So I needed to know some historical inaccuracies about the armor used in the movie Troy(2004). I'm currently writing out an essay about this and require 3 arguments. So far I have battle tactics/strategies that were used during the fight and the fact they used coins for the final rituals even though coins weren't used by the Greeks yet. But I've chosen a my final argument being that the armor and weaponry depicted in the movie isn't actually accurate to what they actually used. This is where I get stuck because because for the life of me I can't seem to find any information on the topic. Also another question regarding tactics and strategy, I read about a thing called the hero's code in which there were rules about using deception and trickery. So it was more of a your guys vs my guys and nothing else. So my question being: In the movie it shows the Trojans counter-attack and they attack the Greeks at their camp, would this be something that was allowed or would this be breaking the Hero's code?
Regarding Homeric equipment, the best work is Hans van Wees' Status Warriors, but the book is out of print and very rare. The much more widely available Arms and Armour of the Greeks by Anthony Snodgrass is mostly focused on later periods, but it will probably have the information you need. For a basic introduction to the warfare of the period see Josho Brouwers' Henchmen of Ares.
The main thing to point out is that the Trojan War is traditionally situated in the 12th century BC - the tail end of the Bronze Age. However, several of the weapons used in the movie are clearly made of iron, including the supposedly ancestral Sword of Troy. Also, in the movie, warriors ride horses into battle. As far as we know, this did not happen until centuries later.
Most of the armour and weaponry used in the movie is decent enough, though. Apart from the fact that the shields ought to have one single grip and a shield boss, which you can point out with reference to the Iliad itself. Petersen did an admirable job of making sure the Greeks of Troy did not look like stereotypical Greek hoplites. The helmets worn by the army of Agamemnon are of the Assyrian type also found in the Argos panoply, which dates to the mid-8th century BC - too late for the supposed date of the Trojan War, but significantly more primitive than the iconic Corinthian helmets of later times.
I read about a thing called the hero's code in which there were rules about using deception and trickery.
Poppycock. Ever heard of the Trojan Horse?
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