Helen

:This article is about the mythical figure known as Helen of Troy. For other meanings of the word see Helen (disambiguation).

Helen in Greek Mythology

According to later Greek mythology, Leda bore Helen and Polydeuces, children of Zeus while at the same time bearing Castor and Clytemnestra, children of her husband Tyndareus, the King of Sparta. As the story goes, Zeus cohabited with Leda in the form of a swan on the same night as her husband, King Tyndareus. To the former she gave birth to Helen and Polydeuces, and to the latter, Clytemnestra and Castor. In some versions she laid two eggs from which the children hatched. In other versions, Helen is a daughter of Nemesis, the goddess who personified the disaster that awaited those suffering from the pride of hubris.

Related Topics:
Greek mythology - Leda - Polydeuces - Zeus - Clytemnestra - Tyndareus - Sparta - Swan - Nemesis

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Two Athenians, Theseus and Pirithous, pledged to marry daughters of Zeus. Theseus chose Helen. He and Pirithous kidnapped her and decided to hold onto her until she was old enough to marry. Pirithous chose Persephone. They left Helen with Theseus' mother, Aethra, and travelled to the underworld, domain of Persephone and her husband, Hades. Hades pretended to offer them hospitality and set a feast; as soon as the pair sat down, snakes coiled around their feet and held them there.

Related Topics:
Athenians - Theseus - Pirithous - Zeus - Persephone - Aethra - Underworld - Hades

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When it was time for Helen to marry, many Greek kings and princes came to seek her hand or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf. Among the contenders were Odysseus, Menestheus, Ajax the Great, Patroclus and Idomeneus, but the favourite was Menelaus, who did not come in person but was represented by his brother Agamemnon, both of whom were in exile, having fled Thyestes. All but Odysseus brought many rich gifts with them.

Related Topics:
Odysseus - Menestheus - Ajax the Great - Patroclus - Idomeneus - Menelaus - Agamemnon - Thyestes

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Tyndareus would accept none of the gifts, nor would he send any of the suitors away for fear of offending them and giving grounds for a quarrel. Odysseus promised to solve the problem in a satisfactory manner if Tyndareus would support him in his courting of Penelope, the daughter of Icarius. Tyndareus readily agreed and Odysseus proposed that, before the decision was made, all the suitors should swear a most solemn oath to defend the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him. This stratagem succeeded and Helen and Menelaus were married. Following Tyndareus' death, Menelaus became king of Sparta because the only male heirs, Castor and Polydeuces, had died and ascended to Mount Olympus.

Related Topics:
Odysseus - Penelope - Icarius - Menelaus - Sparta - Castor and Polydeuces - Mount Olympus

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Some years later, Paris, a Trojan prince came to Sparta to marry Helen, whom he had been promised by Aphrodite after he had chosen her as the most beautiful of the goddesses, earning the wrath of Athena and Hera. Helen fell in love with him, as the goddess had promised, willingly leaving behind Menelaus and Hermione, their nine-year-old daughter, to be with her new love.

Related Topics:
Paris - Trojan - Aphrodite - Athena - Hera - Hermione

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When he discovered that his wife was missing, Menelaus called upon all the other suitors to fulfill their oaths, thus beginning the Trojan War. Virtually all of Greece took part, either attacking Troy with Menelaus or defending it from them.

Related Topics:
Trojan War - Greece

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Helen's relationship with Paris varies depending on the source of the story. In some, she loved him dearly (perhaps caused by Aphrodite, who had promised her to Paris). In others, she was a cruel, selfish woman who brought disaster to everyone around her, and she hated him. One version, used by Euripides in his play Helen claims Hermes fashioned a likeness of her out of clouds at Zeus's request, and Helen never even went to Troy, having spent the entire war in Egypt.

Related Topics:
Aphrodite - Euripides - Helen - Hermes - Zeus's - Troy - Egypt

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When Paris died in the war, his brother, Deiphobus, married Helen. Deiphobus was killed by Menelaus in the sack of Troy. Menelaus had demanded that only he should slay his faithless wife; but, when he raised his sword to do so, the sight of her beauty caused him to let the sword drop from his hand. Instead, he led her in safety to the Greek ships. Helen returned to Sparta with Menelaus. After Menelaus' death, Helen was exiled by their son, Megapenthes. According to another version, used by Euripides in his Orestes, Helen had long ago left the mortal world by then, having been taken up to Olympus almost immediately after Menelaus's return.

Related Topics:
Deiphobus - Sack - Megapenthes - Euripides - Orestes

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Assuming the story of Helen is, to some extent, based on a real event it is worth knowing that this and many other Greek legends point to the existence of a matrilineal inheritance system. Thus Menelaus' right to the throne is based on his being married to the daughter of the previous king. However beautiful Helen may have been this gives a more cynical reason to fight over her.

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