Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic

This is the first book systematically to examine Wolfgang Petersen’s epic film Troy from different archaeological, literary, cultural, and cinematic perspectives. The first book systematically to examine Wolfgang Petersen’s epic film Troy from different archaeological, literary, cultural, and cinematic perspectives. Examines the film’s use of Homer’s Iliad and the myth of the Trojan War, its presentation of Bronze-Age archaeology, and its place in film history. Identifies the modern political overtones of the Trojan War myth as expressed in the film and explains why it found world-wide audiences. Editor and contributors are archaeologists or classical scholars, several of whom incorporate films into their teaching and research. Includes an annotated list of films and television films and series episodes on the Trojan War. Contains archaeological illustrations of Troy, relevant images of ancient art, and stills from films on the Trojan War.

Table of Contents:
List of Plates. Notes on Contributors. Editor's Introduction. 1 Was There a Trojan War? Troy Between Fiction and Archaeological Evidence. (Manfred O. Korfmann). 2 From Homer’s Troy to Petersen’s Troy. (Joachim Latacz). 3 The Iliad and the Cinema. (Martin M. Winkler). 4 The Story of Troy Through the Centuries. (Georg Danek). 5 Viewing Troy: Authenticity, Criticism, Interpretation. (Jon Solomon). 6 Troy and the Role of the Historical Advisor. (J. Lesley Fitton). 7 From Greek Myth to Hollywood Story: Explanatory. (Kim Shahabudin). 8 The Fate of Troy. (Stephen Scully). 9 Helen of Troy. (Monica S. Cyrino). 10 Briseis in Homer, Ovid, and Troy. (Alena Allen). 11 Troy and Memorials of War. (Frederick Ahl). 12 The Realist Politics of Troy. (Robert J. Rabel). 13 The Trojan War on the Screen: An Annotated. (Martin M. Winkler). Bibliography.

About the Author :
Martin M. Winkler is Professor of Classics at George Mason University. Most recently he has edited the essay collections Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema (2001) and Gladiator: Film and History (Blackwell, 2004).

Review :
“This is an excellent collection of essays. Editor Martin Winkler and the twelve authors are to be commended for getting it together and out so quickly while Troy is still relatively fresh in viewers’ minds. The articles could be read by anyone interested in the movie; they should be read by any classicist who has seen it. Each piece – and each is pleasantly concise – offers good insight into Petersen’s movie, and when taken all together, they can make the reader believe he/she really liked the movie and would be willing to see Troy again.” (International Journal of the Classical Tradition, Fall 2007) “This is an excellent collection of essays….a very useful, informative, and readable book, a book which itself, perhaps, takes its place in the way we understand the stories of the Trojan War.” (International Journal of the Classical Tradition) "Classics and film is a staple of university curricula; it has become respectable, in large part thanks to Winkler's own persistent dedication ... Certainly [the book's] roster of contributors is aptly chosen for philological and ... archaeological strength-in-depth ... All of us working in the subject area will need to familiarize ourselves with the volume's contents ... We will be seeing a lot of this material in student essays and dissertations from here on in ... A strong and appealingly diverse field of essays ... adventurous in scope and very well informed. It will inspire students and professionals alike to fresh explorations." (Arion) "Any reader interested in understanding the relationship between the Homeric texts and this film will profit greatly from this collection… I would even highly recommend this collection to readers of Homer with little interest in contemporary film. [Such] insights should encourage the reader to look at the Homeric texts with a new perspective." (New England Classical Journal)