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INDY BEACONS
Heinrich Schliemann didn't spend long in Indianapolis, but he is one of the most colortul characters ever to call the city home. His adventurous life story, dubious rationale for residing here, and polarizing legacy make nis tale one 01 trie more remarkable in the city's history.
Born in what is now Germany in 1822, Schliemann's father read him passages from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the first and greatest epics in Western literature. Schliemann later claimed that he resolved to excavate the city of Troy, site of the Trojan War. while still a boy.
Schliemann possessed an extraordinary aptitude for learning languages, eventually learning to converse in 13. While a teenager, he was shipwrecked off the coast of Holland, becoming a bookkeeper in Amsterdam. In his 20s. he traveled to Russia, mastering new tongues along the way.
When his brother died in the gold fields of California, Schliemann traveled there to settle his estate, soon starting a bank in Sacramento and eventually becoming...