▁and ▁Vir g il ' s ▁example : ▁they ▁rewrite ▁a ▁poem ▁of ▁T roy ▁instead ▁of ▁telling ▁something ▁completely ▁new . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁famous ▁hero es ▁noted ▁for ▁their ▁inclusion ▁in ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War ▁were : ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁side : ▁ ▁A ene as ▁ ▁H ector ▁ ▁Paris ▁On ▁the ▁Greek ▁side : ▁ ▁Ajax ▁( there ▁were ▁two ▁Ajax es ) ▁ ▁Ach illes ▁ ▁King ▁Ag am em non ▁ ▁Men el aus ▁ ▁Od ys se us ▁ ▁Greek ▁and ▁Roman ▁conception s ▁of ▁myth ▁M yth ology ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁every day ▁life ▁in ▁An cient ▁Greece . ▁Gree ks ▁regarded ▁myth ology ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁history . ▁They ▁used ▁myth ▁to ▁explain ▁natural ▁phen omena , ▁cultural ▁variations , ▁traditional ▁en m ities ▁and ▁friend ships . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁pride ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁trace ▁the ▁descent ▁of ▁one ' s ▁leaders ▁from ▁a ▁myth ological ▁hero ▁or ▁a ▁god . ▁F ew ▁ever ▁doubt ed ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁truth ▁behind ▁the ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War ▁in ▁the ▁I li ad ▁and ▁Od ys sey . ▁According ▁to ▁Victor ▁Davis ▁Hans on , ▁a ▁military ▁historian , ▁column ist , ▁political ▁ess ay ist ▁and ▁former ▁class ics ▁professor , ▁and ▁John ▁He ath , ▁a ▁class ics ▁professor , ▁the ▁prof ound ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁H omer ic ▁e pos ▁was ▁de emed ▁by ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁the ▁basis