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Homer’s stories as history

The Greeks have always considered Homer’s stories to be true. For them, the stories contain the very core of Greek culture and collective identity. Their significance to European culture does not rely upon their factuality.

Since Heinrich Schliemann’s findings were publicized to the world, the general public was easily convinced that the legendary Troy had really been found. Although many scientists remained skeptical, the digging site was named Troy and the various layers of cities found there were numbered Troy I - Troy VII.

Schliemann’s credibility among scientists and especially archeologists was not strong. Many considered him a thug who was only after fame and glory and had little regard for archeology as science. His findings made headlines in the press all over the world and he did not mind taking all the credit for them. For decades there were those who believed that his findings were fakes which were devised only to make the press.

When the objects disappeared from the museum in Berlin, where they were originally placed, nobody seemed to know what had happened to them. Only in the 1990s did the Russians admit that they had been placed in a museum in Russia. Now scientists with sophisticated modern methods have been able to examine the objects and found them to be genuine artifacts.

Homer’s stories have been largely accepted as an account of historical events although depicted with poetic license. This is why Felice Vinci’s theory claming that it all took place in the northern Atlantic and the Baltic region has been a slight shock to many. Professor Rosa Celzecchi Onesti, a famed translator of the Iliad and the Odyssey into Italian, has written the preface to Vinci’s book Omero nel Baltico (Homer in the Baltics). She points out that also Schliemann’s claim about Troy was an unacceptable idea at the time. Scientific truths change as new information comes to light. Keeping an open mind and being ready to study further new theories, no matter how revolutionary, are important attributes to a true scientist.

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