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'''Helen''' Greek - Ελένη - was the wife of [[Menelaus]] and reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and her abduction by [[Paris]] brought about the [[Trojan War]].

==Helen in Greek Mythology==
According to [[Greek mythology]], [[Leda]] bore '''Helen''' and [[Castor and Polydeuces|Polydeuces]], children of [[Zeus]] while at the same time bearing [[Castor and Polydeuces|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 (mythology)|Nemesis]], the goddess who personified the disaster that awaited those suffering from the pride of hubris.

Two [[Athens|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.

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.

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]].

Some years later, [[Paris]], a [[Troy|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 (mythology)|Hermione]], their nine-year-old daughter, to be with her new love.

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.

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 (play)|Helen]]'' claims [[Hermes]] fashioned a likeness of her out of clouds at [[Zeus|Zeus's]] request, and Helen never even went to [[Troy]], having spent the entire war in [[Egypt]].

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 (play)|Orestes]]'', Helen had long ago left the mortal world by then, having been taken up to Olympus almost immediately after Menelaus's return.

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.

==Helen in modern literature==
Helen is often called "the face that launched a thousand ships", though this phrase is post-classical, from Christopher Marlowe:

:Is this the face that launched a thousand ships
:And burned the topless towers of [[Ilium]]?
::''[[The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus]]''

In [[the Divine Comedy]], [[Dante]] sees Helen along with Paris in the [[second circle of Hell]], where they have been consigned for succumbing to the sin of lust.

==Timeline==
The following is an estimation of her life based on the traditional dates of the Trojan War:

*[[1220s BC|1225 BC]] - Birth of Helen to King [[Tyndareus]] of [[Sparta]] and his wife [[Leda (mythology)|Leda]]. Thanks to her beauty she will later be considered daughter of [[Zeus]].
*[[1210s BC|1213 BC]] - At the age of twelve Helen is abducted by King [[Theseus]] of [[Athens]] who marries her against her father's and brothers' consent. During the absence of Theseus, her brothers [[Castor and Polydeuces]] help a revolt by his cousin [[Menestheus]]. Menestheus gains the throne and returns Helen to her brothers. According to some versions Helen was pregnant and a few months later gives birth to [[Iphigeneia]]. She trusts her daughter to her married sister [[Clytemnestra]] who will raise her as her own. Soon Menestheus of Athens and other kings and princes gather at Sparta as Helen's suitors.
*[[1210s BC|1212 BC]] - [[Tyndareus]] marries Helen to Menelaus of [[Mycenae]]. Menelaus' brother is King [[Agamemnon]] who is married to Helen's sister [[Clytemnestra]]. Helen soon gives birth to [[Hermione]]. The early deaths of her brothers [[Castor and Polydeuces]], soon make Menelaus Tyndareus successor at the throne of [[Sparta]].
*[[1200s BC|1203 BC]] - After nine years of marriage, [[Paris]] of [[Troy]] visits [[Sparta]] and in [[Menelaus]]' absence convinces Helen to flee with him. Menelaus discovers that his wife and guest betrayed him and starts contemplating war. King [[Priam]] of [[Troy]] marries Helen to Paris. Menelaus' preparations for war and gathering of allies and armies took him ten years according to some versions.
*[[1190s BC|1194 BC]] - Beginning of the [[Trojan War]].
*[[1180s BC|1184 BC]] - [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]] mortally wounded in battle by [[Philoctetes]]. [[Priam]] marries Helen to [[Deiphobus]], a younger brother of Paris.
*[[April 24]], [[1180s BC|1184 BC]] - Fall of [[Troy]]. Deiphobus is slain by [[Menelaus]] who reclaims Helen as his wife. They sail on their return journey but are stranded on the shores of [[Egypt]].
*[[1170s BC|1176 BC]] - After spending eight years in [[Egypt]], they manage to set sail again and reach the shores of the [[Peloponnesus]]. According to [[Euripides]] they visit [[Mycenae]], arriving shortly after the murders of King [[Aegisthus]], who was Menelaus' first cousin, and Queen [[Clytemnestra]], who was Helen's sister, by their common nephew [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]], the new King of [[Mycenae]]. Orestes attempts to kill his aunt but fails. The royal couple return to [[Sparta]] (or else Helen is taken off by Apollo)
*[[1170s BC|1174 BC]] - According to the [[Odyssey]], [[Telemachus]] of [[Ithaca]] visits [[Sparta]] seeking information about his father [[Odysseus]]. Menelaus and Helen reply that they have not heard of him since they left Troy ten years ago. They mourn their many lost relatives and friends.
*[[1150s BC|1154 BC]] - According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Menelaus dies of old age and natural causes. [[Megapenthes]], his illegitimate son, seizes the throne and exiles Helen. He soon loses the throne to his first cousin King [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]] of [[Mycenae]] who is married to [[Hermione]], the only legitimate daughter of Menelaus and Helen and half-sister of Megapenthes. By this point [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]] had also seized the vacant thrones of [[Argos]] and [[Arcadia]] and becomes the sole ruler of the Peloponnesus. Helen seeks refuge in [[Rhodes]] near [[Polyxo]], widow of [[Tlepolemus]], an old friend of hers. Tlepolemus was famously the first man to be killed during the Trojan War. In revenge for her husband's death, Polyxo ordered her maidens to pretend to be the ghosts of the many dead seeking revenge from Helen. Helen committed [[suicide]] by hanging herself from a tree. After her death she is [[deified]].

==Sources==
*[[Iliad]] ([[Homer]])
*[[Odyssey]] ([[Homer]])
*[[Electra]] ([[Euripides]])
*[[Bibliotheke]] III, x,7-xi, 1 ([[Apollodorus]])
*[[Epitome]] II, 15-III, 6; V, 22; VI, 29 ([[Apollodorus]])
*[[Theseus]] ([[Plutarch]])

== External links ==
*[http://whitedragon.org.uk/articles/troy.htm An analysis of the legend including historical evidence of worship as a goddess]

*[http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/heroines.html#Helen A more detailed profile of Helen]

[[Category:Greek mythological people]]
[[Category:Characters in the Odyssey]]

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 *[[1190s BC|1194 BC]] - Beginning of the [[Trojan War]].
 *[[1180s BC|1184 BC]] -  [[Paris]] mortally wounded in battle by [[Philoctetes]]. [[Priam]] marries Helen to [[Deiphobus]], a younger brother of Paris.
-*[[April 24]], [[1180s BC|1184 BC]] - Fall of [[Troy]]. Deiphobus is slain by [[Menelaus]] who reclaims Helen as his wife. They sail on their return journey but are stranded on the shores of [[Egypt]].
+*[[April 24]], [[1180s BC|1184 BC]] - Fall of [[Troy]]. Deiphobus is slain by [[Menelaus]] who reclaims Helen as his wife. They sail on their return journey but are stranded on the shores of Egypt.
-*[[1170s BC|1176 BC]] - After spending eight years in [[Egypt]], they manage to set sail again and reach the shores of the [[Peloponnesus]]. According to [[Euripides]] they visit [[Mycenae]], arriving shortly after the murders of King [[Aegisthus]], who was Menelaus' first cousin, and Queen [[Clytemnestra]], who was Helen's sister, by their common nephew [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]], the new King of [[Mycenae]]. Orestes attempts to kill his aunt but fails. The royal couple return to [[Sparta]] (or else Helen is taken off by Apollo)
+*[[1170s BC|1176 BC]] - After spending eight years in Egypt, they manage to set sail again and reach the shores of the [[Peloponnesus]]. According to [[Euripides]] they visit [[Mycenae]], arriving shortly after the murders of King [[Aegisthus]], who was Menelaus' first cousin, and Queen [[Clytemnestra]], who was Helen's sister, by their common nephew [[Orestes]], the new King of [[Mycenae]]. Orestes attempts to kill his aunt but fails. The royal couple return to [[Sparta]] (or else Helen is taken off by Apollo)
 *[[1170s BC|1174 BC]] - According to the [[Odyssey]], [[Telemachus]] of [[Ithaca]] visits [[Sparta]] seeking information about his father [[Odysseus]]. Menelaus and Helen reply that they have not heard of him since they left Troy ten years ago. They mourn their many lost relatives and friends.
 *[[1150s BC|1154 BC]] - According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Menelaus dies of old age and natural causes. [[Megapenthes]], his illegitimate son, seizes the throne and exiles Helen. He soon loses the throne to his first cousin King [[Orestes]] of [[Mycenae]] who is married to [[Hermione]], the only legitimate daughter of Menelaus and Helen and half-sister of Megapenthes. By this point [[Orestes]] had also seized the vacant thrones of [[Argos]] and [[Arcadia prefecture|Arcadia]] and becomes the sole ruler of the Peloponnesus. Helen seeks refuge in [[Rhodes]] near [[Polyxo]], widow of [[Tlepolemus]], an old friend of hers. Tlepolemus was famously the first man to be killed during the Trojan War. In revenge for her husband's death, Polyxo ordered her maidens to pretend to be the ghosts of the many dead seeking revenge from Helen. Helen committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. After her death she is deified.

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 :Is this the face that launched a thousand ships
 :And burned the topless towers of [[Ilium]]?
-::''[[The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus]]''
+::''The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus''
-In [[the Divine Comedy]], [[Dante]] sees Helen along with Paris in the [[second circle of Hell]], where they have been consigned for succumbing to the sin of lust.
+In the Divine Comedy, Dante sees Helen along with Paris in the second circle of Hell, where they have been consigned for succumbing to the sin of lust.
 ==Timeline==

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 The following is an estimation of her life based on the traditional dates of the Trojan War:
-*[[1220s BC|1225 BC]] - Birth of Helen to King [[Tyndareus]] of [[Sparta]] and his wife [[Leda (mythology)|Leda]]. Thanks to her beauty she will later be considered daughter of [[Zeus]].
+*[[1220s BC|1225 BC]] - Birth of Helen to King [[Tyndareus]] of [[Sparta]] and his wife [[Leda]]. Thanks to her beauty she will later be considered daughter of [[Zeus]].
 *[[1210s BC|1213 BC]] - At the age of twelve Helen is abducted by King [[Theseus]] of [[Athens]] who marries her against her father's and brothers' consent. During the absence of Theseus, her brothers [[Castor and Polydeuces]] help a revolt by his cousin [[Menestheus]]. Menestheus gains the throne and returns Helen to her brothers. According to some versions Helen was pregnant and a few months later gives birth to [[Iphigeneia]]. She trusts her daughter to her married sister [[Clytemnestra]] who will raise her as her own. Soon Menestheus of Athens and other kings and princes gather at Sparta as Helen's suitors.
 *[[1210s BC|1212 BC]] -  [[Tyndareus]] marries Helen to Menelaus of [[Mycenae]]. Menelaus' brother is King [[Agamemnon]] who is married to Helen's sister [[Clytemnestra]]. Helen soon gives birth to [[Hermione]]. The early deaths of her brothers [[Castor and Polydeuces]], soon make Menelaus Tyndareus successor at the throne of [[Sparta]].
 *[[1200s BC|1203 BC]] - After nine years of marriage, [[Paris]] of [[Troy]] visits [[Sparta]] and in [[Menelaus]]' absence convinces Helen to flee with him. Menelaus discovers that his wife and guest betrayed him and starts contemplating war. King [[Priam]] of [[Troy]] marries Helen to Paris. Menelaus' preparations for war and gathering of allies and armies took him ten years according to some versions.
 *[[1190s BC|1194 BC]] - Beginning of the [[Trojan War]].
-*[[1180s BC|1184 BC]] -  [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]] mortally wounded in battle by [[Philoctetes]]. [[Priam]] marries Helen to [[Deiphobus]], a younger brother of Paris.
+*[[1180s BC|1184 BC]] -  [[Paris]] mortally wounded in battle by [[Philoctetes]]. [[Priam]] marries Helen to [[Deiphobus]], a younger brother of Paris.
 *[[April 24]], [[1180s BC|1184 BC]] - Fall of [[Troy]]. Deiphobus is slain by [[Menelaus]] who reclaims Helen as his wife. They sail on their return journey but are stranded on the shores of [[Egypt]].
 *[[1170s BC|1176 BC]] - After spending eight years in [[Egypt]], they manage to set sail again and reach the shores of the [[Peloponnesus]]. According to [[Euripides]] they visit [[Mycenae]], arriving shortly after the murders of King [[Aegisthus]], who was Menelaus' first cousin, and Queen [[Clytemnestra]], who was Helen's sister, by their common nephew [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]], the new King of [[Mycenae]]. Orestes attempts to kill his aunt but fails. The royal couple return to [[Sparta]] (or else Helen is taken off by Apollo)
 *[[1170s BC|1174 BC]] - According to the [[Odyssey]], [[Telemachus]] of [[Ithaca]] visits [[Sparta]] seeking information about his father [[Odysseus]]. Menelaus and Helen reply that they have not heard of him since they left Troy ten years ago. They mourn their many lost relatives and friends.
-*[[1150s BC|1154 BC]] - According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Menelaus dies of old age and natural causes. [[Megapenthes]], his illegitimate son, seizes the throne and exiles Helen. He soon loses the throne to his first cousin King [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]] of [[Mycenae]] who is married to [[Hermione]], the only legitimate daughter of Menelaus and Helen and half-sister of Megapenthes. By this point [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]] had also seized the vacant thrones of [[Argos]] and [[Arcadia prefecture|Arcadia]] and becomes the sole ruler of the Peloponnesus. Helen seeks refuge in [[Rhodes]] near [[Polyxo]], widow of [[Tlepolemus]], an old friend of hers. Tlepolemus was famously the first man to be killed during the Trojan War. In revenge for her husband's death, Polyxo ordered her maidens to pretend to be the ghosts of the many dead seeking revenge from Helen. Helen committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. After her death she is deified.
+*[[1150s BC|1154 BC]] - According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Menelaus dies of old age and natural causes. [[Megapenthes]], his illegitimate son, seizes the throne and exiles Helen. He soon loses the throne to his first cousin King [[Orestes]] of [[Mycenae]] who is married to [[Hermione]], the only legitimate daughter of Menelaus and Helen and half-sister of Megapenthes. By this point [[Orestes]] had also seized the vacant thrones of [[Argos]] and [[Arcadia prefecture|Arcadia]] and becomes the sole ruler of the Peloponnesus. Helen seeks refuge in [[Rhodes]] near [[Polyxo]], widow of [[Tlepolemus]], an old friend of hers. Tlepolemus was famously the first man to be killed during the Trojan War. In revenge for her husband's death, Polyxo ordered her maidens to pretend to be the ghosts of the many dead seeking revenge from Helen. Helen committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. After her death she is deified.
 ==Sources==