So spake he, and a black cloud of grief enwrapped Achilles, and with both his hands he took the dark dust and strewed it over his head and defiled his fair face, and on his fragrant tunic the black ashes fell. And himself in the dust lay outstretched, mighty in his mightiness, and with his own hands he tore and marred his hair. And the handmaidens, that Achilles and Patroclus had got them as booty, shrieked aloud in anguish of heart, and ran forth around wise-hearted Achilles, and all beat their breasts with their hands, and the knees of each one were loosed beneath her. And over against them Antilochus wailed and shed tears, holding the hands of Achilles, that in his noble heart was moaning mightily; for he feared lest he should cut his throat asunder with the knife. ibid. XVIII
Howbeit the whole plain was filled with men and horses, and aflame with bronze, and the earth resounded beneath their feet as they rushed together; and two warriors best by far of all came one against the other into the space between the two hosts, eager to do battle, even Aeneas, Anchises’ son, and goodly Achilles. ibid. XX
But soon as early Dawn appeared, the rosy-fingered, then gathered the folk about the pyre of glorious Hector. And when they were assembled and met together, first they quenched with flaming wine all the pyre, so far as the fire’s might had come upon it, and thereafter his brethren and his comrades gathered the white bones, mourning, and big tears flowed ever down their cheeks. The bones they took and placed in a golden urn, covering them over with soft purple robes, and quickly laid the urn in a hollow grave, and covered it over with great close-set stones. Then with speed heaped they the mound, and round about were watchers set on every side, lest the well-greaved Achaeans should set upon them before the time. And when they had piled the barrow they went back, and gathering together duly feasted a glorious feast in the palace of Priam, the king fostered of Zeus. On this wise held they funeral for horse-taming Hector. ibid. XXIV
‘Menelaus, son of Atreus, and you my good friends, sons of honourable men (which is as Jove wills, for he is the giver both of good and evil, and can do what he chooses), feast here as you will, and listen while I tell you a tale in season. I cannot indeed name every single one of the exploits of Ulysses, but I can say what he did when he was before Troy, and you Achaeans were in all sorts of difficulties. He covered himself with wounds and bruises, dressed himself all in rags, and entered the enemy’s city looking like a menial or a beggar, and quite different from what he did when he was among his own people. In this disguise he entered the city of Troy, and no one said anything to him. I alone recognized him and began to question him, but he was too cunning for me. When, however, I had washed and anointed him and had given him clothes, and after I had sworn a solemn oath not to betray him to the Trojans till he had got safely back to his own camp and to the ships, he told me all that the Achaeans meant to do.’ Homer, The Odyssey IV
I’ve stood upon Achilles’ tomb,
And heard Troy doubted: time will doubt of Rome. Lord Byron
Sometime let gorgeous Tragedy
In sceptred pall come sweeping by,
Presenting Thebes, or Pelops’ line,
Or the tale of Troy divine. John Milton
In northern Turkey there is a place where the wind blows ceaselessly. It fills the landscape with a restless quality, with expectations. It blows across the countryside today as it has since the beginning of time. This is the Trojan plain – where myth collides with history. Ancient Mysteries: The Odyssey of Troy s2e3, A&E 1995
This titanic struggle between the Trojans and the Greeks is set into the memory. ibid.
In the tenth year of the Trojan war the Greeks hatch a plot inspired by one of their great military commanders: Odysseus. ibid.
The 13th century before Christ when the legend of the Illiad was born. ibid.
The ancient city of Troy … may have been one and the same with Atlantis. Ancient Mysteries s3e11: Atlantis: The Lost Civilisation
For ten years the ships were beached while the army lay siege to Troy. The great walls of the city could not be breached but the Greeks found another way. Were Helen and the battle of Troy just the dreams of an ancient poet? In Search of s2e18 … Troy, 1978