Schliemann of Troy

by David A. Traill

Standing proudly on a hill near Hisarlik, Turkey, in 1868, Heinrich Schliemann claimed that beneath his feet lay the ancient city of Troy, immortalized by Homer in the Iliad. To the consternation of contemporary scholars, Schliemann substantiated his claims and popularized the belief that the Homeric legends have some basis in fact. He unearthed "Priam's Treasure" at the site, bringing a glimmering but pivotal age into much sharper focus. By the time he excavated Mycenae in 1876 and delivered to the world the golden "Mask of Agamemnon," he had earned a huge reputation that went largely unchallenged for decades. However, in Schliemann of Troy, classicist David Traill investigates the archaeologist's own legends, and argues convincingly that Schliemann regularly distorted facts in both his personal and professional lives. Basing his biography on a thorough reexamination of the vast collection of Schliemann papers in Athens and including many previously unpublished excerpts from his lette