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According to the myth, the war started when Paris, a prince of Troy, abducted Helen, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus (Menelaus was not the king of all of Greece, as the country did not exist at the time; rather, he was king of one the Greek city-states). Paris had been promised Helen by the goddess [[Aphrodite]], in return for choosing her as the fairest in a competition between three goddesses.

According to the myth, the war started when Paris, a prince of Troy, abducted Helen, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus (Menelaus was not the king of all of Greece, as the country did not exist at the time; rather, he was king of one the Greek city-states). Paris had been promised Helen by the goddess [[Aphrodite]], in return for choosing her as the fairest in a competition between three goddesses.

The Greeks were incensed by this affront, and Menelaus and his brother Agammemnon, the most powerful of all the Greek kings, declared war on Troy. Following this, all the other kings of Greece had to join the war as well because of agreements they had with each other (similar to the outbreak of the [[First World War]]).

The Greeks were incensed by this affront, and Menelaus and his brother [[Agammemnon]], the most powerful of all the Greek kings, declared war on Troy. Following this, all the other kings of Greece had to join the war as well because of agreements they had with each other (similar to the outbreak of the [[First World War]]).

The Greeks amassed a mighty fleet and set sail for Troy. Initially they did battle with the Trojans and their allies in various parts of Asia Minor, but eventually the war reached a stalemate with the Greeks in control of most of the land and the Trojans besieged inside their city, which seemed impregnable. It is this siege scenario that provides the setting for most of the stories about the Trojan War.

The Greeks amassed a mighty fleet and set sail for Troy. Initially they did battle with the Trojans and their allies in various parts of Asia Minor, but eventually the war reached a stalemate with the Greeks in control of most of the land and the Trojans besieged inside their city, which seemed impregnable. It is this siege scenario that provides the setting for most of the stories about the Trojan War.

Although the Greeks won the war, ten years of combat in a foreign land took their toll and many returned to find trouble at home or worse. Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, was killed by his wife on arriving home. Most famously, Odysseus was not able to return home for another ten years, as told in the [[Odyssey]].

Although the Greeks won the war, ten years of combat in a foreign land took their toll and many returned to find trouble at home or worse. Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, was killed by his wife on arriving home. Most famously, Odysseus was not able to return home for another ten years, as told in the [[Odyssey]].