Can mankind live without war? History does not give us a lot of hope that it can. The oldest examples of written or oral literature always talk about wars. Even the oldest work of Western literature talks about a war that destroyed Troy. Troy has been the symbol of a city on fire for thousands of years. The Trojan war, i.e. the Iliad epic, has become and still is a starting point for talking about wars; imcomparable wrath, unspeakable sorrows, world-shattering trickery, disappearing of cities and hopes in the most permanent way. For this reason, while Trojan mythology does not directly affect our contemporary politics, the tragedies and the fates of the Trojan heroes always have a place in modern political commentary. There is always a "Trojan horse" behind every political maneuver; there is a much known but never understood "scream of Cassandra" before every tragedy; every political hero can be wounded at their "Achilleus' heel". It is these and other metaphors that still continue to affect the politics and politicans of our day.
Troy and Politics
- 71 Is the Trojan War the first war between the East and the West?
- 72 Since when was Troy accepted to be a sacred city?
- 73 With whom did the political visits to Troy start?
- 74 Why did Alexander the Great come to Troy?
- 75 Why did Romans use Troy for their political purposes?
- 76 When did the political and religious significance of Troy end?
- 77 What is the significance of Trojan mythology for the Greeks and the Romans?
- 78 What is the political significance of Trojan mythology in the Middle Ages?
- 79 What is the political significance of Trojan mythology for the European literary ideology?
- 80 How does Troy affect contemporary politics?