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ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a rare 2,700-year-old piece of fabric inside a copper urn from a burial they speculated imitated the elaborate cremation of soldiers described in Homer's "Iliad."
The yellowed, brittle material was found in the urn during excavation in the southern town of Argos, a Culture Ministry announcement said Wednesday
This is a cute article that ends with a warning about the computer Trojan horse. Trojan seems to be a synonym for something that enters by way of deceit. Curious that they named a prophylactic a Trojan.1184 B.C.: During the Trojan War, the Greeks depart in ships, leaving behind a large wooden horse as a victory offering. It is hauled inside the walls of Troy, and Greek soldiers descend from the horse's belly after dark to slay the guards and commence destruction of the city.
Whether this actually happened, and whether the traditional date given is true, archeological evidence has established that a Trojan War did occur in Asia Minor around 1200 B.C. You can debate how much of the accounts in Homer's Iliad, Virgil's Aeneid and elsewhere is legend. But it is in no way mere legend. The war and its lore are a firm part of Western culture and have enriched our language.
Yes. A Trojan War not the Trojan War.archeological evidence has established that a Trojan War did occur in Asia Minor around 1200 B.C.
Yeah, I know that. One better interpretation is the "Reed Sea", which would also help to illustrate that the "sea" in question was a very shallow one. Less than 3 feet deep, I would say, as reed seas go (look at the Everglades!). I can imagine an extraordinarily strong ebb tide drawing all that water away for a few hours, allowing a few hundred people to cross, only to indeed make the water return 'in full force' a few hours later, bogging down and drowning Paraoh's chariots that were in 'midstream'.Minimalist wrote:To begin with, "Red Sea" is a mistranslation.
(The above is a composite based on research from Geoffrey of Monmouth, Theo Brown, C.P. Ashe and H.N. Sargeant).The Greek king Pandrasus had several thousand slaves descended from Trojan prisoners of war. One of them, Brutus, who was descended from Anaeas (Virgil) organised a revolt ... they assembled a fleet and set sail. On a deserted island, they discovered a temple to Diana. Brutus ritually consulted the goddess and she appeared to him in a dream and told him of another island, a far greater one, out in the ocean towards the sunset. ....There he could establish a new Troy, and father a dynasty of kings who would be the most powerful on earth.
Much encouraged, the Trojans coasted along Africa to Gibralter, where they met another party of their kinsfolk who leader was Corineus. Joining forces, the whole company passed through Gaul where they founded the city of Tours. But Gaul was no abiding place. They came at last to Albion [Britain], sailed up the Dart and disembarked at Totnes...
Brutus renamed Albion Britain, after himself, and Cornwall takes its name from Corineus....
London Stone in Cannon Street, London was an altar set up by Brutus in honour of Diana, the moon goddess and his divine guide.
The timeline of this legend does not work me, however, as I have the famous destruction of Troy, the one of greek legend, occuring in 1183 BC and Carthage was founded some 300 years later. So how did these guys leave Troy and sail to Carthage?§ 21. - How AEneas departed from Troy and came to Carthage in Africa.
AEneas again departed from the said destruction of Troy with Anchises, his father, and with Ascanius, his son, born of Creusa, daughter of the great King Priam, with a following of 3,300 men of the best people of Troy, and they embarked upon twenty-two ships. This AEneas was of the royal race of the Trojans, in this wise: for Ansaracus, son of Trojus and brother of Ilius, of whom mention was made in the beginning, begat Danaus, and Danaus begat Anchises, and Anchises begat AEneas. This AEneas was a lord of great worth, wise and of great prowess, and very beautiful in person. When he departed from Troy with his following, with great lamentation, having lost Creusa, his wife, in the assault of the Greeks, he went first to the island of Ortygia, and made sacrifice to Apollo, the god of the sun, or rather idol, asking him for counsel and answer whither he should go; from the which he had answer and commandment to go into the land and country of Italy (whence at the first had come Dardanus and his forefathers to Troy), and to enter into Italy by the harbour or mouth of the river of Albola; and he said to him by the said oracle, that after many travails by sea, and battles in the said land of Italy, he should gain a wife and great lordship, and from his race should arise mighty kings and emperors, which should do very great and notable things. When AEneas heard this he was much encouraged by the fair response and promise, and straightway he put to sea with his following and ships, and voyaging long time he met with many adventures, and came to many countries, and first to the country of Macedonia, where already were Helenus and the wife and son of Hector; and after their sorrowful meeting, remembering the ruin of Troy, they departed. And sailing over diverse seas, now forwards, now backwards, now crossways, as being ignorant of the country of Italy, not having with them any great masters or pilots of the sea which could guide them, so that they sailed almost whithersoever fortune or the sea winds might lead them, at last they came to the island of Sicily which the poets called Trinacria, and landed where to-day is the city of Trapali, in which Anchises, his father, by reason of his great toils and his old age, passed from this life, and in the said place was buried after their manner with great solemnities. And after the great mourning made by AEneas over his dear father, they departed thence to go into Italy; and by stress of storm the said ships were divided, and part held one way, and part another. And one of the said ships, with all on board, was lost in the sea, and the others came to the shores of Africa (neither knowing ought of the other), where the noble city of Carthage was a building by the powerful and beautiful Queen Dido which had come thither from Sidonia, which is now called Suri [Tyre]; and the said AEneas and Ascanius, his son, and all his following in the twenty-one ships which came to that port, were received by the said queen with great honour; above all, because the said queen was taken with great love for AEneas so soon as she beheld him, in such wise that AEneas for her sake abode there long time in such delight that he did not remember the commandment of the gods that he should go into Italy; and by a dream or vision, it was told him by the said gods that he should no longer abide in Africa. For the which thing suddenly with his following and ships he departed from Carthage; and therefore the said Queen Dido by reason of her passionate love slew herself with the sword of the said AEneas. And those who desire to know this story more fully may read it in the First and Second Books of the AEneid, written by the great poet Virgil.
§ 22. - How AEneas came into Italy.
When AEneas had departed from Africa, he again landed in Sicily, where he had buried his father Anchises, and in that place celebrated the anniversary of his father with great games and sacrifices; and they received great honour from Acestes, then king of Sicily, by reason of the ancient kinship with the Trojans, who were descendants of Sicanus of Fiesole. Then he departed from Sicily, and came into Italy, to the Gulf of Baiae, which to-day is called Mare Morto, to the headland of Miseno, very near where to-day is Naples; in which country there were many and great woods and forests, and AEneas, going through them, was led by the appointed guide, the Erythraean Sibyl, to behold Hell and the pains that are therein, and afterwards Limbo; and, according to what is related by Virgil in the Sixth Book of the AEneid, he there found and recognised the shades, or soul-images of his father, Anchises, and of Dido, and of many other departed souls. And by his said father were shown to him, or signified in a vision, all his descendants and their lordship, and they which were to build the great city of Rome. And it is said by many, that the place where he was led by the wise Sibyl was through the weird caverns of Monte Barbaro, which is above Pozzuolo, and which still to-day are strange and fearful to behold; and others believe and hold that, either by divine power or by magic arts, this was shown to AEneas in a vision of the spirit, to signify to him the great things which were to issue and come forth from his descendants. But however that may be, when he issued forth from Hell, he departed, and entered into a ship, and, following the shores until he came to the mouth of the river Tiber or Albola, he entered it, and came to shore, and by signs and auguries perceived that he had arrived in the country of Italy, which had been promised him by the gods; and with great festival and rejoicing they brought their labours by sea to an end, and began to build for themselves habitations, and to fortify themselves with ditches and palisades of the wood of their ships. And this place afterwards became the city of Ostia; and these fortifications they built for fear of the country people, who, fearing them as strange folk and unused to their customs, held them as foes, and fought many battles against the Trojans to drive them from the country, in all of which the Trojans were victorious.
§ 23. - How the King Latinus ruled over Italy, and how AEneas had his daughter to wife, and all his kingdom.
In this country (whereof the capital was Laurentia, the remains of which may still be traced near to where Terracina now stands), the King Latinus reigned, which was of the seed of King Saturn, who came from Crete when he was driven thence by Jove his son, as we made mention afore. And this Saturn came into the country of Rome, which was then ruled by Janus of the seed of Noah; but the inhabitants were then very ignorant, and lived like beasts on fruits and acorns, and dwelt in caves of the earth. This Saturn, wise in learning and in manners, by his wisdom and counsel led the people to live like men, and caused them to cultivate lands, and plant vineyards, and build houses, and enclose towns and cities; and the said Saturn was the first to build the city of Sutri, called Saturna, and it was so called after his name; and in that country, by his care, grain was first sown, wherefore the dwellers therein held him for a god; and Janus himself, which was lord thereof, made him his partner, and gave him a share in the kingdom. This Saturn reigned thirty-four years in Italy, and after him reigned Picus his son thirty-one years; and after Picus reigned Faunus his son twenty-nine years, and was slain by his people. The two sons of Faunus were Lavinus and Latinus. This Lavinus built the city of Lavina. And Lavinus reigned but a short time; and when he was dead the kingdom was left to Latinus, which changed the name of the city of Lavina to Laurentia, because on the chief tower thereof there grew a great laurel tree. The said Latinus reigned thirty-two years, and was very wise; and he much bettered the Latin tongue. This King Latinus had only one most beautiful daughter called Lavinia, who by her mother had been promised in marriage to a king of Tuscany, name Turnus, of the city of Ardea, now Cortona. Tuscany was the name of the country and province, because there were the first sacrifices offered to the gods, with the fumes of incense called "tuscio". AEneas having arrived in the country, sought peace with the King Latinus, and that he might dwell there; by the said Latinus he was received graciously, and not only had leave of him to inhabit the country, but also had the promise of his daughter Lavinia to wife, since the command of the gods was tha they should marry her to a stranger, and not to a man of the country. For which cause, and to secure the heritage of King Latinus, great battles arose, for a long time, between AEneas and Turnus and them of Laurentia, and the said Turnus slew in battle the great and strong giant, Pallas, son of Evander, king of the seven hills, where to-day is Rome, who had come in aid of AEneas; and on the same account died, by the hand of AEneas, the virgin Camilla, who was marvellous in arms. In the end, AEneas, being victor in the last battle, and Turnus being slain by his hand, took Lavinia to wife, who loved AEneas much, and AEneas her; and he had the half of the kingdom of King Latinus. And, after the death of King Latinus, who lived but a short time longer, AEneas was lord over all.
Possibly. I'm not an expert on it.Forum Monk wrote: Many European nations trace their beginnings to thses same lines of descent. True or no?
