In the "Iliad," Helen's name is a battle cry, but her story is not told in detail: the "Iliad" is chiefly a man's story of the conflicting passions and struggles of men on opposing sides of a great battle. It was a war started by the Greeks on the city of Troy, it lasted a little over the course of 10 years. The swan gained her affection, and the two mated. Euripides' play Helen, written in the late 5th century BC, is the earliest source to report the most familiar account of Helen's birth: that, although her putative father was Tyndareus, she was actually Zeus' daughter. Helen had two (twin) brothers, Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces). The Trojan War was a famous war in Greek mythology that lasted 10 years without ending. The Trojan War was one of the most important wars in the history of Ancient Greece. Following Aphrodite’s advice, Paris went to the house of Menelaus in the night and abducted Helen, and he brought her to Troy. The characters in the Iliad and the Odyssey and in later Greek legends about the war are all almost certainly fictional, including Helen. Updates? When Paris was killed in the war, Helen married his brother Deïph… Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Menelaus and Helen then returned to Sparta, where they lived happily until their deaths. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is known as the woman whose beauty sparked the Trojan War. It was a beauty contest, so it was appropriate that the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, had offered Paris the most beautiful woman on earth for his bride. When Paris was slain, Helen married his brother Deiphobus, whom she betrayed to Menelaus once Troy was captured. A daughter of the god Zeus (pronounced ZOOS), she is best known for the part she played in causing the Trojan War, a story told by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey. She was also the sister of Clytemnestra, who married Agamemnon. Later Menelaus, brother of the Mycenaean King Agamemnon, married Helen. It finally ended when the Greeks retreated from camp and left behind a large wooden horse outside the … Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This version of the story was used by Euripides in his play Helen. Helen of Troy is a character in Homer's classic epic poem, the "Iliad," written in the 8th century about the Trojan War, imagined by the Greeks to have occurred about 500 years earlier. According to the ancient Greek epic poet Homer, the Trojan War was caused by Paris, son of the Trojan king, and Helen, wife of the Greek king Menelaus, when they went off together to Troy. Her story is one of the most dramatic love stories of all time and is said to be one of the main reasons for a 10-year war between the Greeks and Trojans, known as the Trojan War. When she pleads for mercy it is a woman, Queen Hecuba of Troy, who persuades Menelaus to stand firm. The "Trojan War Cycle" is based on a story from the legendary period of ancient Greece, a time when it was common to trace lineage to the gods. Her mother was generally considered to have been Leda, the mortal wife of the king of Sparta, Tyndareus, but in some versions, the goddess of divine retribution Nemesis, in bird form, is named as Helen's mother, and the Helen-egg was then given to Leda to raise. Trojan War. Implied Storyline: Trojan War. It is mostly known through the Iliad, an epic poem written by the Ancient Greek poet Homer . Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, was married to King Menelaus of Sparta at the time of Paris’ decision. Troy was a real city, but that does not mean the Trojan War really happened as described in Greek mythology. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Agamemnon, Menelaus’ brother, led the Greek army. This conflict led to the famous story of Paris ( known as "The Judgment of Paris") awarding a golden apple to the goddess, Aphrodite . Directed by Robert Wise. During an absence of Menelaus, however, Helen fled to Troy with Paris, son of the Trojan king Priam, an act that ultimately led to the Trojan War. In this way, Menelaus and Agamemnon were not only brothers but brothers-in-law, just as Helen and Clytemnestra were sisters-in-law. Agamemnon was able to get other Greek heroes, such as Odysseus, Ajax, Nestor, and Achilles, to join him on this adventure. The abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war. She was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta (one of several Greek kingdoms). When considering the many Greek and Roman myths that surround Helen, from her childhood to her life after the Trojan War, a layered and fascinating woman emerges. She was daughter of Zeus, either by Leda or by Nemesis, and sister of the Dioscuri. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Before Menelaus won out in the bid for Helen, all the leading princes and unmarried kings of Greece had sought to marry Helen. Agamemnon and Menelaus were sons of King Atreus of Mycenae and were therefore referred to as Atrides. Before Menelaus married Helen, Helen's earthly father Tyndareus extracted an oath from these, the Achaean leaders, that should anyone try to kidnap Helen again, they would all bring their troops to win back Helen for her rightful husband. Navigate parenthood with the help of the Raising Curious Learners podcast. That woman was Helen. In most sources, including the Iliad and the Odyssey, Helen is the daughter of Zeus and of Leda, the wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus. From fruits to winged sandals, test your knowledge in this study of Greek and Roman mythology. The seer Calchas interpreted the meaning of the event for everybody: Troy was to eventually fall – but not before the tenth year of the war! Formerly of Sparta and wife of the warrior King Menelaus, Helen eloped to Troy with Paris, causing the Trojan War. In the end, they may have been reconciled, but meanwhile, when Paris came to the court of Menelaus as a guest, he may have aroused unaccustomed desire in Helen, since in the "Iliad," Helen takes some responsibility for her abduction. Trojan War War between the Greeks and Trojans, lasting 10 years. Helen’s suitors—including Odysseus—came from all parts of Greece, and from among them she chose Menelaus, Agamemnon’s younger brother. Helen of Troy, Greek Helene, in Greek legend, the most beautiful woman of Greece and the indirect cause of the Trojan War. Zeushad taken the form of a swan and caused an eagle to chase him through the air; the god eventually sought shelter in the arms of Leda, wife of King Tyndareus of Sparta, afterwhich he assumed his mortal form and lied with her. Different traditions exist regarding what happened to Helen after the Trojan War. The site of ancient Troy has been found, across the … There were various stories about this helpful pair of brothers, including one about how they saved the Romans at the Battle of Regillus.​. Who really caused the Trojan War? Aphrodite had no interest in being married at … Some myths say that Helen's mother was Leda, the wife of King Tyndareus (pronounced tin-DAIR-ee-uhs) of Sparta. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece? In her own words, Helen was merely a victim of fortune, first bewitched by Aphrodite who brought Paris to her, and then held in Troy by force. Menelaus then called on Helen’s former suitors to keep their promise and help get Helen back. It began when Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, kidnapped Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. The Achaean leaders first gathered at the port of Aulis. One reason the Trojan War has struck such a chord is that, besides being an excellent story, it has long been suspected to have actually happened. How boring for her. In return for Paris' judgment, Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. The name Paris is probably of Luwian origin, and comparable to Pari-zitis, attested as a Hittite scribe's name. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature , … The Trojan War took place more than a 2000 years ago in ancient Greece. The first likely mate of Helen was Theseus, the hero of Athens who kidnapped Helen when she was still young. Helen of Troy is a character in Homer's classic epic poem, the "Iliad," written in the 8th century about the Trojan War, imagined by the Greeks to have occurred about 500 years earlier. Hector, Paris’ brother, was the leader of the Trojans. Like her brothers, the Dioscuri, she was a patron deity of sailors. With Emilia Fox, James Callis, Daniel Lapaine, Nigel Whitmey. Near the beginning of the tale, the Trojan prince Paris falls in love with the Spartan queen Helen, who is married to King Menelaus. She was daughter of Zeus, either by Leda or by Nemesis, and sister of the Dioscuri. According to a variant of the story, Helen, in widowhood, was driven out by her stepsons and fled to Rhodes, where she was hanged by the Rhodian queen Polyxo in revenge for the death of her husband, Tlepolemus, in the Trojan War. Depending on the telling, she is either kidnapped or whisked away by Paris of Troy, which inevitably led to the Trojan War. Pollux shared a father with Helen and Castor with Clytemnestra. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The Greek fleet then set sail for Troy, with the object o… She was the bride of the Spartan king Menelaus. In Greek mythology, Helen was the most beautiful woman from the age of the heroes. The Helen carried on to Troy was thus a phantom, and the real one was recovered by her husband from Egypt after the war. It happened between the Trojans and the Greeks. The legendary beauty of Helen attracted men from afar and also those close to home who saw her as a means to the Spartan throne. After Paris was killed, his brother Deiphobus married Helen. However, some scholars believe that the war was really waged over the trade … The abduction of Helen, Greek bas-relief; in the Lateran Museum, Rome. With Stanley Baker, Rossana Podestà, Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Sernas. Corrections? In the form of a swan, the king of gods was chased by an eagle, and sought refuge with Leda. Whether or not there was love between Menelaus and Helen is unclear. In the original Greek mythology, Helen was the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. The jilted husband of Helen, Menelaus, persuaded his brother, Agamemnon, to lead a voyage to find her. Menelaus received and extended hospitality to Paris. ... Helen in return. Others name Nemesis (pronounced NEM-uh-sis), the goddess of revenge, as her mother. Now, at the end of ten years of battle, the other characters, Hecuba and Menelaus especially, blame her for all the lives lost and the destruction wrought. Paris offered to return the stolen possessions, even though he was unwilling to return Helen, but Menelaus wanted Helen, too. In exchange, Theseus descended to the Underworld with Pirithous to help his friend rescue Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter. But they were caught and confined in Hades until Heracles came and released Theseus.…, His seduction of Helen (the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta) and refusal to return her was the cause of the Trojan War. Helen was worshipped and had a festival at Therapnae in Laconia; she also had a temple at Rhodes, where she was worshipped as Dendritis (the tree goddess). From classical sources, it can be said that the Trojan War started after the elopement (or abduction) of the queen of Sparta, Helen by Paris, the Trojan prince. Clytemnestra was the sister of Helen, but her father wasn't Zeus, but rather Tyndareus. But Helen’s character is more complex than it seems. A sacrifice was made to Apollo, and the god sent an omen: a snake appeared from the altar and slithered to a bird's nest, where it ate the mother and her nine babies before it was turned to stone. Other Greek heroes, such as Ajax, Nestor, Odysseus, and Achilles, joined Agamemnon, along with a fleet of over a thousand ships from all over the Hellenic world. Menelaus appears as one of the heroes of the Trojan War story told in Greek literature, oral legends, and all forms of art from sculpture to pottery. …love of, and eloped with, Helen, wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta.…, …to carry off the child Helen. Laurie Macguire, writing in "Helen of Troy From Homer to Hollywood," lists the following 11 men as husbands of Helen in ancient literature, proceeding from the canonical list in chronological order, to the 5 exceptional ones: Paris (also known as Alexander or Alexandros) was the son of King Priam of Troy and his queen, Hecuba, but he was rejected at birth and raised as a shepherd on Mount Ida. The insistent connection between Paris, 'moon'/Helen, and volcanoes/'torch' brings up the idea of the Trojan War told in Greek mythology. When the Trojans refused to return her, the Greeks formed an army, led by Agamemnon, including Achilles, Odysseus and the two Ajaxes. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Menelaus was able to convince the majority of her male admirers to join him on his quest to retrieve Helen from Troy. As the story goes ..... As far as Aphrodite was concerned, there really was no comparison between Aphrodite and her half sister, Helen. The Trojan War can be said to have started shortly after the abduction of Helen. Leda, as a result of this encounter, laid two eggs, with Helen and her brother, Polydeuces, emerging from the first one, and Castor, Cyltemnastra, Timandra and Phylonoe (the children Leda had sired wit… Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Of course, the most famous mate of Helen was Paris of Troy, but he wasn't the last one. Leda then produced an egg, from … Only then might we break free from the question of whether or not Helen was to blame for the Trojan War – and start asking what role the men who carried the swords and spears played. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Helen-of-Troy, Ancient Origins - Helen of Troy, The Beauty Who Sparked the Trojan War, Helen of Troy - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Helen of Troy - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). In Greek mythology , Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world. This is because Helen’s husband, Menelaus, got his brother, Agamemnon, to lead a voyage to find her and get her back. Poor Helen was married to the king of Sparta. The Trojan War, which was punctuated by battles and skirmishes, lasted for ten years. Non-Canonical Retelling of the Tale of Troy, Overview of the Children of Helen of Troy, Agamemnon, the Greek King of the Trojan War, Summary of the Chapters of Barry Strauss' 'Trojan War: A New History', Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, Strangest Births in Ancient Myths and Legends, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota, Theoclymenus (attempt, thwarted, in Euripides). Helen is said to have been a daughter of the king of the gods, Zeus. The poems known as the Trojan War Cycle were the culmination of many myths about the ancient Greek warriors and heroes who fought and died ​at Troy. To get her back, Menelaus sought help from his brother Agamemnon, who assembled a … The Iliad's story of the Trojan war, told from the Trojan viewpoint. While Paris was living the life of a shepherd, the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, appeared and asked him to award the "fairest" of them the golden apple that Discord had promised one of them. Details of Helen's story are provided in a group of poems known as the "epic cycle" or the "Trojan War Cycle," written in the centuries after Homer. Who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Ares? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Determined to get Helen … The Trojan War, in Greek tradition, started as a way for Zeus to reduce the ever-increasing population of humanity and, more practically, as an expedition to reclaim Helen, wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon. The Trojan War was caused by the alleged abduction of a women named Helen, she was said to have been kidnap by Prince Paris, who was the son of King Priam. When Paris took Helen to Troy, Agamemnon gathered together these Achaean leaders and made them honor their promise. In legend, Menelaus is wealthy and hospitable but he is also one of the main reasons the war happened in the first place. Unlike her mythological counterpart, this version of Helen of Troy is not the mortal daughter of Zeus and half-sister of Hercules. However, Priam, Paris’ father, refused. Helen had a sister, Clytemnestra (pronounced klye-tem-NES-truh… This group crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen… The myth has the war starting over a beauty contest between; Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The criticism of her is particularly harsh in The Trojan Women where, in the aftermath of the war, Helen is condemned to death by her former husband Menelaus. Her name is pre-Hellenic and in cult may go back to the pre-Greek periods. Everyone knows how the Trojan War ended: with a bunch of guys piling out of a giant horse. Hers was the face that launched a thousand ships because of the vast number of warships the Greeks sailed to Troy to retrieve Helen. The Trojan War was central to the early history of ancient Greece. In both The Trojan Women and Orestes Helen is condemned for her role in the Trojan War. What is the Trojan war: The trojan war took place from approximately 1260-1250 BCE. Omissions? N.S. During the war Paris seems to have had a secondary role: a good warrior but inferior to his brother Hector and to the Greek leaders…. According to ancient, non-eye-witness reports, a conflict among the goddesses started the Trojan War. This resulted in the ten-year conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans known as the Trojan War. Helen of Troy, Greek Helene, in Greek legend, the most beautiful woman of Greece and the indirect cause of the Trojan War. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. This was the ancient 'World War' involving men, semi-divine 'heroes', and the gods/goddesses. As a young girl, she was carried off by Theseus, but she was rescued by her brothers. Paris, who was visiting Sparta on a friendly diplomatic visit, had claimed Helen as … Helen is not merely the beauty who passively started the Trojan War, whatever her actual role in her abduction was, but she is also a symbol of the fears and anxieties non-womanly women produced. Unfortunately, Helen was taken. Then, when Menelaus discovered that Paris had taken off for Troy with Helen and other prized possessions Helen may have considered part of her dowry, he was enraged at this violation of the laws of hospitality. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe, but the bribe offered by Aphrodite appealed to Paris most, so Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite. After Helen ran away with Paris, prince of Troy, the Greek armies fought a ten year long war against Troy to win her back. Helen was renowned throughout Greece for her beauty, and was admired by almost every man. Her story is one of the most dramatic love stories of all time and is said to be one of the main reasons for a 10-year war between the Greeks and Trojans, known as the Trojan War. True, he was the victim when his wife Helen, said to be the most beautiful woman in Greece, was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris and whisked off to Troy. That was the beginning of the Trojan War. Of these appearances, probably the best known was the elopement with Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan War.Later in the war, he fatally wounds Achilles in the heel with an arrow as foretold by Achilles's mother, Thetis..