Trojan War Timeline

(c. 1260–1180 BCE (traditional dates c. 1194–1184 BCE))

The Trojan War is one of the most famous conflicts of Greek mythology, a decade-long war fought between the Achaeans (Greeks) and the city of Troy in Asia Minor. Sparked by the abduction (or elopement) of Helen by the Trojan prince Paris, the war features legendary heroes such as Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, and Agamemnon. Its story was immortalized in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, blending myth, legend, and possible historical memory of a real Bronze Age conflict around the 12th century BCE. More Less

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Hittite and Egyptian Evidence

Alaksandu treaty names a Trojan-like king

1280 BC

In the Alaksandu treaty (c. 1280 BC) the king of the city is named Alaksandu, and Paris's name in the Iliad (among other works) is Alexander, suggesting a possible connection.

Image source: Alaksandu

Assuwa confederation defects after battle of Kadesh

1274 BC

Formerly under the Hittites, the Assuwa confederation defected after the battle of Kadesh between Egypt and the Hittites (c. 1274 BC).

Hittite king Tudhaliya IV campaigns against Assuwa

1230 BC

In 1230 BC Hittite king Tudhaliya IV (c. 1240–1210 BC) campaigned against this federation, attempting to restore Hittite control in western Anatolia.

Image source: Tudḫaliya IV

Hittite king Tudhaliya IV campaigns against Assuwa

Arnuwanda III abandons Hittite lands on the Aegean coast

1210 BC - 1205 BC

Under Arnuwanda III (c. 1210–1205 BC) the Hittites were forced to abandon the lands they controlled on the coast of the Aegean.

Scholars draw on Hittite and Egyptian texts

1900 - 2000

Since the twentieth century, scholars have attempted to draw conclusions based on Hittite and Egyptian texts that date to the time of the Trojan War.

Image source: Trojan War

Archaeology of Troy

Troy VI destroyed about 1275 BC, probably by earthquake

1275 BC

The glorious and rich city Homer describes was believed to be Troy VI by many twentieth century AD authors, and destroyed about 1275 BC, probably by an earthquake.

Image source: Late Bronze Age Troy

Troy VIIa destroyed around 1180 BC

1180 BC

Troy VIIa was destroyed around 1180 BC; it was long considered a poorer city and dismissed as a candidate for Homeric Troy, but since the excavation campaign of 1988 it has come to be regarded as the most likely candidate.

War and city widely seen as non-historical

1850 - 1860

By the mid-nineteenth century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical.

Frank Calvert convinces Schliemann Troy is at Hisarlık

1868

In 1868, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was at what is now Hisarlık in modern-day Turkey.

Image source: Frank Calvert

Frank Calvert convinces Schliemann Troy is at Hisarlık

Western Europe concludes the Trojan War never happened

1870

Around 1870 it was generally agreed in Western Europe that the Trojan War had never happened and Troy never existed.

Geological investigations of the Troad begin

1977

Investigations into the geology of the region around Troy started in 1977, laying groundwork for later findings about the ancient landscape.

Excavation campaign of 1988 elevates Troy VIIa

1988

Since the excavation campaign of 1988, Troy VIIa has come to be regarded as the most likely candidate for Homeric Troy.

John C. Luce presents geological results

Nov 2001

In November 2001, geologist John C. Luce presented the results of investigations into the geology of the region that had started in 1977, shedding light on the plain where the war was said to have been fought.

The Legendary War

Legendary Trojan War takes place

1250 BC - 1150 BC

The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the thirteenth or early twelfth century BC, pitting the Greeks against the city of Troy.

Greek fleet musters 1186 pentekonters from 28 contingents

1200 BC

In the legend, the Greek forces consisted of 28 contingents from mainland Greece, the Peloponnese, the Dodecanese islands, Crete, and Ithaca, comprising 1186 pentekonters, ships with 50 rowers.

Ancient Greeks believe Troy lay near the Dardanelles

1200 BC - 1100 BC

The ancient Greeks believed that Troy was located near the Dardanelles and that the Trojan War was a historical event of the twelfth or thirteenth centuries BC.

Thucydides records tradition of about 1200 ships

410 BC

Thucydides says that according to tradition there were about 1200 ships, and that the Boeotian ships had 120 men, while Philoctetes's ships only had the fifty rowers, these probably being maximum and minimum crew sizes.

Ancient Chronology

Preferred historical dating: 1194–1184 BC

1194 BC - 1184 BC

Those who believe the stories derive from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the twelfth or eleventh century BC, often preferring Eratosthenes' dates 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII and the Late Bronze Age collapse.

Herodotus dates the war to around 1250 BC

430 BC

Among ancient attempts to date the war, Herodotus placed it around 1250 BC, one of many differing chronological estimates proposed by classical authors.

Dicaearchus dates the war to 1212 BC

320 BC

The philosopher Dicaearchus gave 1212 BC as the date of the Trojan War, part of the wide array of chronological proposals by ancient scholars.

Timaeus dates the war to 1193 BC

300 BC

The historian Timaeus assigned the Trojan War to 1193 BC in his chronological reckoning of legendary events.

Parian marble dates the war to 1209/1208 BC

260 BC

The Parian marble chronicle dated the Trojan War to 1209 BC or 1208 BC, contributing to the range of ancient estimates of the conflict's date.

Eratosthenes dates the war to 1194–1184 BC

230 BC

Eratosthenes gave the dates 1194–1184 BC (with 1184 BC/1183 BC for the fall of Troy), which are often preferred by those who link the legend to a specific historical conflict.

Sosibius dates the war to 1172 BC

220 BC

Sosibius proposed 1172 BC as the date of the Trojan War, adding to the diversity of ancient chronological traditions.

Ephorus dates the war to 1135 BC

210 BC

Ephorus gave 1135 BC as the date of the Trojan War, among the latest of the ancient estimates.

Douris dates the war to 1334 BC

200 BC

Douris gave 1334 BC as the date of the Trojan War, the earliest major estimate; taken together, the ancient dates bring the average to around 1220 BC.

Eretes dates the war to 1291 BC

150 BC

Eretes gave 1291 BC as his estimate for the Trojan War, one of the many competing ancient chronologies.

Cultural Legacy

Stesichorus attributes the myth of Helen being switched

550 BC

The myth of Helen being switched is attributed to the sixth century BC Sicilian poet Stesichorus, while for Homer the Helen in Troy was one and the same.

Film adaptation Helen of Troy released

1956

Helen of Troy (1956) is one of the modern-day adaptations of the Trojan War story, bringing the legend to the big screen.

Image source: Helen of Troy (film)

Film adaptation The Trojan Horse released

1961

The Trojan Horse (1961) is a modern-day screen adaptation depicting the famous wooden horse stratagem of the Trojan War.

Image source: The Trojan Horse (film)

Film adaptation Troy released

2004

Troy (2004) is a major Hollywood adaptation of the Trojan War, loosely based on Homer's Iliad.

Image source: Troy (film)

Novel The Song of Achilles published

2011

The Song of Achilles (2011) by Madeline Miller is a modern novel retelling the Trojan War through the eyes of Patroclus.

Image source: The Song of Achilles

Adaptation The Odyssey released

2026

The Odyssey (2026) is a modern-day adaptation connected to the Trojan War cycle of stories.

Image source: The Odyssey (2026 film)

Key Facts

According to Greek mythology, the war began when Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta, after being promised her by the goddess Aphrodite.
The Greeks besieged Troy for approximately ten years before finally capturing it through Odysseus' famous stratagem of the wooden Trojan Horse.
Homer's epic poem the Iliad, composed around the 8th century BCE, is the primary literary source for the war, focusing on Achilles' rage during its final year.
Many scholars connect the legend to a real conflict at Hisarlik in modern Turkey—the site identified as ancient Troy—where archaeological evidence shows destruction layers dating to around 1180 BCE.
Key heroes of the war include the nearly invincible Achilles, the Trojan defender Hector, King Agamemnon, Ajax, and the clever Odysseus, whose journey home inspired the Odyssey.

Source

This Trojan War timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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