▁( e . g ., ▁Or est es ▁and ▁Te lem ach us ). ▁ ▁The ▁Tro jan ▁War ▁provided ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁them es ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁insp iration ▁for ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁artists ▁( e . g . ▁met op es ▁on ▁the ▁Par then on ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁s ack ▁of ▁T roy ); ▁this ▁art istic ▁preference ▁for ▁them es ▁der iving ▁from ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁Cy cle ▁indicates ▁its ▁importance ▁to ▁the ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁civil ization . ▁The ▁same ▁myth ological ▁cycle ▁also ▁inspired ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁posterior ▁European ▁literary ▁writ ings . ▁For ▁instance , ▁Tro jan ▁Med ieval ▁European ▁writers , ▁un ac qu aint ed ▁with ▁H omer ▁at ▁first ▁hand , ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁T roy ▁legend ▁a ▁rich ▁source ▁of ▁hero ic ▁and ▁rom antic ▁story t elling ▁and ▁a ▁convenient ▁framework ▁into ▁which ▁to ▁fit ▁their ▁own ▁court ly ▁and ▁ch ival ric ▁ide als . ▁Tw elf th - century ▁authors , ▁such ▁as ▁Ben o ît ▁de ▁Sainte - Ma ure ▁( R oman ▁de ▁Tro ie ▁[ R om ance ▁of ▁T roy , ▁ 1 1 5 4 – 6 0 ]) ▁and ▁Joseph ▁of ▁Ex eter ▁( De ▁B ello ▁Tro iano ▁[ On ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War , ▁ 1 1 8 3 ]) ▁describe ▁the ▁war ▁while ▁re writing ▁the ▁standard ▁version ▁they ▁found ▁in ▁D ict ys ▁and ▁D ares . ▁They ▁thus ▁follow ▁Hor ace ' s ▁advice