What is the true meaning of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey"? Why do stories told by Homer almost three thousand years ago still help us understand war, power, politics, and human nature? And is Christopher Nolan, by retelling "The Odyssey," really speaking about contemporary America?

In this episode of the "History" series, Marcin Giełzak speaks with Professor Marek Węcowski, a historian of antiquity at the University of Warsaw, about the world of the ancient Greeks and its impact on our civilization. The two explore the moral ambiguity of Odysseus, the significance of the Trojan War, a world where the law of might begins to rule, and why each generation rereads Homer.

The conversation also leads to questions about democracy. Would Athenians consider our system democratic? Why were some positions filled by lot in ancient Athens? What was ostracism really, and why could it be a way to force political elites to compromise? The interviewees also examine the Greek understanding of citizenship, community, social relations, and how the history of ancient Greece can help us think about the present.

Are we truly "all Greeks"? And what can we learn from them without falling into the trap of simple analogies?

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