As one of the earliest and most intensively excavated sites of the pre-Classical period in Anatolia and the Aegean, Troy is of major archaeological and historical significance. But it is also of wider cultural significance, beyond the confines of archaeology and ancient history. Stories of the Trojan War and abstract metaphors relating to Troy abound in the present day, as they have since antiquity. From movies to computer viruses, from condom branding to reggae records, Troy is a word to conjure with.

This book explores the significance of Troy in three areas: the archaeological,...