Trojan War

Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae, which was one of the most important civilizations in Ancient Greek culture. In order to help his brother, King Agamemnon led heroes like Odysseus and Achilles as well as a fleet of more than a thousand ships across the sea to bring Helen back.

Achilles was the son of the sea goddess Thetis who dipped him in the River Styx when he was a child to make him an invulnerable warrior. Unfortunately, the one spot on his heel where she gripped him did not get wet, and during the Trojan War, he was shot there with an arrow and died.

The Trojan War lasted ten years before Odysseus came up with the idea for the Trojan Horse, which was a giant gift for the Trojans to symbolize the Mycenean's surrender. After the Trojans brought the gift inside their walls though, hundreds of soldiers jumped out and killed them - ending the war for good.

The Trojan War was written about extensively and the battle stories were often shared in myth and song alike. One of the most famous accounts of the Trojan War and all of its heroes is called the Illiad, a prequel to The Odyssey, which was created by the blind poet Homer. The Illiad describes the last 52 days of the 10-year war.