The Trojan War: Myth, Reality, or Both? — Fexingo History cover art

The Trojan War: Myth, Reality, or Both? — Fexingo History

The Trojan War: Myth, Reality, or Both? — Fexingo History

By: Fexingo
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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. #TrojanWar #Homer #Iliad #Odyssey #MycenaeanGreece #BronzeAge #HeinrichSchliemann #Hisarlik #HittiteEmpire #Wilusa #Achilles #Hector #HelenOfTroy #Aeneid #LateBronzeAgeCollapse #GreekMythology #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo© 2026 Fexingo. All rights reserved. Hourly Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The Lost Kingdom of Aeneas: Dardania and Bronze Age Troy

    The Lost Kingdom of Aeneas: Dardania and Bronze Age Troy
    Jul 6 2026
    Before there was Priam's Troy, before the Iliad, before the wooden horse—there was Dardania, the small but strategic kingdom in the Troad that birthed the Trojan royal line. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Bronze Age archaeology and Hittite diplomacy that give us a glimpse of a real Dardanian state: its Luwian-speaking kings, its vassalage to the Hittite Empire, its role in the power struggles between Hattusa and the Ahhiyawa of Mycenaean Greece. We dig into the Manapa-Tarhunta letter, where a Dardanian rebel named Piyama-Radu terrorizes the region; the Alaksandu Treaty, which names a king of Wilusa who may be the historical Paris; and the Tawagalawa letter, which mentions a renegade Hittite prince who fled to Ahhiyawa. How much does the archaeology of Troy VI and VIIa match the Homeric city? And was Dardania the real bridge between myth and history? Join us for a ground-level look at the geopolitics of the Late Bronze Age Aegean. #Dardania #TrojanWar #HittiteRecords #Wilusa #Alaksandu #PiyamaRadu #TawagalawaLetter #ManapaTarhunta #Ahhiyawa #Luwian #TroyVI #TroyVIIa #Hisarlik #BronzeAge #AncientGreece #Hattusa #HittiteEmpire #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • The Cult of the Horse: Sacrifice and Divination at Troy

    The Cult of the Horse: Sacrifice and Divination at Troy
    Jul 5 2026
    The Trojan Horse is famous as a wooden trick, but what if horses themselves had a deeper meaning in the world of the Iliad? This episode explores the cult of the horse in Bronze Age Anatolia and Mycenaean Greece: from Hittite horse sacrifices to the use of equine bones in divination at Hisarlik. Lucas and Luna discuss the horse as a symbol of power, a bridge to the underworld, and a real ritual animal that may have influenced Homeric epic. They consider archaeological finds like the horse burials at Troy VI and the Hittite Kikkuli text on horse training, and ask whether the Trojan Horse story echoes actual religious practices. A fresh angle on a familiar myth. #TrojanHorse #HorseSacrifice #CultOfTheHorse #Hisarlik #TroyVI #Hittites #Kikkuli #AnatolianBronzeAge #MycenaeanGreece #Iliad #Divination #BronzeAgeReligion #EquineArchaeology #Homer #SacredAnimals #History #FexingoHistory #MediterraneanArchaeology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Paris of Troy: The Prince Who Sparked a War

    Paris of Troy: The Prince Who Sparked a War
    Jul 5 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the figure of Paris, the Trojan prince whose abduction of Helen ignited the Trojan War. They examine his early life, including the prophecy of his birth and his abandonment on Mount Ida. The conversation delves into the Judgment of Paris, where he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena, and how that myth reflects deeper tensions between divine favor and human folly. They also discuss Paris's role in the war itself — from his duel with Menelaus to his killing of Achilles — and how ancient sources portray him as both a coward and a skilled archer. The episode touches on archaeological evidence from Hisarlik and Hittite texts mentioning Alaksandu, a possible historical parallel to Paris. Lucas and Luna also consider how later traditions, from Euripides to Ovid, shaped Paris's legacy as a romantic antihero or a destructive fool. The conversation ends with a reflection on how myths of personal desire and political catastrophe remain relevant today. #Paris #TrojanWar #GreekMythology #JudgmentOfParis #Aphrodite #HelenOfTroy #Alaksandu #Hisarlik #Hittite #Iliad #Homer #Euripides #Ovid #AncientHistory #Mediterranean #Mythology #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
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