The story of the Trojan War begins long before the clash of mortals at the gates of Troy. It is rooted in the origins of the gods themselves, whose rivalries, passions, and ambitions shaped the destiny of the ancient Greek world. To understand the backdrop against which the Trojan War unfolded, one must delve into the cosmogony of Greek mythology and the early narratives preserved in the epic poetry of Hesiod, Homer, and later sources.