Odysseus

According to Homer's epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey, Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero who fought in the Trojan War alongside Achilles. Although he is a secondary character in The Iliad, his valor and mettle in battle surpassed only the mighty Achilles himself, Odysseus is the primary protagonist of The Odyssey. The Odyssey tells Odysseus' story following the Trojan War, chronicling his perilous journey back to his home in Ithaca, Greece. Although The Odyssey relates Odysseus' tale after the Trojan War has ended, it does not--however--tell of his actions immediately following the events in The Iliad; that is, it does not tell of how he and the other Greeks deceived the Trojans by offering them a huge wooden horse filled with Greek soldiers, which eventually leads to an easy Greek victory over their Trojan adversaries. Rather, this story is accounted in The Aeneid, written after both The Iliad and The Odyssey by another author.
Discouraged by Achilles' death and the persistence of the Trojans, the Greeks were ready to admit defeat and surrender to the Trojans when Achilles, the master strategist that he is, devised a clever plan to penetrate the Trojans' defenses and defeat them without incurring heavy losses of their own: He proposed that the Greeks build a tremendous wooden horse and present it to the Trojans as a peace offering. The horse, however, would be hollow so that a few Greek soldiers could remain hidden to the Trojans as the horse was transported to within Troy's great walls. As the Trojans slept, the Greek soldiers inside the horse would stealthily sneak out of the horse and open Troy's gates, leaving the city vulnerable to the Greek's onslaught. The rest of the Greeks agreed to this plan and began construction of the Trojan Horse. After construction was completed, a few Greek soldiers hid in the horse to disguise themselves from the Trojans. The Trojans, believing the Greeks to have finally surrendered, accepted the gift and, as Odysseus intended, placed it within Troy's walls. While the Trojans slept, the Greeks--again, according to plan--crept out of the horse and opened Troy's gates. The entire Greek army then stormed the city and killed all who opposed them, easily routing the Trojans in a single assault. Thus, Troy was destroyed, and the Greeks emerged from the war as victors. Having served their duties, Odysseus and his men set sail for Greece. Only Odysseus would survive the twenty year journey back to his homeland.

Ever since I was a chile, I have always dreamed of venturing into space, of exploring the solar system, the outer reaches of the galaxy, and the entire vastness that this universe has to offer. Of course, such means of intergalactic space travel has not yet been invented (I do believe it will eventually), but I have dreamed nonetheless. Like Odysseus' grueling return to his home in Ithaca, such an adventure into space would be daring and filled with potential dangers, yet it would be a great and rewarding experience, and one that I would never forget.