Was Homer's Trojan War fought in 1250 BC?
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Q. Was Homer's Trojan War fought in 1250 BC?
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A. No, it must have been at least 300 years earlier.
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Q. How can it be tied down in date?
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A. In "The Odyssey", the main character Odysseus pretended to be a grandson of King Minos of Crete, a real figure of his time.
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Q. So when was King Minos in power?
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A. The Minoan civilization was wiped out by the gigantic explosion of Santorini in 1500 BC, so it must have been before that.
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Q. And how was the Santorini event dated?
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A. It buried the town of Akrotiri under 20 metres of volcanic ash, including the base of an old olive tree carbon-dated to 1600 BC.
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Q. Where can more be found on this?
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Go to the Correct-Answer Home Page and List of Questions.