The Trojan War

How effective is the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] at posing the question of whether the Trojan War is real or a myth?

• Very effective; it summarizes some of the myths surrounding the Trojan War

  and describes the evidence that it was also a reality.

• Mostly effective; it describes the reasons why archaeologists believe the Trojan

  War may have been real, but mentions myths only briefly.

• Somewhat effective; it explores the causes of archaeologists' interest in the

  Trojan War, but does not address how this relates to myth.

• Not at all effective; it outlines the story of the Trojan War, but does not explain

  why there is doubt about whether it is reality or myth.

Read the selection from the section "The Trojan War epics."

Historians think the “Iliad” was completed in 750 B.C., and the

“Odyssey” in 725 B.C. Both began as oral stories and were first written

down decades or centuries after they were composed.

How does this selection contribute to the article overall?

• It describes the difference between the oral and written methods used to record the stories about the Trojan War.

• It shows that a long period of time passed between the first stories and the first

  writings of the Trojan War.

• It emphasizes the importance of writing the "Illiad" and the "Odyssey" to Homer's lasting reputation.

• It explains that Homer took a very short time to write the "Odyssey" after he

  finished writing the "Iliad."

Which piece of evidence from the article provides the BEST support for the idea that the Trojan War, or some kind of similar war, really happened?

• The site of Troy was discovered in the 1800s, in what is now western Turkey. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered evidence that it was the capital of a kingdom.

• After the Trojan defeat, the Greek heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the difficult journey home to Ithaca as recounted in the “Odyssey.”

• The "Aeneid" follows a group of Trojans led by the hero Aeneas. They leave their destroyed city, and after a series of adventures, they founded the city of Rome.

• Recent excavations have shown an inhabited area 10 times the size of the citadel. A layer of the excavation, dating to about 1180 B.C., reveals charred debris and scattered skeletons.

Read the section "History, archaeology and the Trojan War."

Select the paragraph that suggests Troy continued to be a place where people lived long after the Trojan War supposedly happened.

• Paragraph that begins with: "Many portions of the Trojan War clearly are not history. "

• Paragraph that begins with: "Major excavations at the site of Troy began in 1870 under the direction of German".

• Paragraph that begins with: "Troy was an important Bronze Age city."

• Paragraph that begins with: "In Homer’s day, 400 years later, its ruins would still have been visible."

Investigate: What does this article make you wonder about? Ask a question that would encourage future investigation of this topic or process. Explain why this question is interesting or important.