Gods,Heroes,Myths Greek Mythology Homer's epics,Expeditions

Menelaus was the son of Atreus and the brother of Agamemnon. He was the king of Sparta and married to Helen of Troy.

During a journey to Crete, Menelaus left Sparta, and Paris, the son of Priam, king of Troy, visited. Paris immediately fell in love with Helen upon seeing her and, with the help of the goddess Aphrodite, abducted her. Menelaus returned to Sparta and called upon his brother and other Greek leaders to defend the honor of Greece and retrieve his wife. Thus began the Trojan expedition, in which Menelaus participated with a fleet of sixty ships. He proved his courage and bravery in battle, fought Paris in single combat, killed many Trojans, and participated in the funeral games in honor of Patroclus. He was among the Achaeans who hid inside the Trojan Horse, the wooden horse the Achaeans constructed to secretly invade Troy.

After the fall of Troy, Menelaus regained Helen, and together they traveled back to Sparta. However, they faced many adventures during their return journey, eventually arriving after seven years. It is said that after his death, Menelaus rested in the Elysian Fields.