Troy: Myth and reality
British Museum, London

Not a lot of people know this, but before achieving fame with The Godfather Mario Puzo wrote a film script of The Iliad. I know, because an American friend who served with Puzo in the US Army sent it to me when I was studying Classics.

Looking back, I’m struck by how much the macho myths of the Mafia and the Trojan War have in common: both involve men who kill and women who suffer the consequences. The British Museum, for its exhibition “Troy: myth and reality” (until 8 March 2020), has tried to mitigate the machismo of Homer’s stories by inviting contemporary commentaries from army veteran and homelessness charities. Three thousand years is a long time in sexual politics, and PTSD was unrecognised by a culture that as late as Aristotle equated bravery with physical strength.