It is the Late Bronze Age, approximately 1250 B.C. Helen of Sparta (Diane Kruger) becomes Helen of Troy (according to legend) when she leaves her husband Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson) for a prince of Troy named Paris (Orlando Bloom).
Her furious and humiliated spouse seeks the help of his brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox), king of Mycenae, to avenge his loss. Raising a huge Greek army, the brothers will commence a war against Troy. Ten years of conflict, and many interesting stories, follow.
One of the key warriors for the Greeks is Achilles (Brad Pitt). His counterpart, for the Trojans, is Hector (Eric Bana), son of King Priam (Peter O’Toole). Unable to defeat the Trojans without deception, the Greeks finally decide to bring soldiers into the city inside a wooden horse.
Are the stories true? Was there ever, really, a Trojan Horse? Homer, the ancient blind poet who appears to be the original source for the Trojan War, thought so. (He wrote an epic about it called The Iliad.)
Through the time of the American Civil War, most people believed that Troy was a mythological place. There was no city by that name. There were no known primary sources to prove a Trojan War had ever occurred.
Yet ... the possibility existed. What if ruins of Troy were buried deep in the earth? What if people took Homer at his word? What if, with Iliad in hand, one were to follow the landscapes Homer described? Would such a quest lead to a real place called Troy?
In this story behind the movie, take a virtual trip to Turkey and view the Troy excavations. See ancient Greek pottery, depicting stories from The Iliad. Examine golden artifacts referred to as “Priam’s Treasure,” view excavations at Mycenae (in Greece), and meet Heinrich Schliemann (the controversial excavator who uncovered Troy and brought Mycenae to light).
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In truth, Agamemnon’s pursuit of honor is corrupted by his overwhelming greed—he needs control of Troy to ensure the supremacy of his already vast empire. The walled city, under the leadership of King Prium (PETER O’TOOLE) and defended by mighty Prince Hector (Eric Bana), is a citadel that no army has been able to breach. One man alone stands as the key to victory or defeat over Troy—Achilles (Brad Pitt), believed to be the greatest warrior alive.
Arrogant, rebellious and seemingly invincible, Achilles has no allegiance to anyone or anything, save his own glory. It is his insatiable hunger for eternal renown that leads him to attack the gates of Troy under Agamemnon’s banner—but it will be love that ultimately decides his fate. Two worlds will go to war for honor and power. Thousands will fall in pursuit of glory. And for love, a nation will burn to the ground.”