Hittite records and more archaeological findings from excavations. Through archaeological excavations at Hisarlik, the site believed to be Troy, and other ancient sites, there is considerable evidence that reveal the potential causes of the Trojan War and that support its likelihood.

Ancient Greek mythology conveys the story and causes
In the Cyrpia, which has been attributed to the ancient Greek poet, Stasinus, the Greek God, Zeus plans with his wife Themis to bring about the Trojan War. In a fragment from the Cypria, the cause of the Trojan War from the perspective of the ancient Greeks is revealed. The Cypria states that when Zeus looked down at Earth he “had pity and in his wise heart resolved to relieve the all-nurturing earth of men by causing the great struggle of the Ilian war…” This fragment illustrates that the cause of the Trojan War was due to Zeus, the king of the Gods, starting the war in order to reduce the world’s population. Another apparent cause of the war was the abduction of Helen by the Trojan Prince, Paris. In a vase painted in around 490
A team led by Korfmann, excavated slingshots and Greek, bronze spearheads lodged in the fortification walls of Troy VI, which is dated to be around 1250 BC. These slingshots and spearheads excavated at Troy highlight and point to military action and confirm that a conflict did exist in Troy during the right time to be considered to be the Trojan War. However it does not completely confirm or deny that the war was the Trojan War described by Homer in the Iliad. Photographic evidence of a subdivided house excavated by Blegen from Troy VII suggests that Troy was becoming an overcrowded city. This reveals that people had to cramp into the city and live in the same house because of the increased population in the citadel. Thus, this confirms the likelihood of a Trojan War as it proposes that civilians living in villages outside of Troy’s walls sought protection inside the cities walls because of a threat. The further evidence of large storage jars excavated from beneath the floors of these houses indicate an adopted siege mentality by the citizens of Troy. This confirms the likelihood of the Trojan War as it highlights the thought for the need of surplus and the state of fear that the citizens developed during this time. It displays how citizens attempted to bring enough provisions inside Troy’s walls so that they would be able to subsist