The Trojan War stands at the crossroads of history and legend, a conflict that ancient Greeks believed to be a real event but which modern scholars have spent centuries debating. Was there a historical war beneath the epic tales of Homer? In this Fexingo History show, Lucas and Luna guide listeners through the archaeological and literary evidence, from the excavations of Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlik to the latest Bronze Age research. They explore the world of the Mycenaean Greeks and the Hittite Empire, whose records mention a place called Wilusa—possibly Troy. The show examines the key figures of the Iliad: Achilles, Hector, Paris, and Helen, asking how myth shaped Greek identity and how the story of Troy has been retold through history, from Virgil’s Aeneid to modern film. Listeners will journey through the Late Bronze Age collapse, the rise of city-states, and the enduring legacy of a war that may have lasted ten years or perhaps never happened at all. Whether you see it as history or allegory, the Trojan War remains a powerful lens on human nature, war, and memory. Join the conversation to uncover what we truly know about the siege that launched a thousand ships.
