Troy

Troy. 1. The excavations of Dr. Schliemann, begun in 1870, have brought to light a prehistoric town of the Stone Age, which some scholars regard as unquestionably the city of Homer's Iliad. Recent critics had rejected the tradition that its remains lay beneath the mound of Hissarlik, which is situated near the southern shore of the Dardanelles, to the east of Besika Bay. On digging below the surface of the mound, various remains were discovered, deposited in at least five, probably six, strata. Of these there can be no doubt that the uppermost is the Novum Ilion of the Romans, rebuilt after 85 B.C. The fifth town is larger than the two immediately above it, extending over the plain at the base of the mound, which formed the Acropolis. Both the fifth and sixth towns (supposing them to be different.) belong to the Stone Age but there are many indications that before the latter WAS destroyed the Bronze Age was already approaching. A hoard, which includes a silver jar (containing large gold diadems, with chains, earrings, and pendants of the same material), silver daggers, an immense number of small gold rings, and various other relics, was identified with "Priam's treasure" by some who were favourable to Schliemann's views. The town also bears evident marks of destruction by fire, but it cannot have been burnt down by the inhabitants of the Mycenae discovered by Schliemann, for that is a city of the Bronze, not of the Stone, Age, and therefore much later in date than the presumed Troy. Moreover, both the Mycenae and the Troy of recent explorations differ considerably from the cities described in the Iliad. Yet Homer shows an intimate acquaintance with the geographical features of the Troad, and eminent critics still point out that his description exactly suits a strong town built on the Bani Dagh above Bunarbashi. A solution which has been offered is that the poem, which some think the work of ages, embodies various elements, derived partly from tradition, partly from contemporary fact. 2. A town of New York State, United States of America, stretching for three miles along the east bank of the Hudson, 147 miles north of New York. It has large iron and steel works and shirt and collar factories; cotton and woollen goods, stoves, paper, and bells are also manufactured.