In Greek mythology, Menelaus (Ancient Greek: Μενέλαος) was a king of Ancient Sparta, the husband of Helen, and a central figure in the Trojan War. He was the son of Atreus and Aerope. Prominent in both the Iliad and Odyssey, Menelaus was also popular in Greek vase painting and Greek tragedy. Ascension and reign Sources for the early life of Menelaus are rather late, post-dating 5th-century BCE Greek tragedy. According to these sources, his father Atreus… (More on Menelaus)