A NEW ASTRONOMICAL DATING OF THE TROJAN WAR’S END

A NEW ASTRONOMICAL DATING

OF THE TROJAN WAR’S END

Νέα χρονολόγηση του τέλους του Τρωικού Πολέμου,

με βάση τα αστρονομικά στοιχεία

Papamarinopoulos S., Preka-Papadema P., Mitropetros P., Antonopoulos P.,

Mitropetrou E., Saranditis G.

(Στ. Παπαμαρινόπουλος, Π. Πρέκα-Παπαδήμα, Π. Μητροπέτρος, Π. Αντωνόπουλος,
Έλ. Μητροπέτρου, Γ. Σαραντίτης)

ABSTRACT

A solar eclipse’s evolution was described in the Iliad in a stepwise mode manifested in increasing
gradual darkness, during a warm day at late noon; from Sarpedon’s death time to few later from
Patroclus’ death time. We examined the solar eclipses within the time span 1400-1130 B.C. and we
found that only the annular solar eclipse on 6th June 1218 yr B.C. observable in Troy with significant
obscuration 75.2 % fits fully with the Homeric descriptions.

KEYWORDS: Homer, Iliad, solar eclipse, Trojan War, Achilles shield, Patroclus.