There are a variety of written sources that suggest that the Trojan War did in fact occur. Homer presents details of the Trojan war in his epic poem The Iliad, this poem presents many of the ideas that we have today of Troy and the Trojan War. However, we must also consider Homers reliability- who he (or she) was, why and when s/he was writing and from where s/he was getting his/her sources. After looking at Homers work, we look to other sources to validate what is being said. Herodotus confirms some of Homers ideas but also reveals some discrepancies. Whilst Thucydides also confirms some ideas and brings into play others. However for both Herodotus and Thucydides, reliability must be questioned.

Homer's The Iliad presents many key details on the Trojan War. The Iliad tells of the Trojan War, saying that there was a war...