Summaries

Over six hour-long programs, Michael Wood marshals the disparate strands of evidence to present as fully rounded a portrait as possible of both the historical and the legendary city of Troy, its central place in Western culture, and the Mycenaean Age itself. From Schliemann's initial cavalier bulldozing of the mound at Hisarlik, to Homer's epics, the Hittite Empire, and the role of slave women, Wood journeys back and forth across the Aegean and elsewhere, from a pre-unification Berlin to Liverpool, to illuminate the dawn of Western literature, myth, and history. Did the Trojan war ever happen, or was the city destroyed by natural causes? Wood doesn't claim to find a definitive answer, of course, but for the viewer it's rewarding enough simply to accompany him on this fascinating journey.

Details

Keywords
  • archaeology
  • ancient history
  • trojan war
  • ancient troy
  • iliad
Genres
  • History
  • Documentary
Release date Feb 23, 1985
Countries of origin United Kingdom
Language English
Filming locations County Mayo, Ireland
Production companies British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 6h
Color Color
Sound mix Mono
Aspect ratio 1.33 : 1

Synopsis

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