Menelaus was the king of Sparta and the husband of Helen, whose abduction by the Trojan prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.
He was the brother of Agamemnon and, after Paris took Helen, he rallied the Greek kings to sail to Troy to retrieve her.
After the war, his journey home with Helen was long and perilous, and he eventually returned to Sparta to rule.
Key aspects of Menelaus's story
Marriage to Helen: Menelaus was chosen from a host of suitors to marry Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world.
The abduction of Helen: Paris of Troy, after being promised Helen by Aphrodite, either abducted or eloped with her, leading Menelaus to seek revenge.
The Trojan War: Menelaus, with his brother Agamemnon, led the Greek forces in the ten-year siege of Troy to get Helen back.
Confrontation with Paris: During the war, Menelaus fought Paris in a duel, but Paris was saved by the goddess Aphrodite.
Return home: After the fall of Troy, Menelaus and Helen's journey home was fraught with difficulty, including a stop in Egypt where he was aided by the sea-god Proteus.
Later life: He and Helen eventually returned to Sparta and ruled for many years.
