Which figures in the story of the Trojan War are generally considered legendary rather than historical?

While the archaeological site of Troy in Turkey is a historical reality, the figures and events of the Trojan War as depicted in Homer’s epics are generally considered to belong to the realm of legend and Greek mythology rather than historical record.12

Figures such as Helen of Troy, Achilles, and other primary characters are widely regarded as fictional or mythological. For instance, the origin myth of Helen—who is said to have been hatched from an egg laid by her mother, Leda, after being visited by Zeus—is clearly an invention. Similarly, Achilles is portrayed in post-Homeric myths as physically invulnerable due to being dipped in the River Styx, a supernatural element that underscores his legendary status.234

While these characters may have been inspired by historical individuals, their literary portrayals are heavily embellished by oral tradition and poetic invention. Historians and archaeologists generally view the Trojan War as a potential historical conflict or series of conflicts that provided the "historical core" for these elaborate, mythologized narratives.2