Different as the Trojan War was to Greeks and Romans, the two peoples united in an identical longing for a heroism that was attainable in the present only by reaching out for an impossible past. Carol G. Thomas and Craig Conant's broad and varied account of the Trojan War allows readers to investigate the archaeological and historical foundations that underlie the epic poems featuring Achilles and Aeneas, and to examine how the poems altered understanding of the war for the many cultures and civilizations touched by their narrative power. Conceived as an introduction to this critical event in the Western tradition, The Trojan War offers readers and researchers an engaging mixture of descriptive chapters, biographical sketches, and annotated primary documents. Also provided are an annotated bibliography and index.