Tuesday, April 6, 2021

How Big was the Citadel at Troy?

The citadel (little city) or acropolis (upper city) at Troy is very famous but not very big. Its outer walls run in the dark area in the map below. 



On the photo below, I am a little long in both directions.  

Call it 650 by 550 feet.  Below are those same dimensions in more scalable environs.  

Soldier Field, Chicago 


St Peter's Square, Vatican City 


East High School, Denver 


That is all the bigger the bronze age citadel is -- a little bigger than two high school athletic fields side by side.  It would fit within the foot print of most any major sports stadium.  It would fit in St Peter's Square.  

So, imagine Achilles chasing Hector three and a half times around that area, then stopping to fight, because that is what Homer says happened.  One trip around an athletic track in armor while carrying shield and sword would wear out the average man. One trip around the fortress at Troy would be quite a bit more taxing.  

And while you are at it, imagine adding 50k citizens to an already fully developed and fully populated city of that size.  Imagine, in other words, an influx of 50k for a final population of 60k - 70k.  That is the minimal size of the allied forces that Homer says came to defend the Trojans.  Imagine a city like the one below taking in 50k fighters with armor and horses and attendants.  Where do they put them?  

The artist's impression above includes buildings outside the walls.  Nonetheless, it is easy to see that the population of 10 or 15k souls who lived on this hillside in the bronze age did not have the living space to accommodate 50k new inhabitants inside their walls.  






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