Almost everyone has heard of the famous three hundred spartan soldiers who stood against the persians at thermopylae. But did you know that sparta was home to two kings? Or that their women had more freedom than the women of athens?

The beautiful history of classical sparta has been in the spotlight for some time now. Sometimes, it feels as if the details about this city-state are as vast as the aegean!

You'll learn:

• Why the war started
• How one face launched a thousand ships
• About the tricksters - and the tricked!
• Who were the achaeans?
• Was it kidnapping or did they elope?
• Achilles' heel - why was it so vulnerable?
• The many prophecies - and their fulfilment

The trojan war, in greek tradition, started as a way for zeus to reduce the ever-increasing population of humanity and, more practically, as an expedition to reclaim helen, wife of menelaos, king of sparta and brother of agamemnon. Helen was abducted by the trojan prince paris (also known as alexandros) and taken as his prize for choosing aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a competition with athena and hera at the wedding of peleus and thetis. Menelaos and the greeks wanted her back and to avenge trojan impudence.