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The ancient Greeks blamed their Gods for the Trojan War and for centuries, modern historians were not sure there had actually been one. The time and location of the Trojan War remained a puzzle until 1868, when the German archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, became convinced that Troy existed [71]. Subsequent excavations unearthed an ancient city at Hissarlik, Turkey, which most current authorities accept as Troy. The various dates “establishing” wartime Troy have coalesced to around 1184 BCE, a Bronze Age city. Much of what we believe about the Trojan War comes from Homer’s epic poems, with their own mythology and uncertain dates of origin, which reach as far back as 1200–750 BCE [72]: first the Iliad, which focuses on the last year of the 9-year conflict, and its sequel the Odyssey, which describes Odysseus’ troubled return to Ithaca. Additional information comes from the Cyclic Epics, written between the 7th and 6th centuries BCE [73]. In addition, numerous other ancient and modern literary sources, some more accurate than others, round out the legends. Moreover, inspiration from the Trojan War enriched the majestic Athenian tragedies of Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, written during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.

The Trojan War was one of the first wars to feature women. Helen, who was blamed for causing the war in the first place, was the daughter of Leda, Queen of Sparta, and consort of Zeus; Helen was celebrated as the most beautiful woman in the world. The goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all played consequential roles. And from that time onward until the widespread development of professional armies, legions of single women and wives followed soldiers and/or hung around encampments to provide goods, services, sexual favors, and to ensure their companions got fed and had wounds attended [74].