TROY: Myth and Reality

300 beautiful colour illustrations in a fine British Museum publication. Troy is familiar to us from the timeless and epic tales of Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid and has enthralled audiences far beyond the place and time in which the Trojan War is set with its universal themes of love and loss, violence and destruction, despair and hope. These have been retold over the centuries by writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare but how much do we really know about the city of Troy; its storytellers, myth, actual location or legacy? In this richly illustrated book, the story of Troy is told through a new lens. Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, it introduces the storytellers and Classical artists inspired by the myths of Troy, then examines the tales themselves - from the Judgment of Paris, the trials of Odysseus, the wanderings of Aeneas to the return of Odysseus - through the Classical objects for which the museum is internationally known. The third section focuses on Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann's excavations at Hissarlik, introducing the 19th century search for the location of Troy that convinced the world that this city did once exist. Also explored is the possible Bronze Age background for the myth of the Trojan War and the different ways in which its story has been retold, both in literature and art, from Homer to the present day. Focusing on the major characters - Helen of Troy, Achilles and Hector, Aeneas and Odysseus - it illustrates how artists from Cranach and Rubens to Romare Bearden and Cy Twombly have been inspired by this archetypal tale to reflect on contemporary themes of war and heroism, love and beauty. Beautifully photographed are a wide range of manuscripts, sculptures, paintings and prints, and in total over 300 spectacular colour illustrations including paintings by JMW Turner and images of John Dryden's 1697 translation of the Works of Virgil, paintings from Pompeii, alabasters, red figure jars showing Odysseus sailing past the sirens, to Roman cups and wall paintings. It is a fascinating story that has resonated for more than 3,000 years of human existence. Thames & Hudson very well illustrated heavy hardback, 300 beautiful colour illustrations, 312 pages, maps. 25.5 x 28.5cm.