Legends Summarized: The Trojan War

I love how Achilles is basically curbstomping everyone nonchalantly even when completely disinterested during his emo phase until the gods literally had to turn Paris's aimbot on to deal with him

Eris, the goddess of "It's getting too chummy around here", wakes up and chooses violence. I love how you chose to phrase that.

The fact that we still know Achilles’ name today means that the prophesy was kinda legit.

Reading the bit in the Odyssey where Helen is impersonating the Achean's wives is honestly just painful. Odysseus has to literally hold people's mouths shut because they honestly think their wives are out there. Seriously, the entire Achean army has precisely three brain cells, and Odysseus spends the entire war juggling them.

Achilles being portrayed as an excitable kid who’s there to have fun and slowly descending into depression is actually genius

Odysseus still just literally being Solid Snake because of one dumb joke Red made SEVEN YEARS ago is incredibly heartwarming to me.

The frame of Hera fuming "now we kill hin, right?" and big-brain Athena's deadpan "we can be MUCH more creative than that" kills me.

13:18 On that thought, I love the fact that the epic cycle more or less starts properly with a king being beset by a million suitors, so Odysseus proposes a solution that will peacefully solve the problem with minimal bloodshed while ensuring he also walks away with some compensation, then ends with Penelope being beset by a million suitors so Odysseus's solution is to murder them all. That's how clever Odysseus is; he's able to learn from his mistakes.

Drawing Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge, as a cute little fire angle waving at a baby is the funniest thing ever

You know what the best part about the book is? Those long descriptions of where a character was born, what their father did five years before they were born, how their homeland was formed... Only for them to get a spear through their skull in the first battle of the chapter.

I've watched this video a couple of times and realized something. Hera and Athena weren't just pissed at not being chosen but the additional insult to injury. For Hera, Paris snubbed her offer to make him king of the world for a woman who was already married (and happily so, if I recall correctly) showing no respect for her domain. For Athena, Paris turned down her offer of glory and victory to marry a woman whose marriage is technically under the protection of powerful kings that can and will reduce Troy to rubble to honor their oath. It's a very, very stupid move that is guaranteed to end in failure (or pyrrhic victory) especially with the Goddess of War and Wisdom against him. He didn't just snub them in favor of Aphrodite and her offer, Paris basically spat in their faces, even if it was unintentional.

Ares is a big, beautiful, brutish bufoon. The closest thing the Olympians had to a god of evil. But I found out he's got a surprisingly good track record when women are concerned. 1) He is Aphrodite's favorite lover and later her surprisingly supportive husband. He doesn't even mind her sleeping around because he sees it as his girl's thing. Her form of conquest and asserting dominance and he can't get enough of it. He doesn't want to tie her down. No, he wants to unleash her on the world. 2) He's sired pretty badass daughters. He also became the first god to go to court and nearly lose his godhood because he avenged one of his daughters getting violated by butchering the rapist. The rapist was one of Poseidon's sons, so he was up against a stacked court. He got acquited only because on the day of verdict, there were more goddesses than gods in the jury. All the gods voted to punish him. All the goddesses wanted to let him go. 3) He's got a good relationship with his aunt, Hestia. Then again everyone does. But it's very important for Ares as his aunt was his one source of familial-warmth knowing full well how his parents feel about him and how dysfunctional they all are. 4) On that note, Ares is apparently a hands on dad. Even to his bastards (Who Aphrodite is totally cool with too.) Even to the girls. Even to the monstrous looking ones. All his kids either see him in their lives or he leaves them with little boons to set them up. He tries to be a good father because he knew his own father hated him and he tries to be there for his kids in ways Zeus never was for him. As war, it's understandable the "defender of mankind" and "father of laws" would not love nor like the war and bloodshed god. But the war and bloodshed god relishes in fighting alongside his sons, Phobos and Deimos. Morbid, sure, but you gotta appreciate Ares for being a present father. 5) Oh, yeah. The big one. Ares? Brutal, bloody Ares? Isn't a rapist. In a messed up family, the war god is the only one without a rape story. Hell, one of his kids with Aphrodite is the embodiment of reciprocity. He is also apparently the official defender of mistreated women. Women who were mistreated pray to him for strength. Which sadly might have contributed to his unpopularity. Oh, and he's a big supporter of the Amazons. The whole culture collectively sees him as their dad.

“They came back To widows, To fatherless children, To screams, to sobbing. The men came back As little clay jars Full of sharp cinders.” ― Aeschylus, The Oresteia

Gotta love that Odysseus is literally the ONLY dude in the war that actually has a brain and doesn’t just jump into death traps for the sake of honor

I find it interesting how Patroclus getting killed was what made Achilles go all out. Like he basically heard the news and said “they could have not done that and won the war, but now they made it so that I have nothing left to fear loosing and no reason to hold back”

Y’know, this whole mess technically was partially caused by Odysseus, but it’s really the fault of whoever didn’t invite Eris to the godsdamn wedding. Like, I get you’re worried she’s gonna cause trouble, but she’ll definitely cause more trouble if she’s not invited.

I love that Odysseus being dressed as Solid Snake is just a thing now in OSP. If you want a new pin idea, him in and out of a wooden crate are something I would buy in a heartbeat.

Artemis: "I can't believe you actually tried to sacrifice your daughter." Agamemnon: "You're the one that put me up to it!" Artemis: "I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Agamemnon: "Have you even met me?!"

Odysseus being simultaneously the smartest character in the Trojan war AND the one who caused it all initially is some dramatic irony

I honestly love Red's unconditional hatred of Agamemnon. It's just so pure and consistent. Like, she'll acknowledge the virtues of any debate point (even if she thinks you're wrong) on virtually any topic that's been discussed on this channel, but Agamemnon... He's just "the Worst." That's it, debate over. (I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment; I just find her hatred of him to be pure and refreshingly unadulterated.)