Troy
Discover Troy, the starting point of Odysseus' legendary journey in Homer's Odyssey. Learn about the Trojan War, the fall of the city, and its role as the origin of the ten-year voyage home.
Episode in The Odyssey
The Odyssey begins in the aftermath of the Trojan War, a decade-long conflict between the Greek coalition and the city of Troy. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, was among the Greek heroes who besieged Troy. It was his cunning plan of the Trojan Horse — a great wooden structure hiding Greek warriors — that finally brought the city's downfall. The sack of Troy marks the beginning of Odysseus' fateful journey home.
What Happened There
After ten years of brutal warfare, Odysseus devised the strategy that would end the conflict. The Greeks built an enormous wooden horse and hid their best warriors inside. The Trojans, believing it a divine offering, brought the horse within their walls. Under cover of night, the Greek soldiers emerged and opened the gates for their army. Troy was sacked and burned. For Odysseus, this victory was bittersweet — it marked the beginning of another decade of wandering before he would see his homeland again. His actions at Troy, particularly the desecration of Athena's temple, drew the wrath of the gods and set the stage for his long ordeal at sea.
Historical Location
The ancient city of Troy is identified with the archaeological site of Hisarlik in northwestern Turkey, near the Dardanelles strait. Heinrich Schliemann's excavations in the 1870s revealed multiple layers of settlement dating from the Bronze Age. Troy VIIa, dating to around 1180 BCE, is the most commonly cited candidate for Homer's Troy. The site lies about 5 kilometers from the Aegean coast and commanded a strategic position controlling trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Role in Odysseus' Journey
Troy is the point of departure for the entire Odyssey. Everything that befalls Odysseus — the storms, the monsters, the divine interventions — traces back to the events at Troy. His reputation as the mastermind behind the Trojan Horse defines his character throughout the epic: clever, resourceful, and sometimes too cunning for his own good. The war also cost him twenty years away from his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, shaping the emotional core of the story.