Throughout Schliemann’s various excavations, he unearthed hundreds of objects, ranging from bronze spear points to elaborate gold jewelry. Schliemann proposed that many of these objects were directly connected to the mythic Trojan War; and throughout his life, Schliemann (whether intentionally or unintentionally) perpetuated this misconception, sensationalizing his work, and fortifying his methods and findings. His books and publication dispatches aimed at informing the public of his work, served to romanticize the study of archaeology and contribute to his celebrity status. While not exactly like Karl Marx’s Commodity Fetishism theory, there is something to be said for the fact that Schliemann (while perhaps unintentionally) misrepresented his objects. Furthermore, the mystical nature of Troy as perpetuated by Schliemann is particularly intriguing when compared to the mystical nature that Marx proposed is created by the system of capitalism. Wherein Marx’s theory specifically questions the fact that the system of capitalism misrepresents labor practices, Schliemann’s excavations add incorrect context to his own discoveries. It must also be noted that many of the items Schliemann unearthed were of precious metals, indicating that as raw materials alone, they were valuable. However, with Schliemann’s added claims that they were the relics of the mythologically significant Troy, their value is artificially inflated. In terms of dubbing Schliemann’s actions as a sort of “Mythological Commodification,” something must be said of the fact that Schliemann never derived any sort of actual monetary profit out of his archeology work - but that’s not to say that Schliemann did not derive other benefits or further his own personal goals in some form, i.e., global recognition and prestige. 

The commodity nature of Schliemann’s discoveries is furthered simply by the time period in which he conducted his excavations and the way in which that informed how he showcased his accomplishments. In the wake of the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, historian Thomas Richards argues that European industrial complexes directly led to the birth of a Victorian commodity culture specifically in Great Britain. Schliemann’s work even brought him to London where he became an honorary member of the  of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Even so, he struggled for recognition in British academic circles, likely serving as a rationale for his attempts to donate his collections to influential learning institutions. It’s clear how the reshaped social values and transformed meaning of consumption informed Schliemann’s actions, embedding him in the commodity culture of the time period. Most obvious is the fact that Schliemann engaged in public awareness of his work, similar to the way a businessman might advertise goods to be sold. This is particularly obvious with the widely circulated image of Heinrich Schliemann’s second wife, Sophia Schliemann, wearing “Priam’s Treasure” (e.g. see fig 9). What is also unique about this specific campaign on Schliemann’s behalf is the way it falls squarely into the social phenomenon known as the Great Masculine Renunciation. Coined by psychologist J. C. Flügel in his 1930 book The Psychology of Clothes, the Great Masculine Renunciation occurred at the turn of the nineteenth century, and was marked by a shift from the flamboyant and excessive fashions of the early centuries towards more muted and simple tailoring, but only in men’s clothing. As Alexandra Fury suggests, it was a “revolution in cloth” that occurred as values shifted in the way of other Atlantic Revolutions of the same time period. And this shift of values is directly reflected by Heinrich Schliemann because although the gold jewelry that he discovered, and titled as “Priam’s Treasure,” was in fact for a man, he instead chose to have his wife wear it. This directly ties into Schliemann’s desire that this image to be digestible by a modern Western audience, thus highlighting the fact that while also an educational campaign, it was more akin to an advertising one.

Troy's Effect on Europe

Benjamin P. H. Miller

Troy, and the world of Antiquity at large, had long held fascination in Europe, and more importantly in Great Britain, long before Schliemann’s discoveries. One of the most notable examples of this can be seen in the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth, a monk who in 1136 created his principal work Historia regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). Within this text, originally published in Latin, Geoffrey asserts that he was translating an earlier British work and presenting a truthful account of the rich tapestry that is British history. Within this “truthful account,” he elaborates on a legend from Nennius who himself claims that the earliest settlers of Britain were descended from Aeneas, among other survivors of the Trojan War. The veracity of this account is highly contested, as is the existence of Aeneas himself, as Virgil’s historical epic The Aeneid tows a fine line between historically backed fact and mere Roman sensationalism. Nevertheless, Britain had long  sought to justify its existence by citing mythological figures within their ancestry - yet another example of both the historical and mythological record being commandeered, for some sort of gain, in this case for apparent political gain. 

The aspect of the Neoclassical Movement that figures into art is interesting because of the way that it directly commodifies the values found within Neoclassicism. By objectifying the history and the myths (literally being made into consumer objects to be sold), there is a clear profit motive to adopt and perpetuate Neoclassicism. But it is also difficult to maintain such a cynical view on the world of art, as it is impossible to truly identify what drives an artist to create. In Thomas Cole’s set of five paintings called “The Course of Empire,” while his subject matter does not directly reference the Emergence and the Fall of Troy, it is impossible to rule out the influence this city likely had on him (e.g. see fig 1). When viewed in tandem with Edward Gibbons’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Cole acknowledges the cyclical nature of the empire especially because Rome had long been seen as a sort of successor to the City of Troy, as proposed in Virgil’s The Aeneid. This cyclical nature is illustrated by the modern author G. Michael Hopf, who wrote: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” Although written almost two centuries after Cole’s works, and not even in relation to Troy nor Rome, it holds a surprising aptness. Even so, surface level analysis of Cole’s work places it neatly into the consumerist identity of Europe that was fascinated with Troy and antiquity. Although Heinrich Schliemann cites specific instances within his upbringing that inspired his own love for antiquity and more specifically Troy, one must also recognize the European zeitgeist that focused so heavily on the ancient world, and the effect that likely had on Schliemann.

The last gift of note within the myth of the Trojan War is the infamous Trojan Horse. Concocted by the cunning Odysseus and described in Homer’s The Odyssey, this “gift” was given to the Trojan people as a sign of sign of surrender by the Greek forces who had been unable to penetrate Tory’s impressive fortifications (these fortifications would be more than penetrated by Schliemann centuries later with his invasive excavation techniques and extensive use of dynamite). In short, the metaphorical white flag in fact hid the Greek forces within it and functioned as an effective tool to smuggle them inside the walls of Troy. The ensuing battle resulted in rape and pillage and brought Troy to her knees - this battle was the final nail in the coffin for the once great city. Henri Paul Motte’s painting Le Cheval de Troie (excellently captures the moment before disaster, as Greek forces emerge beneath the cover of night (e.g. see fig 8). His use of dark and light values, especially the shadow of the horse, effectively foreshadows the eventual fall of the city. These three instances all represent the often duplicitous nature of gift giving. Through a Karl Marx-oriented lens of commodity fetishism, the deceptive power of the horse is reflective of the deceptive nature of commodification that results in a capitalist system. In the case of the Trojan Horse, perhaps there was an element of rationality in their minds towards the danger of the gift that was ultimately silenced by their simple want to believe that it truly represented an end to the fighting. In a similar sense, consumers truly want to believe that the value of objects that they buy and engage with truly are based on some intrinsic truth, rather than the labor that goes into it. 

However, in this specific instance, it would be folly to ignore the theories of Carl Menger. Whereas Marx built his own theories on the Labor Theory of Value that asserts that one hour of work is equivalent to one hour of value, Menger counters this with his own assertion that value is subjective. Where both theorists agree that value is not inherent, rather than deriving value from labor, Menger suggests that value instead comes from the consumer and the ability of a product to suit the consumer’s needs. Menger’s theory takes into account the idea of scarcity and its effect on market prices and supply and demand, whereas Marx’s ideas, especially in regards to communism, are far more idealistic because they fail to take into account these key economic principles. Labor can and should contribute to the price of a commodity, but to derive profit solely from that aspect of a product’s nature fails to take into account whether there is a need for that product in the first place and how that desire might affect its price. This is not to say that one theorist is more correct than another, but simply that these theories are nuanced. Close readings of the two may actually suggest that both Marx and Menger have more in common than  is initially presented.

Ideas of exchange and commodification are influential throughout the myth of Troy, and these themes are reflected well beyond the fall of the empire. To call this unique phenomenon “Mythological Commodification” may fail to fully encapsulate the multifaceted nature of the way the myth has been commandeered to justify a people’s existence; strengthen social, political, and artistic movements; and secure power and prestige. However, Heinrich Schliemann was not the first man to benefit from the myth of Troy, and the prevalence of its themes and stories being told and retold in Hollywood (and elsewhere in entertainment), only further add to this notion. A new film Odyssey epic is even expected to premier in 2026, representing the enduring legacy of Troy, and its consistent and profitable marketability.