
BLACK SHIPS BEFORE TROY AND THE TELLING AND RE-TELLING OF THE TROJAN WAR IN HISTORICAL FICTION
It is estimated that the Trojan war took place around 463 BCE and that Homer's epic narrative about it, which combined historical fact with mythological elements, was probably written down as The Iliad around 318 BCE.
Not only was it one of the world's first epic tales, but it laid the groundwork for storytelling in the western world from that point forward. This tale, the first of its kind, has been retold many times and in many ways, but Black Ships Before Troy was the first time I read about the war. I was in grade school at the time, but recently there's been a renewed interest in ancient Troy.
Thanks to the success of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, there's been a renewed interest in this ancient war. Want to check out some of these titles? You can find more about Troy and Greek myth and legend by visiting Greek Myths Retold on Bookshop.org.
It is estimated that the Trojan war took place around 463 BCE and that Homer's epic narrative about it, which combined historical fact with mythological elements, was probably written down as The Iliad around 318 BCE.
Not only was it one of the world's first epic tales, but it laid the groundwork for storytelling in the western world from that point forward. This tale, the first of its kind, has been retold many times and in many ways, but Black Ships Before Troy was the first time I read about the war. I was in grade school at the time, but recently there's been a renewed interest in ancient Troy.
Thanks to the success of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, there's been a renewed interest in this ancient war. Want to check out some of these titles? You can find more about Troy and Greek myth and legend by visiting Greek Myths Retold on Bookshop.org.