Troy: Myth & Reality

A major exhibition for autumn 2019 at the British Museum, Troy: Myth & Reality will reveal the lasting legacy of stories from the Trojan War, first told by early poets such as Homer and Virgil and retold and reinterpreted right up to the present day.

Highlighting works of art inspired by the tales of war, love and loss, this show is wrapped up in the Trojan cycle of myths and passed down through generations. Following in the footsteps of the archaeologists and adventurers who sought to prove the reality of ancient Troy, this exhibition will showcase the discoveries made by Heinrich Schliemann in Turkey in the 1870s, which changed the perception of this epic tale forever. From the Trojan horse to Troilus and Cressida, and Hollywood films and contemporary art, this exhibition will tell the stories of Troy that have fascinated and inspired people for more than 3,000 years.

This will be the first major Troy exhibition in the UK, and the first to feature finds from Schliemann’s excavations at the site of Troy, since they were displayed in London in the 1870s. The revelation that Troy was a real place and that there may be truth behind the legend continues to be a source of fascination and debate. Schliemann’s rediscovery of Troy and his work at the site between 1870 and 1890 made him famous the world over. A large number of his original finds, including pottery and silver vessels, bronze weapons and stone sculptures, have been generously loaned by the Berlin Museums to the UK for the first time in nearly 150 years.

Nearly 300 outstanding objects will reveal the story of Troy and its wider impact, as it was told and retold throughout millennia. Many common sayings today come from the Trojan cycle of myths, such as the Trojan horse epitomising deception, and the proverbial weakness of an Achilles heel. Depictions of the Trojan horse are quite rare in ancient art, so a significant loan to the exhibition from the Ashmolean Museum is a Roman sarcophagus lid with a wheeled wooden horse. The horse is itself armed with helmet and shield – a suggestion of the Greek warriors hiding within.