The God Conundrum

Ever been confused between Roman and Greek mythology ? Why it is similar and different at the same time?

Here's a crash course

To start with, the book on which the Greek mythology is based on is Iliad and the Odyssey written by Homer and the Roman mythology from Aeneid written by Virgil.

Since Iliad predates Virgil's latin epic by thousands of years, it is understood that the Roman gods were crafted based on the Greek ones but with different names.

For example the Greek god of war is Ares, its Roman counterpart while sharing the same traits is Mars. Aphrodite becomes Venus. Zeus,(God of Gods) becomes Jupiter in roman mythology.

You might often come across the name Cupid the god of love but in Greek mythology he is Eros, son of Ares and Aphrodite

The name Prometheus also comes up, he is not a god but a titan who fought on the side of gods. He is known for giving fire to the humans and then was punished severely by Zeus for this

Though Greek gods are more famous their depiction in paintings and sculptures bear the names of their roman versions, it is often that we will see a Mars and Venus affair painting than an Ares and Aphrodite titled one

Alexandre Charles Guillemot,Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan 
Vulcan the god of fire exposes his wife's affair to the gods of Mount Olympus by trapping them in a enchanted net he crafted

Both the mythologies are about the Trojan War, and the role of Heroes and Gods in it.

The gods were divided in their support some sided with the Trojans while other with the Greeks.

Why did the Trojan war start?

The common answer to this is : Paris stole King Menelaus's wife Helen. Then Menelaus asked his older brother to help him get her back. To do this Agamemnon, his brother, compiled an army of royal fighters by re invoking an old oath made for Helen.

But according to the myths there were many other reasons

Aphrodite is said to have put Helen under a spell so that she would agree to run away with Paris. Aphrodite did this because she had promised the fairest woman in the world to Paris, if he gave her the Apple of Discord.

Apple of Discord

Eris was the only Goddess that wasn't invited by Zeus for the wedding of Achilles parents. This enraged her and to cause a discord she threw a golden apple amongst the goddesses inscribed "To the fairest." Three laid claim to it--Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. Aphrodite convinced Paris by tempting him with Helen.

These events laid the foundation of the Trojan War.

Fun fact - In the hit movie Troy, Achilles was supposed to be in a relationship with Patroclus, his male lover. Many mythologies hint at them being lovers. But since Brad Pitt was uncomfortable with this, the movie portrayed their relationship as a friendship with no sexual overtones.