Trojan War

The Trojan War was supposedly waged between the Ancient Greeks and the ancient people of Dardanelles, Turkey, then known as Troy sometime between the 12^th and 11^th centuries B.C. According to Homer and Vergil’s Epic poems, the Trojan War was started when Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, was granted to Paris of Troy by the Gods. Unfortunately, Helen was already married to Menelaus, king of Sparta, who immediately declared war on Troy. He then sought help from every city-state in Greece. The combined manpower of all these kings was said to have totaled over one thousand ships, leading to Helen being called “the face that launched a thousand ships”.

Despite this seemingly overkill of force, the two sides fought for ten years without any progression on either side. After ten years, the Greeks built a huge wooden horse with soldiers hidden inside and presented it to the Trojans as a gift. Once inside the city walls, the soldiers jumped out and slaughtered everyone inside, until the streets were literally running with blood. Though the actual existence if this war is disputed, in 1870 the remains of a city that seems to match the description of Troy was uncovered by German archaeologist Henrich Schlieman, and it was in such a strategic position that there were definitely countless wars fought for its possession.