Trojan War: Before Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey

The Trojan War is one of the most famous stories in Western culture, but it is almost certainly not history. In this episode of Right Answers Mostly, the hosts walk through the entire myth from start to finish, treating it as a piece of literature and drama rather than a factual record. The central argument is that the war is a sprawling, morally messy soap opera driven by divine pettiness, human vanity, and a cascade of bad choices—not a clear-cut tale of heroes and villains.

The Wedding That Started Everything

The entire conflict can be traced back to one slight: the goddess Eris was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. In revenge, she tossed a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" into the party. Three goddesses—Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite—each claimed it. Zeus, wisely, refused to judge, and punted the decision to a mortal: Paris, a shepherd who was secretly a prince of Troy.

Each goddess offered Paris a bribe. Hera promised power over Europe and Asia. Athena promised legendary war glory. Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite. This is the episode's core mechanism: the war is not about honor or justice. It is about a man making a selfish, impulsive choice, and a goddess following through on her promise regardless of the consequences.

Helen, Agency, and the Oath