In the Trojan War legend, who was the Greek commander-in-chief?

In the Trojan War legend, Agamemnon was the Greek commander-in-chief. He was king of Mycenae and the brother of Menelaus, whose wife Helen had gone to Troy with Paris.

Agamemnon’s authority came from his position as the most powerful Greek ruler in the coalition. He gathered forces from many kingdoms and led the expedition across the Aegean. The army’s leaders remained separate kings and heroes, so his command was powerful but not always harmonious.

The Iliad begins with a dispute between Agamemnon and Achilles. Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles after surrendering his own war captive, and Achilles withdraws from battle. Their quarrel allows Homer to explore honor, authority, anger, and the cost of wounded pride.

Agamemnon’s story continues after Troy falls. In Greek tragedy, especially Aeschylus’s Agamemnon, he returns home and is murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her ally Aegisthus.