How did Heinrich Schliemann become interested in Homer and Troy as a child?

According to his own autobiographical accounts, Heinrich Schliemann’s lifelong interest in Homer and Troy began during his childhood through two primary experiences:

• A childhood book: When he was seven years old, his father gave him a history book containing a picture of Troy in flames. Schliemann claimed this image remained in his memory throughout his life and sustained his belief in the historical foundations of the Homeric poems.1
• Hearing the epics: At age 14, while working as an apprentice in a grocer’s shop, Schliemann reported that he heard Homer’s works being declaimed in the original Greek, an experience that further fueled his fascination.1

It is important to note that modern scholarship has revealed these accounts often involved significant self-mythologizing, as Schliemann frequently curated his personal history to bolster his reputation as a discoverer.1