Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the ancient Greek world, is a central figure in the narrative of the Trojan War, which is famously depicted in Homer's epic poem, the *Iliad*. Born to the god Zeus, Helen was initially married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. However, her life took a dramatic turn when she was seduced by Paris, a prince of Troy, with the assistance of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. This act of elopement sparked a decade-long conflict as Menelaus gathered Greek forces to reclaim her.
As the war unfolds, Helen finds herself conflicted, feeling remorse for the pain her choices have caused. The narrative portrays her as a complex character who, while desired for her beauty, also experiences shame and regret for the turmoil her actions have engendered. Her relationship with Paris reveals themes of cowardice and vulnerability, especially when Paris, fearing confrontation, is ultimately rescued by Aphrodite during a duel with Menelaus. Through Helen's story, the *Iliad* explores broader themes of pride, honor, and the influence of divine beings in human affairs, framing her not merely as a symbol of beauty but as a catalyst for conflict and reflection on the nature of love and loyalty.
Helen of Troy
Author: Homer
Time Period: 999 BCE–1 BCE
Country or Culture: Greece
Genre: Myth
PLOT SUMMARY
In the midst of the Trojan War, the army of Greece has gathered to lay siege to the famed city of Troy. The army has been there nearly a decade, and their aim is to reclaim Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world and a daughter of the god Zeus. Helen’s beauty has earned her countless suitors, of whom the king of Sparta chose Menelaus to be her husband. However, the Trojan prince Paris came to the city of Sparta years after the marriage, supposedly on a friendly mission between the two cities but with the secret goal of seducing Helen. With the help of the goddess of love, Aphrodite, he won Helen’s heart and returned with her to Troy. Enraged, Menelaus gathered his massive armies and began the assault that now takes place.
The Trojan army advances from the gates of the city to meet the rallied Greek forces. Paris offers himself in one-on-one combat against any Greek warrior. Menelaus then steps forward from the Greek army and volunteers himself as Paris’s opponent. At first, Paris fears the famous warrior and tries to retreat from the battle, but his brother Hector chastises him for his lack of bravery, and he acquiesces. Paris and Menelaus agree that their duel will decide for good the outcome of the war, with the winner receiving Helen as a wife.
In the palace tower, the messenger goddess Iris visits Helen. Disguised as Paris’s sister, Iris inspires in Helen longing for her husband and her old Greek home and convinces Helen that she should watch the battle. Although Helen willfully ran away with Paris, she regrets the harm and misfortune that her romance has brought upon the Greeks, feeling great shame for her actions. She joins Priam, Paris’s father, alongside other lords of the city at the gates of Troy. There, she points out the famed warriors of Greece to them. Moments before the battle begins, Priam is overcome with worry and has to leave, fearful of seeing his own son’s death.
Menelaus and Paris begin their vicious battle. They first attack each other with spears, and then Menelaus breaks his sword over Paris’s helmet. It seems as though Menelaus will win back his wife when he manages to grab hold of the stunned Paris’s helmet. However, Aphrodite intervenes and breaks the helmet’s straps, setting Paris free again. Menelaus is about to stab Paris with his spear when Aphrodite uses her magic to spirit Paris away, placing him safely in his bed, where she also summons Helen. Although Helen is ashamed that Paris has abandoned the battle in this way, she lies with him while the soldiers of both armies search for the missing warrior. Unable to find him, the Greeks insist that they have won and demand that Helen be returned to them.
SIGNIFICANCE
As the most beautiful woman in the ancient Greek world, Helen has a long and varied history, with poets telling and retelling her story throughout the ages and Greek cults worshipping her as a goddess. This particular episode in Helen’s life comes from the epic poem the Iliad, attributed to the poet Homer and believed to have been composed in the eighth century BCE, one of the most influential narratives in world literature.
The Iliad is a story of heroes and of fate, with warriors and generals willing to wage decade-long battles in order to earn their glory and protect their pride. Helen, as the daughter of Zeus and the most beautiful woman in the world, would certainly have been a valued queen and wife in Greek society. However, the extremes of the battle fought over her companionship have much more to do with prideful vengeance than with her actual companionship, and even the gods themselves influence the war in pursuit of the fame and honor that comes with their side winning. As Menelaus and Paris finally agree to a duel to settle their grievance, the lesser soldiers collapse in relief, finally believing they might go home rather than continue to battle for someone else’s dignity.
In addition to narrating the war itself, this particular section reveals quite a bit about the characters of Paris and Helen, two lovers whose hasty decisions have resulted in the long siege. For her part, Helen is remorseful, and she realizes that her selfish behavior brings her shame rather than glory. When she looks upon the battlefield, the absence of her brothers inspires fear, not that they have died but rather that they did not come to defend her honor in the first place. While Helen worries, however, Paris comes across in a much worse light. He is initially unwilling to face Menelaus directly in battle, despite having affronted the man’s pride by seducing his wife, and only agrees to do so when his brother calls him a coward. When he finally does engage in the battle, he quickly begins to lose and needs to be rescued by Aphrodite. The involvement of gods in the wars of ancient Greece often led to glorious moments in which the might of the deities would bless the human warriors. Paris, however, is shamed by his rescue, as Aphroditea goddess of love, not battlecarries him away like a weakling rather than bolstering his strength.
In the epic of valor and dignity that is the Iliad, Helen and Paris are hardly inspirational figures. Instead, this moment serves as a counterpoint to the bravery of the other warriors. Love and beauty play important roles, and Aphrodite does heavily influence the outcome of the war. However, the real heroes of Homer’s epic are those who stake their claims broadly and fight for their own honor, not those who hide in bed with their beautiful wives at the day’s end.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Doyle, A. “‘Unhappily Ever After?’: The Problem of Helen in Odyssey 4.” Akroterion 55 (2010): 1–18. Print.
Forman, Robert J. “Homer.” Magill’s Survey of World Literature. Ed. Steven G. Kellman. Rev. ed. Vol. 3. Pasadena: Salem, 2009. 1205−13. Print.
Homer. The Iliad. Trans. A. T. Murray. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1924. Print.
Roisman, Joseph. “Greek Perspectives on the Justness and Merits of the Trojan War.” College Literature 35.4 (2008): 97–109. Print.
Talbot, John. “Speaking for Homer.” New Criterion 31.1 (2012): 24−30. Print.
Weigel, James, Jr. “Iliad.” Masterplots. Ed. Laurence W. Mazzeno. 4th ed. Vol. 5. Pasadena: Salem, 2011. 2808−12. Print.