TROY

These days one of the biggest movie productions is playing in town: «TROY». Although I was warned by my friends about the historical accuracy of the film, I did dare to enter the darkroom and test my nerves and knowledge.

They had informed me about «little» details like the murder of acumen and Menelaus in Troy and other cuties… But as usual, my imagination proved to be poor. The first few minutes of the movie, just about when I was ready to leave the room for the first time in my life, a single shot convinced me that it was just a great joke that was made to make people laughed! For the first (and definitely last) time in my life, I’ve seen the wonderful port of Sparta!!! Yes, they did use their imagination on this scenario, concerning the known part of the story that was practically raped, they could at least take a look at any map in the world. Sparta approximately is 60 kilometers far from the nearest beach!

To be honest I was really surprised when I found out that the director of the
film, title="An IMDb personal web page" target="_blank">Wolfgang Petersen, is German. Germans usually are fond of Greek history and mythology and obsessed with accuracy. Of course, I must admit that he was honest, as he declared that he was just inspired by the story of the Iliad to produce a totally different one. This admission offers him a pretty good excuse from the
«results of his product».

Still, I can’t resist making a short list of the «few» details I can remember that made this movie a real masterpiece of jokes ever.

1. First of all, Sparta has no kind of sea port!

2. There was no chance that any Orthrodox Pope could be present in a meeting of Spartans and Trojans, 1200 years before even Christ was born.

3. Ajax (Aias) was a brave warrior but not a highlander! Arrow could kill him! According Homer he actually died defending Patroclus body, during the 10th year of the war.

4. Sparta is not next door to Mycenae.

5. Achilles was son of Peleas, king of Thessaly, and Thetis, a goddess and not didn’t fight with Agamemnon for the conquer of the area. Actually, his mother, as a goddess knew that he would die in Troy, so she hided him among the daughter of king Lykomedes of Skyros. 6. Except for Briseis, there was Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, the priest of Apollo. Chryseis was the cause of Achilles anger which is the theme of Homer’s Iliad.

7. Troy had a queen as well, called Hecabe (or Hecuba).

8. I won’t be in trouble to analyse the numerous family relations described in the movie!

9. Patroclus had convinced Achilles to give him his armor in order to take part in battle. In addition, after Hector killed him, took Achilles’ armor as a trophy and the god of fire, Hephaestus, created a new one for Achilles with a unique piece of art for his shield. Homer dedicated 250 lines to describe it. (Here is a sketch of Murray – Rullands based on this description)

10. Helen returned to Sparta with Menelaus and lived happily ever after.

11. Agamemnon returned to Mycenae to be murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus, to revenge the sacrifice of her daughter for the beginning of the war.

12. The tremendous Height of the Trojan castle.

13. The «modern» ships of the Greek fleet.

14. The duration of the war was twenty whole years and the incidents described in Homer’s Iliad took place the 10th year and lasted 51 days.

15. Lots of others that I’m sure somebody will note down as soon as the movie is released in DVD.

Anyway, if you want to see more you may browse the official site of the movie, read a review, enjoy the «Troy in 15 minutes» by cleolinda or even better be prepared for fun, armed with the real myth. I absolutely suggest you find anywhere a good version of the myth of the Trojan war, read it and try to remember the basics, make a lot of pop corn, order pizzas and refreshment and then enjoy the movie with your friends!!! Try to find the difference and practice your abs with loud laughters.

In any case, if you can read Greek you may find here the summary of the Iliad of the 1994 school textbook. The same text can be found in an english translation I made here.