Which river flows through Troy in the Iliad?

The Scamander is the river that flows through the Trojan landscape in the Iliad.

Homer places Troy on a plain associated with the Scamander, where much of the fighting takes place. The Achaean ships and camp stand near the river’s mouth, while the city rises across the plain. The river is therefore more than scenery: it helps define the battlefield surrounding Troy.

The Scamander is also a divine figure in the poem. Homer calls the river Xanthus when the gods speak of it, while humans call it Scamander. During Achilles’ rampage, the river-god turns against him after Achilles insults and pollutes the stream with the bodies of slain Trojans. He nearly overwhelms the hero before Hephaestus intervenes with fire.

The river is generally identified with the modern Karamenderes in northwestern Turkey, near the archaeological site of Troy. The Simoeis is another river of the Trojan plain and joins the Scamander, which is why the two names can sometimes be confused.