Odysseus was the legendary king of Ithaca, and a Greek hero in the great Trojan War, which the Greeks won after 10 long years. On his way home, Odysseus had many adventures, including his stop at the land of the Phaeacians, where he is found washed up on their shore by the king's daughter Nausicaa, who had been playing ball with her friends. The night before the goddess Athena had appeared in a dream to Nausicaa (Athena had appeared in the disguise of a friend of Nausicaa - as seen here) and advised Nausicaa to go down to the river and wash the next morning. Athena had all planned so that Nausicaa would meet the shipwrecked Odysseus.