In Greek mythology and ancient literature, Troy was also known as Ilium. The name appears in the title of Homer’s Iliad, whose Greek name can be translated as a poem connected with Ilium.
Troy was a major fortified settlement in northwestern Anatolia, near the modern Turkish town of Hisarlık. Ancient authors used several related forms, including Ilion, Ilios, and Ilium. Ilium is the Latin form commonly used in English historical and classical writing.
The name can be confused with Ilus, the legendary founder associated with Troy. Ilus was said to have founded or expanded the city, while Ilium referred to the city itself. Troy is the familiar English name, but Ilium is especially common in discussions of classical texts and Roman literature.
Archaeologists identify the site with Hisarlık, where multiple settlement layers were built over one another. The city connected with the Trojan War legend is often discussed as Troy VIIa, although the identification remains debated rather than proven.