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{\an1}Announcer: Coming up on
"Secrets of the Dead,"
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{\an1}a decade of warfare.
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{\an1}Man: Troy was a city
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{\an1}worthy of a 10-year siege.
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{\an1}Announcer: The ultimate
sneak attack.
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{\an1}Man: Homer tells us they used
a Trojan Horse to get in.
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{\an1}Announcer: But could
the Trojan Horse
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{\an1}be more than an epic myth?
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{\an1}Man: So, clearly,
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{\an1}there was an attack.
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{\an1}Second man: The body
of the horse
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{\an1}very closely resembles
the hull of a ship.
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{\an1}What I'm gonna do is
engineer
the conquest of Troy.
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{\an1}Announcer: The real
Trojan Horse,
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{\an1}on "Secrets of the Dead."
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{\an1}Narrator: Legend has it
that the fortress city of Troy
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only fell when
its citizens were tricked...
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{\an1}fooled into bringing
a giant wooden horse
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{\an1}inside their gates
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{\an1}that concealed enemy troops
in its belly.
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{\an1}Today, the term "Trojan Horse"
is a byword for deception.
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{\an1}Man: The Trojan Horse
is the enemy within,
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{\an1}the gift that you
shouldn't accept,
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{\an1}the gift that really
turns out to be poison.
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{\an1}Narrator: The story comes
from an ancient Greek poem,
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{\an1}one of the oldest and greatest
in Western literature.
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{\an1}Woman: It's got
everything--
a beautiful heroine, sex,
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{\an1}revenge, violence,
and a tragic ending.
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{\an1}Narrator: But could the poem
be more than fiction?
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{\an1}Man: It's really a very
sophisticated story
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{\an1}of what happens to both sides
in the course of a war.
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{\an1}Narrator: Our experts will
examine the physical evidence
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{\an1}to reveal the truth
behind the myth.
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{\an1}Did the Trojan Horse
actually exist?
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{\an1}They'll look for proof
that the fall of Troy
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was a real event
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{\an1}and test radical theories
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{\an1}as to what may have led
to its downfall.
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{\an1}Was it an earthquake?
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{\an1}Man: Completely destroy
your entire city.
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{\an1}Narrator: A battering ram?
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{\an1}A revolutionary new weapon?
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{\an1}Man: Would be a fairly
sophisticated structure.
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{\an1}Narrator: Or could it really
have been a wooden horse?
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{\an1}Forensic investigators
will try to find
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{\an1}the real Trojan Horse.
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{\an1}The story begins with
a fight over a woman.
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{\an7}Helen of Troy, the Spartan queen
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{\an7}whose face launched
a thousand ships,
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{\an7}the most beautiful woman
in the world,
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{\an1}who'd run away to Troy
with a Trojan prince.
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{\an1}Man: According to the Trojans,
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{\an7}she left willingly.
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{\an7}According to the Greeks,
she was kidnapped.
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{\an1}Narrator: The dispute
over Helen is the cue
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{\an1}for a vast Greek army
to set sail
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{\an1}and attack the Trojans.
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{\an7}It was an expedition
of revenge,
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{\an7}an expedition of loot,
an expedition of glory
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against Troy.
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{\an1}Narrator: The legend
was first written down
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{\an1}28 centuries ago,
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{\an1}in the works of the poet Homer.
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{\an1}He describes a 9-year siege
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{\an1}and how the Greeks devised
an ingenious plan
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{\an1}to crack Troy's
formidable defenses.
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{\an1}Strauss: The Greek army
would pretend to leave,
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{\an1}but it would leave behind
a beautiful wooden horse.
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{\an1}Narrator: This is the part that
the movies tend to focus on.
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{\an1}Strauss: The Trojans,
to their peril,
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{\an1}accept the horse
inside the city.
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{\an7}Narrator: That night,
the soldiers inside the horse
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{\an8}sneak out.
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{\an7}They open the gate,
let the invading army in...
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{\an1}and the city is wiped out.
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{\an1}For most people today,
this epic tale is just that--
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{\an1}a work of fiction.
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{\an1}Hall: The whole cycle
of stories about Troy
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{\an1}is almost always assumed
just to be a myth.
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{\an1}Narrator: But is there
any truth to the legend?
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{\an1}Classics professor Edith Hall
studies Homer's texts
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{\an1}and has long doubted
the accepted view.
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{\an1}Why couldn't there have
been a Trojan War?
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{\an1}If the war took place,
then maybe
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{\an1}the ancient story
of the Trojan Horse
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{\an1}had some historical reality
behind it as well.
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{\an1}I want to find out
whether there was
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{\an1}any real history
behind that myth,
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{\an1}and in particular, whether
there was any real history
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{\an1}behind the Trojan Horse.
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{\an1}Narrator: Retired military
engineer Stephen Ressler
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{\an1}will approach the problem
from a different standpoint.
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{\an7}Ressler: What I'm gonna do
is
engineer the conquest of Troy.
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{\an8}I want to use
a series of computer models
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{\an1}to examine the ways that the
conquest might have happened
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{\an1}from an engineering
perspective.
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{\an1}Narrator: By combining
cutting-edge experimentation
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{\an1}with forensic analysis
of the ancient texts,
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{\an1}our experts will
set out to answer
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{\an1}some fundamental questions.
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{\an1}Did the Greeks and Trojans
really fight over Troy?
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{\an1}How did that war end?
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{\an1}Ultimately, the experts
want to find the truth
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{\an1}behind the tale of
the wooden horse.
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{\an1}The first step is
to prove that Homer
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{\an1}was describing a real place...
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{\an1}that the city of Troy existed
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{\an1}and that it really was
an almost impregnable fortress.
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{\an1}The texts are clear about
where we are to look.
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{\an1}Homer's poems say that
Troy stood by the Aegean Sea,
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{\an1}that the gods could
watch the battle
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{\an1}from the Mountains of Ida,
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{\an1}and that the Greeks
brought supplies
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{\an1}from what are now called
the Dardanelles.
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{\an1}Connect those points,
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{\an1}and the evidence leads to
a corner of modern-day Turkey.
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{\an1}It's got to be near the
water.
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It has to be in
a fertile plain.
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{\an1}Narrator: Eric Cline is
an expert in Bronze Age history
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and in modern
archaeology's
quest to find Troy.
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{\an1}Homer's texts provide
precise
geographical clues,
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{\an1}right down to the water
that was said
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{\an1}to flow from beneath the city.
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{\an1}This region of Northwest Turkey
might fit the bill,
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{\an1}but you need a place where
there's hot and cold
springs.
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{\an1}Homer tell us that
Troy had those.
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{\an1}Narrator: Scholars have
been reading Homer
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{\an1}for more than 2,500 years.
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{\an1}The clues have always
been there for anyone to see.
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{\an1}But it wasn't until the
1870s
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{\an1}that the first serious attempt
was made to follow them.
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{\an1}A millionaire showman
named Heinrich Schliemann
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{\an1}was the first to start digging.
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{\an1}Firm in the belief
that Homer's words
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{\an1}weren't fiction but
history,
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{\an1}he began to explore
here in Turkey.
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{\an1}Heinrich Schliemann is
the first excavator of Troy
of note.
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{\an1}He puts a huge trench
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{\an1}right through the middle
of the mound,
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{\an1}and he was looking for Troy.
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He ran against
conventional wisdom.
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He was not
a trained archaeologist.
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Narrator: Where
a modern archaeologist
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{\an1}will excavate with
forensic care,
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{\an1}he used dynamite.
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But it paid off.
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Nearly 50 feet
below the surface,
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{\an1}he found a paved ramp
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{\an1}buried in the rubble
of older buildings.
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{\an1}Cline: As Schliemann
is digging,
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{\an1}he comes across this layer,
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{\an1}which is a gate,
and in fact,
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{\an1}Schliemann thought he had found
the Scaean gate
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{\an1}that Homer describes
being wide enough
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{\an1}for two chariots to go through
at the same time.
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{\an1}Narrator: This gate
is the backdrop
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{\an1}for some of the key events
in Homer's story.
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{\an1}It's through the Scaean
gates
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{\an1}that the wooden horse is said
to have entered the city.
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{\an1}As far as Schliemann
was concerned,
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{\an1}he had found Homer's Troy.
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{\an1}Shortly after his discovery,
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{\an1}he presented this image
to the world--
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his wife draped
in ancient gold.
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{\an1}They found gold and silver
and necklaces and tiaras
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and earrings.
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{\an1}Narrator: Without any proof,
he declared
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{\an1}that this was the lost treasure
of Homer's Troy.
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{\an1}Strauss: Schliemann
was a genius and a con man.
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He engaged in
many swashbuckling,
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{\an1}questionable, even
reprehensible tactics.
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{\an1}Nonetheless, in spite of that,
he deserves the credit
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{\an1}for being the first person
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{\an1}who really brought this
to the attention of the world.
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{\an1}Narrator: But many
19th-century scholars
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{\an1}refused to believe the site
was Homer's Troy.
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{\an1}The citadel Schliemann found
just didn't seem big
enough.
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{\an1}Homer describes a large,
fabulously wealthy city,
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{\an1}ripe for plunder.
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{\an1}And yet the hilltop citadel
at this site
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{\an1}barely covers 5 acres.
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{\an1}It seemed too small.
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{\an1}It wasn't quite what
Homer had described.
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{\an1}Narrator: Schliemann's
archaeology seemed
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{\an1}to contradict Homer's
account.
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{\an1}In the 1990s, a major discovery
cast his work in a new light.
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{\an1}The plain south of the citadel
was once enclosed,
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{\an1}covered in dozens,
even hundreds of buildings.
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{\an1}Here was Troy, in all
its magnificence.
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{\an1}Strauss: Before that,
skeptics could have said that
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{\an1}Troy was nothing but a fortress
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{\an1}or a pirate's nest,
as someone put it--
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{\an1}a citadel half a acre in size.
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{\an1}But the lower town shows
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{\an1}that Troy was a settlement of
75 acres in size,
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{\an1}a substantial place by the
standards of the Bronze Age.
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{\an1}It was, um, as wealthy
as one might expect.
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{\an1}It was a city worthy
of a 10-year siege.
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{\an1}And suddenly it--it makes
a lot more sense.
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{\an1}Narrator: The proof
was conclusive--
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Troy did exist,
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{\an1}and it was 10 times bigger than
Schliemann's original find.
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{\an1}Now another puzzle emerged.
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{\an1}Scholars wanted to prove
this 50-acre site
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{\an1}had provided the backdrop
for Homer's epic
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{\an1}set in the 13th century B.C.
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{\an7}Man as Homer: Then to secure
the camp and naval powers,
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{\an7}they raised embattled walls
with lofty towers.
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{\an1}From space to space
were ample gates around
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{\an1}for passing chariots,
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{\an1}and a trench profound.
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{\an1}Narrator: Homer describes
a city
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{\an1}whose walls could not
be breached.
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{\an1}Military historian
Mark Schwartz
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{\an1}wants to know how
the real Troy was defended.
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{\an1}He starts on the edge
of its lower city.
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{\an1}So far, very little of this
vast area has been excavated.
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{\an1}Schwartz: This would've
been
filled with houses.
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{\an1}Lots of activity going on
in the streets.
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{\an1}You know, sort of the everyday
hustle and bustle of life
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{\an1}in a very active merchant city.
222
00:12:02,033 --> 00:12:04,000
{\an1}Narrator: For Schwartz,
the task
223
00:12:04,033 --> 00:12:05,000
{\an1}is to build a mental picture
224
00:12:05,033 --> 00:12:07,000
{\an1}of what an attacking
army would have faced
225
00:12:07,033 --> 00:12:09,000
{\an1}as they approached.
226
00:12:09,033 --> 00:12:13,033
{\an1}It's clear that stone
walls
were not the only obstacle.
227
00:12:14,033 --> 00:12:18,033
{\an7}OK, so, this is...
old excavation unit,
228
00:12:19,033 --> 00:12:21,000
{\an8}and you can see
just down there,
229
00:12:21,033 --> 00:12:24,000
{\an1}that's the remains of that
fortification ditch.
230
00:12:24,033 --> 00:12:28,000
{\an1}That was about 2 meters deep
and 3 to 4 meters wide.
231
00:12:28,033 --> 00:12:30,966
{\an1}Would've run the length
of the entire lower city,
232
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,000
{\an1}about 2 kilometers around.
233
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:37,966
{\an1}Narrator: While it may not
seem impressive,
234
00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000
{\an1}that simple ditch would've
been highly effective.
235
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,966
{\an1}And it's the first sign
that the Trojans made
236
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,966
{\an1}serious preparations
against attack.
237
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,966
{\an1}The entire lower city was
rimmed by a defensive ditch,
238
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000
{\an1}and inside that a wooden fence.
239
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:04,033
{\an1}This modern storm drain
has very similar dimensions.
240
00:13:04,066 --> 00:13:06,000
{\an1}Schwartz: So, this was
a serious impediment
241
00:13:06,033 --> 00:13:09,000
{\an1}to most of the army--
to the chariots,
242
00:13:09,033 --> 00:13:11,000
{\an1}to the infantry, to any sort of
243
00:13:11,033 --> 00:13:13,033
{\an1}equipment they're
trying to bring across.
244
00:13:14,033 --> 00:13:17,000
{\an1}They can't just climb in
and climb out.
245
00:13:17,033 --> 00:13:22,033
{\an1}It's--not that easy.
In fact, it's--difficult.
246
00:13:29,033 --> 00:13:32,000
{\an1}Imagine trying to do it with
a full sent of bronze armor.
247
00:13:32,033 --> 00:13:34,033
{\an1}[Indistinct shouting]
248
00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,000
{\an1}Schwartz: And you're
being shot at.
249
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,966
{\an1}This is essentially
a form of attrition.
250
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,966
{\an1}It's a way of
slowing down the army
251
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,966
{\an1}and making sure that
the attackers accrue
252
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,966
{\an1}a lot of losses on the way,
253
00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,966
{\an1}and that basically
discourages them
254
00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,033
{\an1}from further attack.
255
00:14:02,066 --> 00:14:05,033
{\an1}Narrator: But it's only
just
the first line of defense.
256
00:14:05,066 --> 00:14:08,033
{\an1}Schwartz: If the Greeks
actually got through
257
00:14:08,066 --> 00:14:09,200
{\an1}that line of defense,
258
00:14:09,233 --> 00:14:12,000
{\an1}they would have the entire
lower city to get through
259
00:14:12,033 --> 00:14:15,000
{\an1}to get up to the citadel.
260
00:14:15,033 --> 00:14:19,000
{\an1}Street fighting, basically.
Urban combat.
261
00:14:19,033 --> 00:14:21,033
{\an1}It would've been
a pretty tough slog.
262
00:14:24,033 --> 00:14:28,000
{\an1}Narrator: Troy seems to be a
city that was designed for war,
263
00:14:28,033 --> 00:14:30,000
{\an1}a city that could
only be captured
264
00:14:30,033 --> 00:14:32,033
{\an1}at a great and terrible cost.
265
00:14:35,033 --> 00:14:37,000
{\an1}But if an epic conflict
had taken place here
266
00:14:37,033 --> 00:14:40,000
{\an1}between the Trojans
and the Greeks,
267
00:14:40,033 --> 00:14:41,033
{\an1}what could have caused it?
268
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,966
{\an1}Greek myth says it was honor
269
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:50,966
{\an1}that launched a thousand ships
270
00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000
{\an1}to bring Queen Helen back home.
271
00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,966
{\an1}Could there have been other,
more practical reasons
272
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,000
{\an1}for an army to invade?
273
00:15:03,066 --> 00:15:06,033
{\an1}Edith Hall has come
to see firsthand
274
00:15:06,066 --> 00:15:08,066
{\an1}the landscapes of
Homer's literature.
275
00:15:12,066 --> 00:15:13,033
{\an1}Hall: I feel as though
I'm walking straight into
276
00:15:13,066 --> 00:15:17,066
{\an1}the 13th century B.C.
277
00:15:18,033 --> 00:15:20,033
{\an1}I feel like a time traveler.
278
00:15:22,033 --> 00:15:24,000
{\an1}Narrator: For Hall,
being on the ground
279
00:15:24,033 --> 00:15:26,000
{\an1}confirms what the few surviving
280
00:15:26,033 --> 00:15:28,000
{\an1}historical sources suggest--
281
00:15:28,033 --> 00:15:30,000
{\an1}that this mound of rock
282
00:15:30,033 --> 00:15:32,000
{\an1}less than half a mile
from the sea
283
00:15:32,033 --> 00:15:34,000
was the key to
the balance of power
284
00:15:34,033 --> 00:15:36,000
{\an1}in the entire region.
285
00:15:36,033 --> 00:15:38,000
{\an1}Hall: This is the northeast
bastion of Troy,
286
00:15:38,033 --> 00:15:40,000
{\an1}and it's from here that
you can get a real sense
287
00:15:40,033 --> 00:15:44,000
{\an1}of the setting, the amazing
strategic location of the city.
288
00:15:44,033 --> 00:15:47,000
{\an1}It's at the very
crossroads
of east and west.
289
00:15:47,033 --> 00:15:50,033
{\an1}This is where the coast of Asia
meets the sea.
290
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:51,966
{\an1}It's where Greeks
would first arrive
291
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,966
{\an1}if they want to come up
into the Black Sea.
292
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,966
{\an1}Whoever had this place had
the control of the Dardanelles
293
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,200
{\an1}and the whole of the Bosporus,
294
00:15:58,233 --> 00:16:01,033
{\an1}could control the whole of
the trade into the Black Sea,
295
00:16:01,066 --> 00:16:04,033
{\an1}and was basically
the conduit, the channel
296
00:16:04,066 --> 00:16:06,033
{\an1}for all kinds of communications
297
00:16:06,066 --> 00:16:08,066
{\an1}between Western Europe
and Asia.
298
00:16:11,066 --> 00:16:14,033
{\an1}Narrator: Troy's
importance
wasn't just strategic.
299
00:16:14,066 --> 00:16:16,033
{\an1}The city had a reputation
throughout the region
300
00:16:16,066 --> 00:16:19,066
{\an1}as a center of wealth
and luxury.
301
00:16:20,066 --> 00:16:22,033
{\an1}The Greeks, anyway,
thought that the Trojans
302
00:16:22,066 --> 00:16:25,000
{\an1}had a very, very, very
luxurious standard of living.
303
00:16:25,033 --> 00:16:27,033
{\an1}So, this is not
your basic, little,
304
00:16:28,033 --> 00:16:30,000
{\an1}run-of-the-mill cow town.
305
00:16:30,033 --> 00:16:33,033
This is a major
prosperous city.
306
00:16:35,033 --> 00:16:37,000
{\an1}Narrator: The Trojans
were traders,
307
00:16:37,033 --> 00:16:39,000
and they were
particularly famous
308
00:16:39,033 --> 00:16:42,000
{\an1}for one commodity--horses.
309
00:16:42,033 --> 00:16:45,000
{\an1}Horse bones found in
the archaeological record
310
00:16:45,033 --> 00:16:49,000
{\an1}show that at a time when
they were scarce elsewhere,
311
00:16:49,033 --> 00:16:52,000
{\an1}these prized beasts
were plentiful in Troy.
312
00:16:52,033 --> 00:16:55,000
{\an1}Hall: One of the words
that Homer uses for Troy
313
00:16:55,033 --> 00:16:58,000
{\an1}is that it has very wide
avenues, wide streets.
314
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,033
{\an1}They wanted to be able to drive
their horses and their wagons
315
00:17:01,066 --> 00:17:05,033
{\an1}and their chariots actually
within the city walls,
316
00:17:05,066 --> 00:17:07,066
{\an1}so obsessed with
their horses were they.
317
00:17:08,066 --> 00:17:12,033
{\an1}Strauss: Horses were also
a symbol of the power of Troy
318
00:17:12,066 --> 00:17:14,033
{\an7}because horse breeding
and horse dealing
319
00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:17,066
{\an7}were such an important part
of the Trojan economy.
320
00:17:18,066 --> 00:17:20,033
{\an1}Narrator: And during this era,
321
00:17:20,066 --> 00:17:23,066
{\an1}horses had a clear
military value.
322
00:17:24,066 --> 00:17:28,066
{\an1}Strauss: The horse in the form
of the chariot was a war animal.
323
00:17:31,066 --> 00:17:33,000
{\an1}Horses might also be a gift
324
00:17:33,033 --> 00:17:35,000
{\an1}that one king would
give to another.
325
00:17:35,033 --> 00:17:38,033
{\an1}It would be a very high-end,
very luxury item.
326
00:17:40,033 --> 00:17:42,000
{\an1}Narrator: Could the Greeks
have dazzled the Trojans
327
00:17:42,033 --> 00:17:43,000
{\an1}with a symbolic horse
328
00:17:43,033 --> 00:17:45,033
and gotten them
to let down their guard?
329
00:17:47,033 --> 00:17:51,000
{\an1}With its wealth, trade,
and vital strategic position,
330
00:17:51,033 --> 00:17:53,033
{\an1}it's clear that Troy
was worth fighting for.
331
00:17:55,033 --> 00:17:58,000
{\an1}But what evidence is there
that the city was sacked
332
00:17:58,033 --> 00:17:59,033
{\an1}in the way Homer describes?
333
00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:06,033
{\an1}Generations of archaeologists
have scoured these ruins,
334
00:18:06,066 --> 00:18:09,033
{\an1}trying to identify
when these walls fell
335
00:18:09,066 --> 00:18:11,066
{\an1}and what caused their collapse.
336
00:18:12,066 --> 00:18:14,033
Was the damage
the result of time,
337
00:18:14,066 --> 00:18:18,033
{\an1}or was it caused deliberately?
338
00:18:18,066 --> 00:18:20,033
{\an1}Cline: What I want to find
is evidence of destruction,
339
00:18:20,066 --> 00:18:25,033
{\an1}such as tilted walls
and things off-kilter,
340
00:18:25,066 --> 00:18:27,033
{\an1}even cracked blocks--
341
00:18:27,066 --> 00:18:30,033
{\an1}things that, uh, wouldn't
happen naturally.
342
00:18:30,066 --> 00:18:35,033
{\an1}And in fact, this huge piece
343
00:18:35,066 --> 00:18:37,066
{\an1}should not have this crack
right through the middle.
344
00:18:38,033 --> 00:18:42,000
{\an1}You can actually see where
it's
broken in half right here.
345
00:18:42,033 --> 00:18:45,000
{\an1}In fact, there's quite a
lot of
346
00:18:45,033 --> 00:18:47,033
{\an1}little details around the site
just like that.
347
00:18:50,033 --> 00:18:53,000
{\an1}I'm looking here at
some cracks in the blocks
348
00:18:53,033 --> 00:18:55,000
{\an1}that make up this
defensive wall.
349
00:18:55,033 --> 00:18:57,000
{\an1}That's hard to tell
when they cracked,
350
00:18:57,033 --> 00:18:59,000
{\an1}but they're definitely
cracked
running right through
351
00:18:59,033 --> 00:19:00,033
{\an1}the middle of a number of them.
352
00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,066
{\an1}Narrator: It was once believed
that these cracks
353
00:19:05,100 --> 00:19:07,066
{\an1}were evidence of an attack,
354
00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:09,066
{\an1}the systematic destruction
that followed
355
00:19:09,100 --> 00:19:12,066
{\an1}after the Greeks slipped
inside the city walls.
356
00:19:14,066 --> 00:19:17,066
{\an1}Modern scholars
are less convinced.
357
00:19:20,066 --> 00:19:23,033
{\an1}Cline consults with retired
military engineer
358
00:19:23,066 --> 00:19:24,066
Stephen Ressler.
359
00:19:28,066 --> 00:19:30,033
The damage is
quite unique in that it's
360
00:19:30,066 --> 00:19:34,033
{\an8}a series of
very, um, clear fractures
361
00:19:34,066 --> 00:19:36,066
{\an7}that are oriented
on a diagonal.
362
00:19:37,066 --> 00:19:38,033
{\an1}But the rocks are
simply fractured.
363
00:19:38,066 --> 00:19:40,033
{\an1}They're not pulverized
364
00:19:40,066 --> 00:19:42,033
or broken into
small pieces.
365
00:19:42,066 --> 00:19:44,033
This certainly
does not look like
366
00:19:44,066 --> 00:19:46,033
{\an1}the result of an attack
on the walls of Troy.
367
00:19:48,033 --> 00:19:50,000
{\an1}Narrator: It seems
a far greater force
368
00:19:50,033 --> 00:19:53,033
{\an1}than the Greek army threatened
Troy in ancient times.
369
00:19:55,033 --> 00:19:57,000
{\an7}Man as Homer: Then terribly
thundered the father of
370
00:19:57,033 --> 00:19:59,000
{\an7}gods and men from on high,
371
00:19:59,033 --> 00:20:03,000
{\an1}and from beneath did Poseidon
cause the vast earth to quake
372
00:20:03,033 --> 00:20:05,000
{\an1}and the steep crests
of the mountains
373
00:20:05,033 --> 00:20:07,033
{\an1}and the city of the Trojans.
374
00:20:09,033 --> 00:20:11,000
{\an1}Narrator: Even Homer tells us
the city was shaken
375
00:20:11,033 --> 00:20:14,000
by what he calls
the wrath of the gods.
376
00:20:14,033 --> 00:20:17,000
{\an1}Certainly the damage
Cline saw in Troy
377
00:20:17,033 --> 00:20:20,000
{\an1}was beyond the powers
of Bronze Age man.
378
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,966
{\an1}[whistle blowing]
379
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,966
{\an1}Having dismissed
the possibility
380
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,966
{\an1}that the devastation
was caused by
381
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,966
{\an1}an invading Greek army,
382
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:42,000
{\an1}Cline travels 300 miles
to Istanbul.
383
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,966
Dr. Ozel.
I'm Eric Cline.
384
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:47,966
{\an1}Hi. Nice to meet you.
How are you?
385
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:49,000
{\an1}Nice to meet you.
386
00:20:51,966 --> 00:20:53,933
{\an1}Narrator: This station
monitors seismic activity
387
00:20:53,966 --> 00:20:55,933
all over Turkey.
388
00:20:55,966 --> 00:20:56,933
Here is
our recording.
389
00:20:56,966 --> 00:20:57,966
Cline: Wow.
390
00:20:58,966 --> 00:21:01,000
{\an1}Narrator: This is
one of the most
391
00:21:01,033 --> 00:21:04,000
{\an1}earthquake-prone
regions on earth.
392
00:21:04,033 --> 00:21:07,000
{\an1}How many earthquakes
do you record per day?
393
00:21:07,033 --> 00:21:09,000
Ozel:
Not less than 50...
394
00:21:09,033 --> 00:21:13,000
50 per day?
For small ones?
Yes.
395
00:21:13,033 --> 00:21:16,000
{\an1}Last year, we had
recorded 13,000
per year.
396
00:21:16,033 --> 00:21:18,000
Per year. Wow.
397
00:21:18,033 --> 00:21:20,000
The intensity
and the magnitude
398
00:21:20,033 --> 00:21:22,000
{\an1}can--can vary greatly,
399
00:21:22,033 --> 00:21:24,000
{\an1}so, probably most of them,
you wouldn't even notice.
400
00:21:24,033 --> 00:21:25,966
{\an1}But every so often,
there would be one
401
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,966
{\an1}that would completely
destroy your entire city.
402
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,966
{\an1}In 1999, there were
at least 17,000 people
403
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:33,966
{\an1}killed right away.
404
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,966
{\an7}From the 19th century
till now,
405
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,966
{\an8}uh, more than
90,000 people
406
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,966
{\an1}lost their lives
because of the
earthquake in Turkey.
407
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,966
{\an1}Narrator: That's 12 times
the population of ancient Troy.
408
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:51,966
{\an1}The ancient city
sits on the edge
409
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,966
{\an1}of a major fault line.
410
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,966
And the north
Anatolian fault,
411
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:56,966
it goes all
the way across.
412
00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,933
Yes. This
is the northern...
413
00:21:58,966 --> 00:22:01,033
There it is.
...starting from here.
414
00:22:02,033 --> 00:22:03,066
From there.
415
00:22:03,100 --> 00:22:08,000
{\an1}Ozel: Approximately
1,500 kilometers...
Wow.
416
00:22:08,033 --> 00:22:12,000
{\an1}And then it's just
entering Greece.
417
00:22:12,033 --> 00:22:13,033
Right. Right.
418
00:22:14,033 --> 00:22:16,000
{\an1}Narrator: The damage
Cline found
419
00:22:16,033 --> 00:22:19,000
{\an1}was most likely caused
by an earthquake
420
00:22:19,033 --> 00:22:20,033
{\an1}or series of quakes.
421
00:22:22,033 --> 00:22:25,000
{\an1}Today, we know why
earthquakes take place,
422
00:22:25,033 --> 00:22:27,000
{\an1}with plate tectonics, and we
know the science behind it,
423
00:22:27,033 --> 00:22:29,000
{\an1}but in antiquity,
they would have thought
424
00:22:29,033 --> 00:22:31,000
{\an1}the gods were angry
and the earth was shaking
425
00:22:31,033 --> 00:22:33,000
{\an1}because of the gods.
426
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,966
{\an1}Narrator: Even as
Cline stands watching,
427
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,966
{\an1}reports come in of a new quake
428
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,000
{\an1}originating just a few
miles from Troy.
429
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,966
{\an1}There was an earthquake
140 seconds ago
430
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000
{\an1}in the region of Canakkale,
right near Troy.
431
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:54,966
{\an1}We've just been in this
area
432
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,966
{\an1}in the region of
northwest Anatolia.
433
00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,966
{\an1}We're talking about
earthquakes in antiquity
434
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,066
{\an1}and here one has happened just
now in that very same location.
435
00:23:07,033 --> 00:23:09,000
{\an1}In the end, we can surmise
436
00:23:09,033 --> 00:23:11,000
{\an1}that there were really
destructive earthquakes
437
00:23:11,033 --> 00:23:12,000
{\an1}in the late Bronze Age
438
00:23:12,033 --> 00:23:15,000
{\an1}and that we should
expect to some--
439
00:23:15,033 --> 00:23:18,033
{\an1}to find some indication of that
while excavating.
440
00:23:20,033 --> 00:23:21,000
{\an7}Narrator: Seismologists agree
441
00:23:21,033 --> 00:23:23,000
{\an7}that a series of quakes
442
00:23:23,033 --> 00:23:27,000
{\an7}may well have hit Troy
around 1300 B.C.
443
00:23:27,033 --> 00:23:29,033
{\an7}But here, the mystery deepens.
444
00:23:32,033 --> 00:23:36,000
{\an1}Homer's war took place
around 1180 B.C.,
445
00:23:36,033 --> 00:23:39,966
{\an1}fully 100 years after
the earthquake hit Troy.
446
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,966
{\an1}And it seems that
instead of fleeing Troy,
447
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,966
{\an1}the local people returned
and rebuilt the city,
448
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,000
{\an1}populating it more
densely than ever.
449
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,966
{\an1}We've got strong masonry
of the one city,
450
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,966
{\an1}the one that was destroyed,
451
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,966
{\an1}but there's almost
an immediate rebuilding.
452
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,033
{\an1}We're looking here at
the end of one of the
453
00:24:02,066 --> 00:24:04,033
big houses of
the previous city.
454
00:24:04,066 --> 00:24:07,033
{\an1}But now we've got
a new addition,
455
00:24:07,066 --> 00:24:10,033
{\an1}which has been added
after the earthquake.
456
00:24:10,066 --> 00:24:12,000
So, obviously,
there were survivors.
457
00:24:12,033 --> 00:24:14,033
{\an1}They have rebuilt.
They've done new additions.
458
00:24:15,033 --> 00:24:17,000
{\an1}Narrator: Cline spots
a difference
459
00:24:17,033 --> 00:24:19,033
{\an1}in the quality of
the craftsmanship.
460
00:24:20,033 --> 00:24:21,000
{\an1}Things have changed a bit.
461
00:24:21,033 --> 00:24:23,000
{\an1}This is not quite
as nice masonry
462
00:24:23,033 --> 00:24:25,000
{\an1}as it is in the big house.
463
00:24:25,033 --> 00:24:27,000
{\an1}It's on a different level.
464
00:24:27,033 --> 00:24:30,000
{\an1}The big mansions of
the previous city
465
00:24:30,033 --> 00:24:32,000
{\an1}now seem to have
smaller interior
466
00:24:32,033 --> 00:24:34,000
{\an1}party walls put in,
467
00:24:34,033 --> 00:24:37,000
{\an1}almost as if there's
3 families living there
468
00:24:37,033 --> 00:24:39,000
{\an1}where one family
had been before.
469
00:24:39,033 --> 00:24:42,000
{\an1}Narrator: Evidence found
in the rebuilt Troy
470
00:24:42,033 --> 00:24:45,966
{\an1}suggests that its citizens
were facing a new threat,
471
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,966
{\an1}not from earthquakes
but from a human enemy
472
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,000
{\an1}beyond their walls.
473
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,966
{\an1}Excavations have uncovered
dozens of huge storage jars
474
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,966
{\an1}sunk into the ground
beneath the citadel.
475
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,066
{\an1}They are there to stockpile
food supplies.
476
00:25:06,066 --> 00:25:08,033
{\an7}That would have
enabled them to survive
477
00:25:08,066 --> 00:25:10,033
{\an7}within the protection
of the city
478
00:25:10,066 --> 00:25:13,066
{\an7}for a longer period of time
than had been the case earlier.
479
00:25:15,066 --> 00:25:18,066
{\an1}Cline: This could
all be suggestions that
480
00:25:19,033 --> 00:25:21,033
{\an1}people are gearing up
for a war.
481
00:25:23,033 --> 00:25:26,000
{\an1}Narrator: Did they expect
a long siege?
482
00:25:26,033 --> 00:25:27,033
[Meow]
483
00:25:31,033 --> 00:25:34,000
{\an1}Narrator: And Troy's
defenses
hold important clues
484
00:25:34,033 --> 00:25:36,033
{\an1}that further the investigation.
485
00:25:37,033 --> 00:25:39,000
Rose: Parts of
the fortification walls
486
00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:42,000
{\an1}were thrown down
by the earthquake,
487
00:25:42,033 --> 00:25:44,033
{\an1}and so there was a need
to rebuild quickly.
488
00:25:45,033 --> 00:25:48,000
{\an1}Narrator: But the walls
weren't just rebuilt,
489
00:25:48,033 --> 00:25:50,000
{\an1}they were strengthened.
490
00:25:50,033 --> 00:25:52,966
{\an1}A new tower was added on
the southeast side of the city.
491
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,966
{\an1}One of the gates leading
to the citadel was blocked
492
00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,033
{\an1}so that there were fewer
entrances to the citadel.
493
00:26:01,066 --> 00:26:05,066
{\an1}Narrator: Each of these steps
made Troy harder to capture.
494
00:26:06,066 --> 00:26:07,066
{\an1}Man: So, this is fortress Troy.
495
00:26:13,066 --> 00:26:15,033
{\an1}Narrator: Military historian
Mark Schwartz
496
00:26:15,066 --> 00:26:18,033
{\an1}puts himself in the position
of the defending troops
497
00:26:18,066 --> 00:26:20,066
{\an1}manning the citadel walls.
498
00:26:23,066 --> 00:26:28,000
{\an1}335 meters of this very, very
solidly built wall.
499
00:26:28,033 --> 00:26:30,033
{\an7}This looks imposing as it is,
500
00:26:31,033 --> 00:26:33,000
{\an7}but it would've been
double this height.
501
00:26:33,033 --> 00:26:36,000
{\an1}And you can see it's
about 4 meters wide
502
00:26:36,033 --> 00:26:38,000
{\an1}in--in--in places.
503
00:26:38,033 --> 00:26:40,000
{\an1}So, you could actually get
a number of defenders up here
504
00:26:40,033 --> 00:26:43,000
{\an1}hurling stones,
shooting arrows, right,
505
00:26:43,033 --> 00:26:46,000
{\an1}at anyone who's
attacking the city.
506
00:26:46,033 --> 00:26:49,033
{\an1}And they're also covering
their weak places.
507
00:26:51,033 --> 00:26:56,000
{\an1}Narrator: Troy's weak
points
are its 3 principal gates.
508
00:26:56,033 --> 00:26:58,000
We know that
after the earthquake,
509
00:26:58,033 --> 00:27:00,000
{\an1}the western gate was sealed.
510
00:27:02,066 --> 00:27:06,033
{\an1}The eastern gate was fortified
with a second outer wall
511
00:27:06,066 --> 00:27:09,066
{\an1}to funnel attackers
into a narrow kill zone.
512
00:27:13,066 --> 00:27:17,066
{\an1}And a large tower dominated the
approach from the lower city.
513
00:27:18,066 --> 00:27:20,033
{\an1}So, what do they do?
They have
514
00:27:20,066 --> 00:27:23,033
{\an1}towers projecting
from the wall.
515
00:27:23,066 --> 00:27:24,033
{\an1}Defenders on top of this tower,
516
00:27:24,066 --> 00:27:26,033
{\an1}which is a little bit higher
than the wall,
517
00:27:26,066 --> 00:27:30,033
{\an1}can shoot back while
defenders on top of the wall
518
00:27:30,066 --> 00:27:32,000
{\an1}are shooting down,
and so you get
519
00:27:32,033 --> 00:27:35,033
{\an1}any attacker right in
a crossfire right there.
520
00:27:38,033 --> 00:27:42,000
{\an1}Narrator: The fortifications
were clearly well thought out,
521
00:27:42,033 --> 00:27:45,000
{\an1}but Homer is also clear--
they fell.
522
00:27:45,033 --> 00:27:49,033
{\an7}Man as Homer: Soon should
our arms with just success
be crowned
523
00:27:50,033 --> 00:27:53,033
{\an1}and Troy's proud walls
lie smoking on the ground.
524
00:27:54,033 --> 00:27:57,000
{\an1}Narrator: From within
these formidable defenses,
525
00:27:57,033 --> 00:28:00,000
{\an1}archaeological clues suggest
that an enemy force
526
00:28:00,033 --> 00:28:03,066
{\an1}was somehow able
to breach the city walls.
527
00:28:03,100 --> 00:28:07,033
{\an1}What has been found there is
528
00:28:07,066 --> 00:28:09,066
{\an1}approximately a meter of earth,
529
00:28:10,066 --> 00:28:12,033
{\an1}very blackened with
bits of charcoal,
530
00:28:12,066 --> 00:28:16,033
{\an1}within which some arrowheads
have been found.
531
00:28:16,066 --> 00:28:19,033
{\an1}Narrator: Here is evidence
that the city was taken,
532
00:28:19,066 --> 00:28:22,033
{\an1}that it was burnt,
and that this time,
533
00:28:22,066 --> 00:28:24,033
{\an1}it was not quickly rebuilt.
534
00:28:24,066 --> 00:28:27,033
So, clearly,
there was an attack.
535
00:28:27,066 --> 00:28:29,066
{\an1}Who the attackers were
has always been a question.
536
00:28:31,066 --> 00:28:34,033
{\an1}Narrator: Many find this
evidence persuasive.
537
00:28:34,066 --> 00:28:36,033
{\an1}It matches Homer's time
frame
538
00:28:36,066 --> 00:28:38,066
{\an1}and points directly
to a Greek assault.
539
00:28:41,033 --> 00:28:43,000
{\an1}One of these arrowheads
is of a type
540
00:28:43,033 --> 00:28:46,000
found only on
the Greek mainland.
541
00:28:46,033 --> 00:28:49,000
{\an1}The city that seems to have
been destroyed by an earthquake
542
00:28:49,033 --> 00:28:50,000
{\an1}eventually recovered.
543
00:28:50,033 --> 00:28:52,000
It was rebuilt.
544
00:28:52,033 --> 00:28:55,033
{\an1}And this city seems to have
been destroyed by humans.
545
00:28:58,033 --> 00:29:01,066
{\an1}Narrator: And while few bodies
have been recovered
from this time,
546
00:29:01,100 --> 00:29:05,066
{\an1}to Barry Strauss, the way
those bodies were left
547
00:29:05,100 --> 00:29:06,100
{\an1}tells a brutal story.
548
00:29:08,100 --> 00:29:12,033
{\an7}The excavators have found
an unburied male skeleton
549
00:29:12,066 --> 00:29:15,033
{\an1}outside the door of a building
on the citadel.
550
00:29:15,066 --> 00:29:17,066
{\an1}Perhaps it was a householder
trying to defend his home.
551
00:29:20,066 --> 00:29:22,033
{\an1}Most dramatically,
they found the skeleton
552
00:29:22,066 --> 00:29:27,033
{\an1}of a 15-year-old girl
buried in the lower city.
553
00:29:27,066 --> 00:29:30,033
{\an1}An ancient people would not
bury a body within the walls
554
00:29:30,066 --> 00:29:32,066
{\an1}unless they were under
very great stress.
555
00:29:35,066 --> 00:29:38,033
{\an1}Narrator: For some scholars,
the written
and archaeological record
556
00:29:38,066 --> 00:29:40,066
{\an1}makes a clear case.
557
00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:46,000
{\an1}The Trojan War and the sacking
of the city aren't myth,
558
00:29:46,033 --> 00:29:48,033
{\an1}but historical fact.
559
00:29:49,033 --> 00:29:51,000
{\an7}I'm convinced that
the Greeks were at war
560
00:29:51,033 --> 00:29:56,000
{\an7}with the residents of this part
of western Turkey
561
00:29:56,033 --> 00:29:57,033
{\an1}all through the Bronze Age.
562
00:29:59,033 --> 00:30:02,000
{\an1}The ancient Greeks
in the 8th century B.C.
563
00:30:02,033 --> 00:30:06,000
{\an1}produced an incredibly
detailed account
564
00:30:06,033 --> 00:30:10,000
{\an1}of a war that had taken place
about 500 years before,
565
00:30:10,033 --> 00:30:12,000
{\an1}rich in all kinds of detail
about the Bronze Age
566
00:30:12,033 --> 00:30:15,033
{\an1}that I don't think they
could
have necessarily have invented.
567
00:30:16,033 --> 00:30:18,966
{\an1}Narrator: If Homer is reliable
about the Trojan War,
568
00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,000
{\an1}could his story of the horse
be rooted in fact as well?
569
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:25,966
{\an7}Man as Homer: What a thing
was this, too,
570
00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,966
{\an7}which that mighty man
wrought and endured
571
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,100
{\an7}in the carven horse,
572
00:30:29,133 --> 00:30:31,966
{\an7}wherein all we chiefs of
the Argives were sitting,
573
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,966
{\an1}bearing to the Trojans
death and fate!
574
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,966
{\an1}Narrator: And when the Trojans
pulled this carved horse
575
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:39,966
into their city,
576
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,966
{\an1}these chiefs jumped out
and opened the gates
577
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:44,000
{\an1}for the rest of the Greek army.
578
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,000
{\an1}Today, some scholars
believe Homer's tale
579
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,966
{\an1}is a mythologized
version of the truth.
580
00:30:52,966 --> 00:30:55,966
{\an1}Perhaps the carved horse
was something else entirely.
581
00:30:56,966 --> 00:31:02,000
{\an1}What if it wasn't a
statue?
What if it was a weapon
582
00:31:02,033 --> 00:31:05,000
{\an1}and Troy's downfall was
caused
by a practical device,
583
00:31:05,033 --> 00:31:07,033
{\an1}like a battering ram?
584
00:31:08,033 --> 00:31:12,000
{\an1}Mark Schwartz looks at the
feasibility of this strategy.
585
00:31:12,033 --> 00:31:14,033
{\an1}He starts at the city gates.
586
00:31:16,033 --> 00:31:17,000
{\an1}Schwartz: This is
the south gate.
587
00:31:17,033 --> 00:31:19,033
{\an1}The main gate to the citadel.
588
00:31:20,033 --> 00:31:22,000
{\an1}Narrator: Troy's gates
would have been wooden
589
00:31:22,033 --> 00:31:24,000
and the obvious
points to attack.
590
00:31:24,033 --> 00:31:25,966
{\an1}So, if the Greeks
got close enough,
591
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,966
how would
a battering ram have worked?
592
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,966
{\an1}A battering ram is--
at its simplest
593
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,966
{\an1}is just a big log
with something sharp
594
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,966
{\an1}or heavy at the end of it,
595
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,966
{\an1}and you're just using
the weight and the momentum
596
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,966
{\an1}behind this big log
to get in and smash
597
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:46,966
{\an1}a gate such as this one.
598
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:51,966
{\an1}It'd be more effective
if it had metal at--at one end.
599
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,966
And sometimes
the metal was shaped
600
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,966
{\an1}to look like a ram's head,
601
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,000
{\an1}hence giving it the name
"battering ram."
602
00:31:59,966 --> 00:32:02,000
{\an1}Narrator: The theory is simple,
603
00:32:02,033 --> 00:32:05,000
but how does it
stand up to scrutiny?
604
00:32:05,033 --> 00:32:07,000
The forests
to the south of Troy
605
00:32:07,033 --> 00:32:10,000
would supply
the necessary wood.
606
00:32:10,033 --> 00:32:12,000
You look at it.
[Slapping tree]
607
00:32:12,033 --> 00:32:14,033
{\an1}That would make a nice
battering ram, I think.
608
00:32:18,033 --> 00:32:20,000
{\an1}Narrator: But a ram
would have to be heavy,
609
00:32:20,033 --> 00:32:21,033
{\an1}and the attackers
would need a way of
610
00:32:22,033 --> 00:32:25,000
{\an1}striking the strengthened
gates repeatedly.
611
00:32:25,033 --> 00:32:28,033
{\an1}They couldn't simply pick
up
a tree trunk and charge.
612
00:32:30,033 --> 00:32:32,966
I was a combat
engineer specifically,
613
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,966
{\an1}and combat engineers
specialize in
614
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,966
{\an1}both construction
and destruction
615
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,000
{\an1}of obstacle systems.
616
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,000
{\an1}Narrator: Stephen Ressler
places himself
617
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,000
{\an1}in the position of his
ancient counterparts.
618
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,966
{\an1}I'm particularly
fascinated
with ancient engineering
619
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,000
{\an1}because of the conditions
under which
620
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:58,066
{\an1}the ancient engineers operated.
621
00:32:58,100 --> 00:33:01,033
{\an1}They worked in a world
of much greater constraint.
622
00:33:01,066 --> 00:33:04,033
{\an1}They had very limited materials
and very limited tools
623
00:33:04,066 --> 00:33:05,066
{\an1}to do their work.
624
00:33:06,033 --> 00:33:08,000
{\an1}Narrator: Applying
those limitations,
625
00:33:08,033 --> 00:33:11,000
{\an1}Ressler constructs a virtual
model of a battering ram
626
00:33:11,033 --> 00:33:15,000
{\an1}that the Greeks had
the technology to build.
627
00:33:15,033 --> 00:33:19,000
{\an1}Ressler: I'm incorporating
a chassis made up
of wooden timbers
628
00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:23,000
with 4 wheels,
wooden wheels that's
629
00:33:23,033 --> 00:33:25,000
{\an1}structurally robust enough
to support
630
00:33:25,033 --> 00:33:29,000
{\an1}a ram consisting
of a tree trunk
631
00:33:29,033 --> 00:33:34,000
{\an1}that probably weighed about
a ton and a half to 2 tons.
632
00:33:34,033 --> 00:33:36,000
{\an1}Narrator: It could be
wheeled up to the gates,
633
00:33:36,033 --> 00:33:38,000
{\an1}and to the Trojans,
this could have looked like
634
00:33:38,033 --> 00:33:39,966
a giant horse.
635
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,966
{\an1}The battering ram itself
636
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:42,966
{\an1}would swing on ropes
637
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,000
{\an1}so that gravity could
drive the impact.
638
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,966
{\an1}Each blow would be
10 times more effective
639
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,000
{\an1}than simply charging the gate
with a fixed ram.
640
00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,033
{\an1}The same forces make a modern
wrecking ball effective.
641
00:34:01,066 --> 00:34:04,033
{\an1}But deploying such a large
weapon in battle conditions
642
00:34:04,066 --> 00:34:06,033
{\an1}would be uniquely difficult.
643
00:34:06,066 --> 00:34:09,033
{\an1}Man: It would have taken hours
to approach the walls of Troy
644
00:34:09,066 --> 00:34:11,033
{\an1}and then to deploy the ram
645
00:34:11,066 --> 00:34:13,033
{\an1}and to batter down the doorway.
646
00:34:14,033 --> 00:34:15,000
{\an1}Schwartz: They would probably
647
00:34:15,033 --> 00:34:17,000
{\an1}assemble the battering ram
648
00:34:17,033 --> 00:34:20,000
{\an1}outside of the range
of arrow fire,
649
00:34:20,033 --> 00:34:23,000
{\an1}but obviously, once
they got within range--
650
00:34:23,033 --> 00:34:26,000
{\an1}they'd have to in order
to get it up to the gate--
651
00:34:26,033 --> 00:34:27,033
they would be
under constant attack.
652
00:34:29,033 --> 00:34:31,000
{\an1}Narrator: In skilled hands,
a Bronze Age bow
653
00:34:31,033 --> 00:34:35,033
{\an1}is accurate and lethal
at more than 150 feet.
654
00:34:36,033 --> 00:34:38,000
{\an1}And so they would have had
to run a gauntlet
655
00:34:38,033 --> 00:34:40,000
{\an1}to get right up to the gate.
656
00:34:40,033 --> 00:34:42,033
{\an1}You're essentially
being funneled right into
657
00:34:43,033 --> 00:34:45,033
{\an1}a--a death trap right here.
658
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,966
{\an1}Man: The doorway might
have been knocked down
659
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,966
{\an1}in the matter of 15 minutes
of continuous operation,
660
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:54,966
{\an1}but they would've
been subjected to
661
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,966
{\an1}considerable defensive fire
from the battlements above
662
00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,000
{\an1}during that period of time.
663
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,033
{\an1}And so, you would have
had to try to...
664
00:35:04,066 --> 00:35:06,033
bang and slam
right into this gate.
665
00:35:06,066 --> 00:35:11,033
{\an1}Really, with all of these
attackers from here and here,
666
00:35:11,066 --> 00:35:12,033
from there.
667
00:35:12,066 --> 00:35:14,066
{\an1}[Indistinct shouting]
668
00:35:22,033 --> 00:35:25,033
{\an1}I would not like to have been
in that situation at all.
669
00:35:27,033 --> 00:35:29,000
My suspicion is
that the machine
670
00:35:29,033 --> 00:35:31,000
{\an1}never would've had an
opportunity to go into action.
671
00:35:31,033 --> 00:35:33,000
{\an1}I think it probably
would have been destroyed
672
00:35:33,033 --> 00:35:34,033
{\an1}before it reached its target.
673
00:35:35,133 --> 00:35:38,000
{\an1}Narrator: If Ressler's
suspicions are correct,
674
00:35:38,033 --> 00:35:41,000
{\an1}then a battering ram
couldn't
have been an alternative
675
00:35:41,033 --> 00:35:42,033
{\an1}to Homer's Trojan Horse.
676
00:35:44,033 --> 00:35:47,000
{\an1}The Greeks could only take Troy
by direct assault
677
00:35:47,033 --> 00:35:50,033
{\an1}if they were prepared
to waste countless lives.
678
00:35:51,033 --> 00:35:53,966
{\an1}Strauss: Ordinarily,
to take a place by assault,
679
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,966
{\an1}you need to have a superiority
of 3 to 1.
680
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,966
{\an1}All the evidence we have
suggests that
681
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,033
{\an1}the Greeks did not have
that kind of superiority.
682
00:36:03,066 --> 00:36:05,033
{\an1}Certainly in Homer,
the Greeks complain
683
00:36:05,066 --> 00:36:08,033
{\an1}that the Trojans have
an equal number of men
684
00:36:08,066 --> 00:36:10,033
{\an1}to the amount of men
that the Greeks have.
685
00:36:10,066 --> 00:36:12,033
{\an1}Narrator: In this scenario,
the Trojan War
686
00:36:12,066 --> 00:36:14,033
{\an1}would soon reach a stalemate,
687
00:36:14,066 --> 00:36:16,033
{\an1}and the only option
for the Greeks
688
00:36:16,066 --> 00:36:18,033
{\an1}would be to begin a siege,
689
00:36:18,066 --> 00:36:22,066
{\an1}which, according to Homer,
lasted 9 years.
690
00:36:24,066 --> 00:36:27,000
{\an7}Man as Homer: Now 9 long years
of mighty Jove are run
691
00:36:27,033 --> 00:36:30,000
{\an7}since first the labors
of this war begun.
692
00:36:30,033 --> 00:36:32,000
{\an1}Narrator: Troy's defenses
were perfectly suited
693
00:36:32,033 --> 00:36:34,033
{\an1}to withstand a lengthy assault.
694
00:36:35,033 --> 00:36:37,000
But could
the Trojans themselves
695
00:36:37,033 --> 00:36:39,000
{\an1}survive a lengthy assault?
696
00:36:39,033 --> 00:36:42,033
{\an1}Mark Schwartz looks for
evidence below the surface.
697
00:36:44,033 --> 00:36:48,000
{\an1}So, this is the ancient
water system of Troy,
698
00:36:48,033 --> 00:36:51,000
{\an1}and this was what allowed
the citizens of Troy
699
00:36:51,033 --> 00:36:53,000
{\an1}to actually survive the siege,
700
00:36:53,033 --> 00:36:56,000
{\an1}because you can go maybe
a few weeks without food,
701
00:36:56,033 --> 00:36:58,000
{\an1}but only a few days
without water.
702
00:36:58,033 --> 00:37:01,033
{\an1}So, they actually constructed
this beautiful system
703
00:37:01,066 --> 00:37:04,066
{\an1}of shafts to supply water
to the citizens.
704
00:37:09,066 --> 00:37:11,066
{\an7}Wow. That is incredible.
705
00:37:13,066 --> 00:37:17,033
{\an1}Narrator: The earth below Troy
hides a natural spring.
706
00:37:17,066 --> 00:37:21,033
{\an1}That's one of the reasons
why the city stands here.
707
00:37:21,066 --> 00:37:23,033
{\an1}Over a period of centuries,
the water's flow
708
00:37:23,066 --> 00:37:26,033
{\an1}was controlled and directed
via channels
709
00:37:26,066 --> 00:37:28,066
cut by hand
through the bedrock.
710
00:37:30,066 --> 00:37:33,000
{\an1}Schwartz: I mean, you can see
the chisel marks.
711
00:37:33,033 --> 00:37:37,033
{\an1}Maybe they took a natural path
and then enlarged it.
712
00:37:38,033 --> 00:37:42,000
{\an1}Originally, the water
would have been filling this.
713
00:37:42,033 --> 00:37:46,000
{\an1}Narrator: The network spreads
out underneath the citadel.
714
00:37:46,033 --> 00:37:48,000
{\an1}Schwartz: You could see
this vertical shaft
715
00:37:48,033 --> 00:37:50,000
{\an1}going right up to the surface.
716
00:37:50,033 --> 00:37:52,033
{\an1}That allowed access
to this water system.
717
00:37:56,033 --> 00:37:59,000
Ah. And another
shaft down here.
718
00:37:59,033 --> 00:38:00,100
[Creaking]
719
00:38:02,100 --> 00:38:04,066
{\an1}Narrator: Out of reach today,
720
00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:06,033
{\an1}there is a vast man-made
central reservoir
721
00:38:06,066 --> 00:38:08,033
{\an1}at the end of this opening.
722
00:38:08,066 --> 00:38:10,033
It was capable
of holding nearly
723
00:38:10,066 --> 00:38:13,066
300,000 gallons
of drinking water.
724
00:38:16,066 --> 00:38:18,033
{\an1}Schwartz: These shafts are like
725
00:38:18,066 --> 00:38:21,033
{\an1}the veins and arteries
of the city.
726
00:38:21,066 --> 00:38:24,066
{\an1}Uh, in the fact that they
provide the life to the city.
727
00:38:27,066 --> 00:38:29,033
{\an1}Narrator: Homer tells us
that the Trojans survived
728
00:38:29,066 --> 00:38:31,066
{\an1}9 years under siege,
729
00:38:32,066 --> 00:38:35,066
{\an1}and the archaeology suggests
that was entirely possible.
730
00:38:37,066 --> 00:38:39,000
{\an1}But Homer also tells us,
731
00:38:39,033 --> 00:38:42,000
{\an1}and the archaeology
supports the idea,
732
00:38:42,033 --> 00:38:44,033
{\an1}that the downfall of the city
did come.
733
00:38:46,033 --> 00:38:48,000
{\an1}There is another
extraordinary explanation
734
00:38:48,033 --> 00:38:51,033
{\an1}as to what the real
Trojan Horse might have been.
735
00:38:55,033 --> 00:38:58,000
{\an1}In the centuries after
the downfall of Troy,
736
00:38:58,033 --> 00:39:02,066
{\an1}siege towers would become
an accepted part of warfare.
737
00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:05,066
{\an1}What if Homer's writings
are
actually a veiled description
738
00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:07,100
{\an1}of the first time one was used?
739
00:39:09,100 --> 00:39:11,066
{\an7}It is certainly plausible
that the whole idea
740
00:39:11,100 --> 00:39:15,033
{\an7}of a Trojan Horse
is a dim memory
741
00:39:15,066 --> 00:39:18,066
{\an1}or even a metaphor for
some sort of siege tower.
742
00:39:20,066 --> 00:39:22,033
{\an1}I mean, the siege tower would
have had men inside of it.
743
00:39:22,066 --> 00:39:25,066
{\an1}It would have been covered
with animal skins,
744
00:39:26,066 --> 00:39:28,033
{\an1}and it's not such a far
leap
745
00:39:28,066 --> 00:39:32,033
{\an1}to get from a siege tower
to a Trojan Horse.
746
00:39:32,066 --> 00:39:35,033
{\an1}Narrator: While historical
sources date siege towers
747
00:39:35,066 --> 00:39:37,033
{\an1}to a slightly later period,
748
00:39:37,066 --> 00:39:39,033
{\an1}there's nothing
in their construction
749
00:39:39,066 --> 00:39:41,033
that the Greeks
could not have achieved.
750
00:39:41,066 --> 00:39:43,033
{\an1}In its simplest form,
a siege tower
751
00:39:43,066 --> 00:39:46,000
{\an1}really is nothing more
than a mobile ladder
752
00:39:46,033 --> 00:39:48,000
{\an1}that's designed
to get assault troops
753
00:39:48,033 --> 00:39:51,000
{\an1}up to the level of
the enemy battlements
754
00:39:51,033 --> 00:39:53,033
{\an1}with some level of protection.
755
00:39:54,033 --> 00:39:58,000
{\an1}Narrator: And yet, it's
clearly
a mammoth undertaking.
756
00:39:58,033 --> 00:40:01,000
{\an1}As with the battering ram,
the tower that Ressler models
757
00:40:01,033 --> 00:40:04,000
{\an1}would have a wheeled
wooden base.
758
00:40:04,033 --> 00:40:07,000
{\an1}But on top of that
sits what is in effect
759
00:40:07,033 --> 00:40:11,000
{\an1}a moving, multi-story building.
760
00:40:11,033 --> 00:40:15,000
{\an1}Ressler: It consists of
a heavy timber framework
761
00:40:15,033 --> 00:40:19,000
{\an1}covered with wooden planking
on 3 sides for protection,
762
00:40:19,033 --> 00:40:22,000
{\an1}normally somewhat higher than
the level of the battlements
763
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,966
{\an1}so that archers positioned
on the top level
764
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,000
{\an1}can look down and fire down
upon the battlements.
765
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,966
{\an1}Schwartz: So, you have
to imagine these walls
766
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,966
{\an1}would be maybe 6 meters
high of stone,
767
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,000
{\an1}with another 3 meters of
mud-brick wall on top of that.
768
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:45,966
{\an1}Narrator: Taking Troy's
fortifications into account,
769
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,966
{\an1}Ressler designs a machine
5 stories tall
770
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,966
{\an1}using 25 tons of wood,
771
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,933
{\an1}capable of holding 200 men.
772
00:40:55,966 --> 00:40:57,933
{\an1}It would require hundreds more
773
00:40:57,966 --> 00:41:01,000
{\an1}to push and pull it into place.
774
00:41:01,033 --> 00:41:02,033
{\an1}This wouldn't be
a stealth attack.
775
00:41:05,033 --> 00:41:08,000
{\an1}You can imagine the chaos
that would have been
776
00:41:08,033 --> 00:41:10,000
{\an1}a battle such as this.
777
00:41:10,033 --> 00:41:15,000
{\an1}You would have to launch
everything you had
at that wall.
778
00:41:15,033 --> 00:41:17,033
{\an1}You would have had to have
your men all along here,
779
00:41:18,033 --> 00:41:20,000
{\an1}your archers, your slingers
back there,
780
00:41:20,033 --> 00:41:23,000
{\an1}giving you covering fire,
shooting at those defenders,
781
00:41:23,033 --> 00:41:25,966
{\an1}trying to suppress
their fire on you.
782
00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:30,000
{\an1}Then you'd have to wheel
slowly
that tower into place.
783
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:35,966
{\an1}Narrator: The effort involved
would've been enormous.
784
00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,966
{\an1}Ressler estimates his model
785
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,966
{\an1}would have moved at
less than 3 feet per minute,
786
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,000
{\an1}but there is a possibility
that it could have been done.
787
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:47,966
{\an1}It certainly seems
plausible to me
788
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:48,966
{\an1}that the Mycenaeans
would've
789
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:50,966
{\an1}had the know-how
and the resources
790
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,000
{\an1}to make such siege towers.
791
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:55,966
{\an1}Narrator: One of the best clues
792
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,966
{\an1}that such technology
did exist at that time
793
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,033
can be found in
the city walls themselves.
794
00:42:03,033 --> 00:42:05,000
{\an1}It seems clear that the Trojans
795
00:42:05,033 --> 00:42:08,000
{\an1}were aware of siege warfare.
796
00:42:08,033 --> 00:42:11,000
{\an1}There is no other reason
to make their walls
797
00:42:11,033 --> 00:42:14,000
{\an1}at an angle rather than
straight up and down.
798
00:42:14,033 --> 00:42:17,000
{\an1}Narrator: This simple fact
would've been a barrier
799
00:42:17,033 --> 00:42:19,033
{\an1}to the siege tower's
success.
800
00:42:21,033 --> 00:42:24,000
{\an1}The walls angle about
20 degrees here.
801
00:42:24,033 --> 00:42:26,000
{\an1}If you think of it like this,
802
00:42:26,033 --> 00:42:29,000
{\an1}you're actually gonna have
quite a bit of space
803
00:42:29,033 --> 00:42:32,000
{\an1}between the top of the wall
and the top of the siege tower.
804
00:42:32,033 --> 00:42:35,000
{\an1}And somehow, under
full fire from defenders,
805
00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:38,000
{\an1}you're gonna have to get
men up that siege tower,
806
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:40,966
{\an1}up and over onto the wall.
807
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:42,966
{\an1}Narrator: The slanted walls
would have required
808
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,000
{\an1}an extra level of engineering.
809
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,966
{\an1}Ressler: And that means
that the tower must be
810
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,966
{\an1}equipped with some sort
of a drawbridge
811
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,966
{\an1}that will allow assault troops
to be able to bridge that gap.
812
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,966
{\an1}The drawbridge itself would be
813
00:42:58,000 --> 00:42:59,966
a fairly
sophisticated structure
814
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:03,033
{\an1}in order to be able to carry
those loads safely.
815
00:43:03,066 --> 00:43:06,000
{\an1}So, we can see that
there's
a fairly substantial challenge
816
00:43:06,033 --> 00:43:09,000
{\an1}in designing a siege tower
817
00:43:09,033 --> 00:43:10,033
{\an1}to attack the walls of Troy.
818
00:43:11,033 --> 00:43:13,000
{\an1}Narrator: And, of course,
it's nothing
819
00:43:13,033 --> 00:43:14,000
{\an1}compared to what
would have faced
820
00:43:14,033 --> 00:43:16,033
{\an1}those who manned the apparatus.
821
00:43:18,033 --> 00:43:20,033
{\an1}Mark Schwartz has
serious doubts
822
00:43:21,033 --> 00:43:23,000
{\an1}that a tower would've
worked.
823
00:43:23,033 --> 00:43:25,000
{\an1}Schwartz: Given the losses
they would've incurred,
824
00:43:25,033 --> 00:43:27,000
{\an1}given the angle of the walls,
825
00:43:27,033 --> 00:43:29,000
{\an1}given the difficulty in getting
826
00:43:29,033 --> 00:43:30,000
{\an1}from the top of the siege tower
827
00:43:30,033 --> 00:43:33,000
{\an1}over onto the tops
of the walls,
828
00:43:33,033 --> 00:43:36,000
{\an1}given the limitations
on the available
829
00:43:36,033 --> 00:43:39,000
{\an1}archers and slingers
they might have had,
830
00:43:39,033 --> 00:43:40,033
{\an1}it would've been
very unlikely that
831
00:43:40,066 --> 00:43:42,000
such an attack
would've been successful.
832
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:48,966
{\an1}Narrator: Having ruled out
the possibility
833
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:51,966
{\an1}that the Trojan Horse was
any kind of assault weapon,
834
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:55,000
{\an1}the experts must return
to Homer's writing.
835
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:03,033
{\an1}And the idea that the Greeks
found a radical way
836
00:44:03,066 --> 00:44:07,066
{\an1}to end the siege, not with
brute force, but with guile.
837
00:44:10,066 --> 00:44:13,000
{\an7}Man as Homer: Unite and rouse
the sons of Greece to arms,
838
00:44:13,033 --> 00:44:17,033
{\an7}but first with caution
try what yet they dare.
839
00:44:18,033 --> 00:44:20,000
{\an1}Narrator: The determined Greeks
may have considered
840
00:44:20,033 --> 00:44:23,000
{\an1}one other wild possibility.
841
00:44:23,033 --> 00:44:25,000
{\an1}Hall: The Greeks celebrated
cunning intelligence.
842
00:44:25,033 --> 00:44:27,000
{\an1}They told each other
lots of stories about
843
00:44:27,033 --> 00:44:30,000
{\an1}trickster heroes and people
who managed to steal things
844
00:44:30,033 --> 00:44:32,033
{\an1}or win wars by tricks.
845
00:44:33,033 --> 00:44:35,000
{\an1}The story of the Trojan Horse
846
00:44:35,033 --> 00:44:37,000
{\an1}is as plausible a history
847
00:44:37,033 --> 00:44:41,000
{\an1}as any other speculation that
scholars have come up with.
848
00:44:41,033 --> 00:44:43,000
{\an7}Why don't we do Homer
the credit
849
00:44:43,033 --> 00:44:45,033
{\an7}of really listening
to what he says?
850
00:44:46,033 --> 00:44:47,966
{\an1}Narrator: According
to the stories,
851
00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,000
{\an1}the ruse worked like this.
852
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:52,966
{\an1}The Greeks assemble a group of
853
00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,966
heavily armed,
handpicked warriors.
854
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,966
{\an1}They're loaded inside
a giant horse
855
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,066
{\an1}which is left outside
the gates of Troy.
856
00:45:05,066 --> 00:45:07,066
{\an1}The remaining soldiers
appear to sail away,
857
00:45:08,066 --> 00:45:10,033
{\an1}abandoning the siege.
858
00:45:10,066 --> 00:45:12,033
{\an1}They're actually hidden,
shielded from view
859
00:45:12,066 --> 00:45:14,066
{\an1}by an island just offshore.
860
00:45:15,066 --> 00:45:19,033
{\an1}What follows has been
represented countless times
861
00:45:19,066 --> 00:45:21,033
{\an1}in story, art, and film.
862
00:45:23,033 --> 00:45:25,000
{\an1}The horse is taken
inside the gates,
863
00:45:25,033 --> 00:45:27,000
and the Trojans
let their guard down
864
00:45:27,033 --> 00:45:30,033
{\an1}as they celebrate
the war's apparent end.
865
00:45:31,033 --> 00:45:34,000
{\an1}The Greek soldiers
inside the horse sneak out
866
00:45:34,033 --> 00:45:36,033
{\an1}and throw open the city gates.
867
00:45:44,033 --> 00:45:46,000
{\an1}With every other
theory discounted,
868
00:45:46,033 --> 00:45:48,000
{\an1}this last possibility remains--
869
00:45:48,033 --> 00:45:52,000
{\an1}the horse Homer wrote about
did exist.
870
00:45:52,033 --> 00:45:54,966
{\an1}But how plausible
is this scenario?
871
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:56,966
Why a horse?
872
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:58,966
{\an1}Perhaps the animal's
connection with Troy
873
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,033
{\an1}made it a logical choice.
874
00:46:01,066 --> 00:46:04,033
{\an7}Strauss: It would have
been a fine symbol
875
00:46:04,066 --> 00:46:06,033
{\an7}that the Greeks had left,
876
00:46:06,066 --> 00:46:09,033
{\an1}because the horse was
one of the symbols of Troy.
877
00:46:09,066 --> 00:46:12,033
{\an1}So, for the Greeks
to leave a horse
878
00:46:12,066 --> 00:46:15,066
{\an1}was a token of submission.
879
00:46:18,066 --> 00:46:22,033
{\an1}Narrator: How would they have
built such a complex structure?
880
00:46:22,066 --> 00:46:25,033
{\an1}Stephen Ressler believes
the answer to this question
881
00:46:25,066 --> 00:46:28,000
{\an1}is rooted in the fact that the
Greeks of the late Bronze Age
882
00:46:28,033 --> 00:46:30,033
were seafarers.
883
00:46:31,033 --> 00:46:34,000
{\an1}Ressler: We know the Greeks
were great shipbuilders.
884
00:46:34,033 --> 00:46:37,000
{\an1}So, if they were gonna
build a large wooden horse,
885
00:46:37,033 --> 00:46:39,000
{\an1}I have to believe that
they would've built it
886
00:46:39,033 --> 00:46:41,033
{\an1}the same way they
built their ships.
887
00:46:42,033 --> 00:46:43,033
{\an1}Narrator: The maritime Greeks
had been honing
888
00:46:44,033 --> 00:46:46,033
{\an1}their carpentry skills
for centuries.
889
00:46:47,033 --> 00:46:49,000
{\an1}Ressler: Well, first in the
overall framework of the horse,
890
00:46:49,033 --> 00:46:52,000
{\an1}we have a keel below, just as
a Greek ship would have;
891
00:46:52,033 --> 00:46:56,000
{\an1}we have the prow,
which corresponds to
the prow of a ship;
892
00:46:56,033 --> 00:46:57,000
{\an1}we have a stern post
corresponding to
893
00:46:57,033 --> 00:46:59,033
{\an1}the stern post of the ship.
894
00:47:01,066 --> 00:47:04,033
{\an1}The body of the horse
very closely resembles
895
00:47:04,066 --> 00:47:05,033
{\an1}the hull of a ship.
896
00:47:05,066 --> 00:47:06,033
{\an1}And I truly believe
that's the way
897
00:47:06,066 --> 00:47:08,033
{\an1}it would've been put
together.
898
00:47:08,066 --> 00:47:12,066
{\an1}It had to be able to carry
fairly substantial loads.
899
00:47:14,066 --> 00:47:17,066
{\an1}Narrator: Those loads being
a number of armed troops.
900
00:47:18,066 --> 00:47:20,066
{\an1}But just how many
warriors could fit?
901
00:47:22,066 --> 00:47:24,033
{\an1}The Trojan Horse
literally grows
902
00:47:24,066 --> 00:47:26,066
{\an1}with each telling of the story.
903
00:47:27,066 --> 00:47:29,033
{\an1}Later accounts suggest
it held virtually
904
00:47:29,066 --> 00:47:31,066
{\an1}a full ship's company.
905
00:47:39,033 --> 00:47:42,000
{\an1}From the mythology, the most
common number we hear is 30.
906
00:47:42,033 --> 00:47:44,000
{\an1}So, let's start
by assuming there were
907
00:47:44,033 --> 00:47:46,033
30 men inside
the horse's belly.
908
00:47:47,033 --> 00:47:48,033
{\an1}Narrator: A warrior
in full armor
909
00:47:49,033 --> 00:47:52,033
{\an1}would require more than
35 cubic feet of space.
910
00:47:53,033 --> 00:47:56,000
{\an1}Ressler: Here's my model
of a single man seated,
911
00:47:56,033 --> 00:47:59,000
{\an1}and in order to investigate
how much space
912
00:47:59,033 --> 00:48:00,000
{\an1}30 of them would require,
913
00:48:00,033 --> 00:48:02,100
{\an1}all I have to do is
copy him 29 times.
914
00:48:04,100 --> 00:48:06,100
{\an1}Narrator: They can be arranged
in a number of ways,
915
00:48:07,066 --> 00:48:09,033
{\an1}some more efficient
than others.
916
00:48:09,066 --> 00:48:11,033
{\an1}Ressler: And so, we can look
at an alternate arrangement
917
00:48:11,066 --> 00:48:15,033
{\an1}of men seated in two groupings,
918
00:48:15,066 --> 00:48:17,033
{\an1}one above the other
inside the belly of the horse,
919
00:48:17,066 --> 00:48:20,033
{\an1}and in this case, it's
a considerably more
920
00:48:20,066 --> 00:48:21,033
{\an1}efficient arrangement.
921
00:48:21,066 --> 00:48:22,033
{\an1}Not only can we fit 30 in,
922
00:48:22,066 --> 00:48:24,066
{\an1}we can actually fit 40.
923
00:48:26,066 --> 00:48:29,033
{\an7}Narrator: The result
is a massive structure--
924
00:48:29,066 --> 00:48:32,066
{\an7}the enormous statue below
by Hollywood.
925
00:48:34,066 --> 00:48:36,033
{\an1}If I take this model
and scale it up
926
00:48:36,066 --> 00:48:39,033
{\an1}to meet the proportions
of a full horse,
927
00:48:39,066 --> 00:48:41,000
{\an1}it turns out that the height
of the Trojan Horse
928
00:48:41,033 --> 00:48:44,000
{\an1}would need to be a little bit
over 10 meters tall.
929
00:48:44,033 --> 00:48:45,033
{\an1}That's equivalent
to the height of
930
00:48:46,033 --> 00:48:48,000
{\an1}the walls of Troy themselves,
931
00:48:48,033 --> 00:48:50,000
{\an1}and indeed a horse that large
would've weighed
932
00:48:50,033 --> 00:48:52,033
{\an1}upwards of 30 metric tons.
933
00:48:55,033 --> 00:48:58,000
{\an1}Narrator: Clearly, a smaller
horse was required.
934
00:48:58,033 --> 00:48:59,000
{\an1}And for the trick to work,
935
00:48:59,033 --> 00:49:02,066
{\an1}the Greeks only needed
to conceal enough men
936
00:49:02,100 --> 00:49:03,100
{\an1}to open the gates.
937
00:49:05,100 --> 00:49:07,066
Ressler knows
sheer numbers alone
938
00:49:07,100 --> 00:49:10,100
{\an1}do not guarantee success
in a stealth attack.
939
00:49:11,100 --> 00:49:14,033
{\an1}Ressler: I think 9 elite
warriors inside the horse
940
00:49:14,066 --> 00:49:17,033
{\an1}constitutes a strike force
that was entirely
941
00:49:17,066 --> 00:49:18,166
{\an1}adequate to their mission,
942
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:21,033
{\an1}which was simply to get
the gates of the city open.
943
00:49:21,066 --> 00:49:24,066
{\an1}Narrator: With that in mind,
he adjusts his model.
944
00:49:28,066 --> 00:49:30,033
It would need
to be small enough
945
00:49:30,066 --> 00:49:33,033
{\an1}to appear unthreatening.
946
00:49:33,066 --> 00:49:35,033
{\an1}The horse is actually
quite modest in size.
947
00:49:35,066 --> 00:49:38,033
{\an1}In fact, I suggest that
if you were a Trojan,
948
00:49:38,066 --> 00:49:40,033
{\an1}you might actually
be surprised that it
949
00:49:40,066 --> 00:49:42,066
{\an1}could conceal 9 men inside.
950
00:49:43,066 --> 00:49:45,033
{\an1}Narrator: It's a little
more
than 13 feet tall
951
00:49:45,066 --> 00:49:47,033
{\an1}and less than 7 feet wide.
952
00:49:49,033 --> 00:49:52,000
{\an1}Ressler: I've designed my
Trojan Horse to be small enough
953
00:49:52,033 --> 00:49:54,033
to fit inside
the south gate of Troy.
954
00:49:55,033 --> 00:49:58,000
{\an1}Cline: Homer tells us they
used a Trojan Horse to get in
955
00:49:58,033 --> 00:50:04,000
{\an1}by hiding their men inside
this huge, wooden animal.
956
00:50:04,033 --> 00:50:07,000
{\an1}Narrator: Could the Greeks
really have tricked
the Trojans like this?
957
00:50:07,033 --> 00:50:10,000
{\an7}I frankly would be surprised
958
00:50:10,033 --> 00:50:12,000
{\an7}if the Trojans would
fall for that.
959
00:50:12,033 --> 00:50:15,000
{\an1}At the very least,
I would want to knock and say,
960
00:50:15,033 --> 00:50:17,000
"Anybody there?"
961
00:50:17,033 --> 00:50:19,000
{\an7}How plausible is it?
962
00:50:19,033 --> 00:50:20,966
{\an7}That's difficult to say.
963
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:25,966
{\an1}But the idea of getting forces,
infiltrating forces
964
00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:27,966
{\an1}in the city in order to
965
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:29,966
{\an1}gain access to the gate
and open it
966
00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:32,000
{\an1}to the rest of the army
is plausible.
967
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:34,966
{\an1}We can imagine that
there was a debate.
968
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:36,966
{\an1}Do you think the Greeks
have really gone?
969
00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:38,966
{\an1}Do you trust the Greeks or not?
970
00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:41,966
{\an1}Another group, though, said no,
this is a gift from the gods
971
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:44,000
{\an1}and that we ought to
take it in and welcome it.
972
00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:46,966
{\an1}Narrator: According to
Homer's account,
973
00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,966
{\an1}the horse does go
through the gate,
974
00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:52,000
{\an1}and the siege reaches
its bloody end.
975
00:50:55,966 --> 00:50:57,933
{\an1}And the Greeks inside the horse
976
00:50:57,966 --> 00:51:01,000
{\an1}open the gates of the city.
977
00:51:01,033 --> 00:51:03,000
{\an1}The Greeks enter and they are
978
00:51:03,033 --> 00:51:06,000
{\an1}able to slaughter
their opponents.
979
00:51:06,033 --> 00:51:08,000
{\an1}The Trojans mount what little
resistance they can,
980
00:51:08,033 --> 00:51:10,033
but in the end,
it's not enough.
981
00:51:16,033 --> 00:51:20,000
{\an1}The Greeks finally, after
all this time, take Troy,
982
00:51:20,033 --> 00:51:23,000
{\an1}kill its royalty,
and sack the city.
983
00:51:23,033 --> 00:51:25,033
Hall: The scale
of the brutality
984
00:51:26,033 --> 00:51:29,966
{\an1}that was needed to take a city
of this size and sophistication
985
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:31,966
{\an1}was breathtaking.
986
00:51:32,000 --> 00:51:33,966
{\an1}Homer's description
of the sacking of Troy
987
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:36,000
is very graphic
and very violent.
988
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:38,966
{\an1}It comes in the mouth of Priam,
the king of Troy,
989
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:41,966
{\an1}who actually foretells
his daughters being raped,
990
00:51:42,000 --> 00:51:43,966
his sons being
put to the sword,
991
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:46,966
{\an1}the little children being
thrown off the walls of Troy,
992
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:48,966
{\an1}the whole place gutted.
993
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:50,966
{\an1}By the end of the day,
there would have been
994
00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:54,000
{\an1}nothing left of Troy
but a smoking ruin.
995
00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:02,033
{\an1}Narrator: Homer's Troy
fell more than 3,000 years ago.
996
00:52:06,033 --> 00:52:07,000
{\an1}As the ancient city
has been covered
997
00:52:07,033 --> 00:52:10,000
{\an1}with physical layers
of stone and earth,
998
00:52:10,033 --> 00:52:12,000
{\an1}so a chain of real events
999
00:52:12,033 --> 00:52:16,000
{\an1}has been obscured by
layers of myth-making.
1000
00:52:16,033 --> 00:52:20,033
{\an1}And yet it's hard to
reject
the entire story as fiction.
1001
00:52:21,033 --> 00:52:24,000
{\an1}Cline: In my opinion,
the Trojan War took place.
1002
00:52:24,033 --> 00:52:26,000
I think Troy
was a wealthy city.
1003
00:52:26,033 --> 00:52:29,033
{\an1}I think it took quite a while
to capture.
1004
00:52:31,033 --> 00:52:33,000
{\an1}Narrator: We know
that the walls of Troy
1005
00:52:33,033 --> 00:52:35,000
would frustrate
almost any attack.
1006
00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:39,966
{\an1}Strauss: They tried
one thing after another.
1007
00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:44,000
{\an1}In the end, they had no choice
but to try deception.
1008
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:46,966
{\an1}Narrator: Any direct assault
would have required
1009
00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:50,966
{\an1}men and resources far beyond
what was available.
1010
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:52,966
{\an1}And the Trojans
appear to have been
1011
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:55,000
{\an1}ready for a long siege.
1012
00:52:58,000 --> 00:52:59,966
The experts have
considered and ruled out
1013
00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:02,033
{\an1}all the possible ways
the Greeks
1014
00:53:02,066 --> 00:53:04,033
{\an1}could have defeated
the Trojans.
1015
00:53:04,066 --> 00:53:06,066
{\an1}It seems the Trojan Horse
1016
00:53:07,033 --> 00:53:09,033
{\an1}might be the most
plausible tactic.
1017
00:53:13,033 --> 00:53:14,033
Of course, we
start out by saying,
1018
00:53:15,033 --> 00:53:17,000
{\an1}"This can't possibly be
true.
1019
00:53:17,033 --> 00:53:19,000
{\an1}It's so simple-minded."
1020
00:53:19,033 --> 00:53:21,000
{\an1}And yet, sometimes
simple-minded things
1021
00:53:21,033 --> 00:53:23,000
{\an1}turn out to be true.
1022
00:53:23,033 --> 00:53:26,000
{\an1}Hall: Homer tells us that
the stalemate in the war
1023
00:53:26,033 --> 00:53:29,000
{\an1}could only be broken
with the Trojan Horse.
1024
00:53:29,033 --> 00:53:34,000
{\an1}It's a jolly plausible
account
resonant with history.
1025
00:53:34,033 --> 00:53:35,000
{\an1}Narrator: And if Homer
was right about
1026
00:53:35,033 --> 00:53:37,000
{\an1}Troy and the Trojan War,
1027
00:53:37,033 --> 00:53:39,966
{\an1}maybe his description
of the fall of Troy
1028
00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:41,966
is also true.
1029
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:42,966
{\an1}Once you've used
a Trojan Horse,
1030
00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:44,966
no one is gonna
fall for that again.
1031
00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:46,966
But if this was
the one time it was used,
1032
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:50,000
{\an1}it might even have succeeded.
1033
00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:52,966
{\an1}Narrator: Expert opinion
on the accuracy
1034
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:56,000
{\an1}of the Trojan Horse story
is divided.
1035
00:54:02,066 --> 00:54:04,033
{\an1}But the fact that
it's now legendary
1036
00:54:04,066 --> 00:54:07,066
{\an1}doesn't mean
it's just a legend.
1037
00:54:14,033 --> 00:54:16,000
{\an1}AnnoAnnouncer: The "Secrets of
the Dead" investigation
1038
00:54:16,033 --> 00:54:18,000
{\an1}continues online.
1039
00:54:18,033 --> 00:54:21,000
{\an1}For more in-depth analysis
and streaming video
1040
00:54:21,033 --> 00:54:22,000
{\an1}of this and other episodes,
1041
00:54:22,033 --> 00:54:24,033
visit PBS.org.
1042
00:54:26,033 --> 00:54:28,033
This program is
available on DVD.
1043
00:54:29,033 --> 00:54:31,000
{\an1}To order, visit shoppbs.org
1044
00:54:31,033 --> 00:54:34,033
{\an1}or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
88600
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