He was set up as king by the twins Castor and Pollux when Theseus travelled to the Underworld after abducting their sister, Helen, and exiled Theseus from the city after his return.
[6] In the Iliad, it is noted that no one could arrange chariots and shield-bearing warriors in battle orders better than Menestheus, and that only Nestor could vie with him in that respect.
[7] In Herodotus, he is referred to as 'the best man to go to Troy and to draw up and marshal the troops'[8] by the Athenian sent to request aid from Gelon, the dictator of Syracuse.
When Agamemnon was reviewing his troops he found Menestheus in the back rows seemingly avoiding action.
[9] Later, when Sarpedon attacked the portion of the Greek wall that he was in charge of, Menestheus shivered and had to call on Telamonian Ajax and Teucer for aid.