Helen, detail from an Attic red-figure krater, ca. 450–440 BC, Louvre (G 424)

In Greek mythology, Helen (in Greek, Ἑλένη – Helénē), better known as Helen of Troy, was daughter of Zeus and Leda, wife of king Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor, Polydeuces and Clytemnestra. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War. Helen was considered, "The face that launched a thousand ships". Helen of Troy may refer to: Helen, the mythical figure from Greek mythology Helen of Troy, a 1956 motion picture Helen of Troy, a 2003 television miniseries Helen of Troy, a 2005 documentary by Bettany Hughes Helen of Troy, an album by former Velvet Underground member John Cale Helen of... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 630 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 857 pixel, file size: 543 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tête dHélène, détail des retrouvailles dHélène et Ménélas. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 630 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 857 pixel, file size: 543 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tête dHélène, détail des retrouvailles dHélène et Ménélas. ... A krater (Greek κρατηρ, from the Greek verb κεραννυμι, to mix. ... This article is about the museum. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... Leda and the Swan, 16th-century copy after the lost painting by Michelangelo Leda with the Swan, by Correggio In Greek mythology, Leda (Λήδα) was daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus, of Sparta. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... The Gemini or Gemini twins, known in Roman mythology as Castor and Pollux and in Greek as Kastor and Polydeuces, are the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ... The Gemini or Gemini twins, known in Roman mythology as Castor and Pollux and in Greek as Kastor and Polydeuces, are the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ... Clytemnestra trying to awake the Erinyes while her son is being purified by Apollo, Apulian red-figure krater, 480–470 BC, Louvre (Cp 710) After the murder (1882 painting) Clytemnestra (or Clytaemestra) ‘‘(Eng. ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... The fall of Troy, by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769). ...

[edit] Etymology

Helen or Helene is probably derived from the Greek word meaning "torch" or "corposant" or might be related to "selene" meaning "moon".^[1] Helene (from Greek: Ελένη [helene - torch or corposant], modern Greek pronuncation Eleni, English also Helena, Elena, Elaine, Helen, Hellen, or Ellen) is a very popular female name, first attested in the Iliad (Helen of Troy). ...

If it has an Indo-European etymology, it is possibly a suffixed form of a root *wel- "to turn, roll"^[2] or "to cover, enclose" (compare Varuna, Veles), or of *sel- "to flow, run". The latter possibility would allow comparison to Vedic Saraṇyū, who is abducted in RV 10.17.2, a parallel suggestive of an Proto-Indo-European abduction myth. For other uses, see Indo-European. ... The following is a list of Proto-Indo-European roots, given with their basic meaning and notable cognates in Indo-European languages. ... In Vedic religion, Varuna (Devanagari:वरुण, IAST:) is a god of the sky, of rain and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. ... This article is about the god Veles, for the city in Macedonia see Veles, Macedonia Veles (Volos, Weles, Voloh) is a Slavic god, thought to be the deity of: cattle, commerce, music, the underworld. ... Vedic Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas, which are the earliest sacred texts of India,. The Vedas were first passed down orally and therefore have no known date. ... Saranyu is the wife of Surya, and a goddess of the dawn in Hindu mythology, and is sometimes associated with Demeter. ... Rig veda is the oldest text in the world. ... Ancient anthropomorphic Ukrainian stone stela (Kernosovka stela), possibly depicting a late Proto-Indo-European god, most likely Dyeus The existence of similarities among the deities and religious practices of the Indo-European peoples allows glimpses of a common Proto-Indo-European religion and mythology. ...

The name is in any case unrelated to Hellenes, as is sometimes claimed ("Hellenes" being from the root *sed- "to sit, settle"). For other uses, see Greek (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Life of Helen

[edit] Birth

Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan, 1898

Helen is the daughter of Zeus and Leda. Leda was loved by Zeus, who raped her in the guise of a swan. As a swan, Zeus fell into her arms for protection from a pursuing eagle. Download high resolution version (594x1245, 119 KB)Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan 1898 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (594x1245, 119 KB)Helen of Troy by Evelyn de Morgan 1898 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Evelyn de Morgan (1855-1919) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter. ...

On the other hand, in the Cypria, one of the Cyclic Epics, Helen was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Nemesis.^[3] The date of the Cypria is uncertain, but it is generally thought to preserve traditions that date back to at least the 7th century AD. In the Cypria, Nemesis did not wish to mate with Zeus. She therefore changed shape into various animals as she attempted to flee Zeus, finally becoming a goose. Zeus also transformed himself into a goose and mated with Nemesis, who produced an egg from which Helen was born.^[4] Presumably in the Cypria this egg was given to Leda; in the 5th century comedy Nemesis by Cratinus, Leda was told to sit on an egg so that it would hatch, and this is no doubt the egg produced by Nemesis.^[5] Asclepiades and Pseudo-Eratosthenes related a similar story, except that Zeus and Nemesis became swans instead of geese.^[6] Timothy Gantz has suggested that the tradition that Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan derives from the version in which Zeus and Nemesis transformed into birds.^[7] The Cypria is one of the lost sections of the eight volume cycle that told the full story of the Trojan War. ... The Epic Cycle (Greek: Επικός Κύκλος) was a collection of Ancient Greek epic poems that related the story of the Trojan War, which includes the Kypria, the Aithiopis, the Little Iliad, the Iliou persis (The Sack of Troy), the Nostoi (Returns), and the Telegony. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... The Cypria is one of the lost sections of the eight volume cycle that told the full story of the Trojan War. ... Cratinus (c. ... Asclepiades may refer to: Asclepiades of Bithynia, philosopher and physician Asclepiades of Samos, lyric poet This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Pseudo-Eratosthenes or (Ps. ... Timothy Gantz (died Athens January 27, 2004 ) was a classical scholar, the author of Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources 1993. ...

[edit] Abduction by Theseus

Two Athenians, Theseus and Pirithous, pledged to wed daughters of Zeus. Theseus chose Helen, and Pirithous vowed to marry Persephone, the wife of Hades. Theseus and Pirithous kidnapped Helen and left her with Theseus' mother, Aethra, while they travelled to the underworld, the domain of Hades, to kidnap Persephone. 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. Helen was subsequently rescued by her brothers, Castor and Pollux, who returned her to Mycenae.^[8] For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ... Theseus (Greek ) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, with whom Aethra lay in one night (By some accounts, this was presented as a rape). ... In Greek mythology, Pirithous (also transliterated as Perithoos or Peirithoos) was the King of the Lapiths and husband of Hippodamia. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874) (Tate Gallery, London In Greek mythology, Persephone (Greek Περσεφόνη, Persephónē) was the Queen of the Underworld of epic literature. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, Aethra was a daughter of King Pittheus of Troezena and, with Aegeas, or in some versions, Poseidon, mother of Theseus. ... For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation). ... The Gemini or Gemini twins, known in Roman mythology as Castor and Pollux and in Greek as Kastor and Polydeuces, are the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ...

In most accounts of this event, Helen was quite young; Hellanicus of Lesbos said she was four years old and Diodorus makes her ten years old.^[9] On the other hand, Stesichorus said that Iphigeneia was the daughter of Theseus and Helen, which obviously implies that Helen was of childbearing age.^[10] In most sources, of course, Iphigeneia is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, but Duris of Samos and other writers followed Stesichorus' account.^[11] Hellanicus of Lesbos (in Ancient Greek Hellanicós) (born in Mytilene on the isle of Lesbos in 490 BC) was an ancient Greek logographer who flourished during the latter half of the 5th century BC. He is reputed to have lived to the age of 85. ... Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian, born at Agyrium in Sicily (now called Agira, in the province of Enna). ... Stesichorus (, lit. ... 112 Iphigenia is an asteroid. ... This article is about a character in Greek mythology. ... Clytemnestra trying to awake the Erinyes while her son is being purified by Apollo, Apulian red-figure krater, 480–470 BC, Louvre (Cp 710) After the murder (1882 painting) Clytemnestra (or Clytaemestra) ‘‘(Eng. ... Duris of Samos, Greek historian, according to his own account a descendant of Alcibiades, was born about 340 BC. He must have been born and passed his early years in exile, since from 352 to 324 Samos was occupied by Athenian cleruchs, who had expelled the original inhabitants. ...

[edit] Marriage to Menelaus

When it was time for Helen to marry, many kings and princes and wizards from around the world came to seek her hand or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf. Among the contenders were Odysseus, Menestheus, Ajax the Great, Patroclus , Idomeneus, Menelaus and Agamemnon, the latter two of whom were in exile, having fled Thyestes. All but Odysseus brought many rich gifts with them. For other meanings, see Odysseus (disambiguation) Ulysses redirects here. ... Menestheus, the son of Peteus, son of Orneus, son of Erechtheus, was a legendary King of Athens during the Trojan War. ... Ajax Ajax or Aias (ancient Greek: ) was a mythological Greek hero, the son of Telamon and Periboea and king of Salamis. ... A cup depicting Achilles bandaging Patroklos arm, by the Sosias Painter. ... In Greek mythology, Idomeneus was a Cretan warrior, grandson of Minos. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... This article is about a character in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Thyestes was the son of Pelops, King of Mycenae, and Hippodamia and father of Pelopia and Aegisthus. ... For other meanings, see Odysseus (disambiguation) Ulysses redirects here. ...

Her father, Tyndareus would not choose a suitor, or send any of the suitors away, for fear of offending them and giving grounds for a quarrel. Odysseus promised to solve the problem 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 Pollux, had died and ascended to Olympus. In Greek mythology, Tyndareus (or Tyndareos) was a Spartan king, son of Oebalus (or Perieres) and Gorgophone (or Bateia), husband of Leda and father of Helen, Polydeuces (Pollux), Castor, Clytemnestra, Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe. ... For other meanings, see Odysseus (disambiguation) Ulysses redirects here. ... In Greek mythology, Tyndareus (or Tyndareos) was a Spartan king, son of Oebalus (or Perieres) and Gorgophone (or Bateia), husband of Leda and father of Helen, Polydeuces (Pollux), Castor, Clytemnestra, Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe. ... The Vatican Penelope: a Roman marble copy of an Early Classical 6th-century Greek work (Vatican Museums) For other uses, see Penelope (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, there were two people named Icarius, or Ikários (and one named Icarus) Icarius was the son of Oebalus and Gorgophone and, by Periboea, father of Penelope and Perilaus. ... In Greek mythology, Tyndareus (or Tyndareos) was a Spartan king, son of Oebalus (or Perieres) and Gorgophone (or Bateia), husband of Leda and father of Helen, Polydeuces (Pollux), Castor, Clytemnestra, Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe. ... For other meanings, see Odysseus (disambiguation) Ulysses redirects here. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... In Greek mythology, Tyndareus (or Tyndareos) was a Spartan king, son of Oebalus (or Perieres) and Gorgophone (or Bateia), husband of Leda and father of Helen, Polydeuces (Pollux), Castor, Clytemnestra, Timandra, Phoebe and Philonoe. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... The Gemini or Gemini twins, known in Roman mythology as Castor and Pollux and in Greek as Kastor and Polydeuces, are the twin sons of Leda and the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. ... Mount Olympus (Greek: ; also transliterated as Mount Ólympos, and on modern maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,919 meters high (9,576 feet)[1]. Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe, in real absolute altitude...

[edit] Suitors of Helen

Several lists of her suitors were compiled, since the suitors of Helen were later the heroes of the Trojan War. This one is from Apollodorus: The fall of Troy, by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769). ... Apollodorus was a common name in ancient Greece. ...

Odysseus, son of Laertes;
Diomedes, son of Tydeus;
Antilochus, son of Nestor;
Agapenor, son of Ancaeus;
Sthenelus, son of Capaneus;
Amphimachus, son of Cteatus;
Thalpius, son of Eurytus;
Meges, son of Phyleus;
Amphilochus, son of Amphiaraus;
Menestheus, son of Peteos;
Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of Iphitus;
Polyxenus, son of Agasthenes;
Peneleos, son of Hippalcimus;
Leitus, son of Alector;
Ajax, son of Oileus;
Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares;
Elephenor, son of Chalcodon;
Eumelus, son of Admetus;
Polypoetes, son of Perithous;
Leonteus, son of Coronus;
Podalirius and Machaon, sons of Aesculapius;
Philoctetes, son of Poeas;
Eurypylus, son of Evaemon;
Protesilaus, son of Iphiclus;
Menelaus, son of Atreus;
Ajax and Teucer, sons of Telamon;
Patroclus, son of Menoetius.^[12] For other meanings, see Odysseus (disambiguation) Ulysses redirects here. ... In Greek mythology, Laërtes (Greek: Λαέρτης) was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. ... DiomÄ“dÄ“s or Diomed (Gk:Διομήδης - God-like cunning or advised by Zeus) is a hero in Greek mythology, mostly known for his participation in the Trojan War. ... In Greek mythology, Tydeus was the father of Diomedes and husband of Deipyle. ... In Greek mythology, Antilochus (also transliterated as Antílokhos) was the son of Nestor, king of Pylos. ... In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerênia (Greek: Νέστωρ) was the son of Neleus and Chloris, and the King of Pylos. ... Agapenor: Leader of the Arkadians Reference Homer, The Iliad, translated by Richmond Lattimore, 1951 Categories: ... Ancaeus was a son of Poseidon, Greek mythical god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes, who, having left a flagon of wine to pursue a boar, was killed by it. ... In Greek mythology, Sthenelus refers to four different people. ... In Greek mythology, Capaneus was a son of Hipponous and husband of Evadne, with whom he fathered Sthenelus. ... In Greek mythology, Amphimachus is the name of seven men. ... In Greek mythology, King Eurytus, or Eurýtos of Oschalia (Oikhalia), Thessaly, was the father of Dryope and Iole. ... In Greek mythology, Mégês Phyleïdês was a son of Phyleus. ... In Greek mythology, Phyleus was a son of King Augeas of Elis and father of Meges. ... In Greek mythology, Amphilochus, or Amphílokhos, is the name of three men. ... In Greek mythology, Amphiaraus, or Amphiaraos (doubly-cursed) was the son of Oicles and husband of Eriphyle. ... Menestheus, the son of Peteus, son of Orneus, son of Erechtheus, was a legendary King of Athens during the Trojan War. ... In the Iliad, he was the son of Iphitus and brother of Epistrophus. ... In the Iliad, he was the son of Iphitus and brother of Schedius. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In Greek mythology, Polyxeinus was one of the first priests of Demeter and one of the first to learn the secrets of the Eleusinian Mysteries. ... Agasthenes: Of Elis, father of Polyxeinos Reference Homer, The Iliad, translated by Richmond Lattimore, 1951 Categories: ... Ajax (Greek: Αἴας), a Greek hero, son of Oïleus the king of Locris, called the lesser or Locrian Ajax, to distinguish him from Ajax, son of Telamon. ... In Greek mythology, Oileus, or Oïleus was the King of Locris. ... In Greek mythology, two people share the name Ascalaphus. ... This article is about the ancient Greek god; for other uses, see Ares (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology Elephenor was the son of Chalcodon and king of the Abantes of Euboea. ... In Greek mythology, Chalcodon was the son of Abas and the king of the Abantes. ... Eumelus was the name of several men in Greek mythology: A Eumelus succeeded Adrastus as the King of Pherae. ... In Greek mythology, Admetus was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named. ... In Greek mythology, Polypoites or Polypoetes (Greek: Πολυποίτης) was the name of several individuals: Polypoites was a son of Hippodamia and Pirithous. ... In Greek mythology, Pirithous (also transliterated as Perithoos or Peirithoos or Peirithous) was the King of the Lapiths and husband of Hippodamia. ... Coronus is the name of four men in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Podalirius was a son of Asclepius. ... For the Machaon of the Trojan War, see Machaon (mythology). ... Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology, according to which he was born a mortal but was given immortality as the constellation Ophiuchus after his death. ... In Greek mythology, Philoctetes (also Philoktêtês or Philocthetes, Φιλοκτήτης) was the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. ... In Greek mythology, Poeas, or Poias was one of the Argonauts and a friend of Heracles. ... In Greek mythology, Eurypylus (Greek: Εὐρύπυλος) was the name of several different people. ... In Greek mythology, Protesilaus was the son of Iphicles and the leader of the Phylaceans. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... In Greek mythology, King Atreus (Greek: Ατρεύς, Atreús) (fearless) of Mycenae was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. ... Aias (Greek: Αίας: Of the Earth), or Ajax, son of Telamon, king of Greece. ... In Greek mythology Teucer, also Teucrus or Teucris from Greek Τεύκρος, was the son of King Telamon of Salamis and his second wife Hesione, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy. ... In Greek mythology, Telamon, son of Aeacus, King of Aegina, and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one his Argonauts, and was present at the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. ... A cup depicting Achilles bandaging Patroklos arm, by the Sosias Painter. ... In Greek mythology, Menoetius referred to several different people. ...

This list is not complete; Apollodorus earlier mentions Cinyras king of Cyprus ^[13] and Enarophorus and later mentions Idomeneus king of Crete^[14] Another list was compiled by Hesiod and, later by Hyginus. Apollodorus was a common name in ancient Greece. ... In Greek mythology, King Cinyras of Cyprus was a son of Apollo and husband of Metharme. ... In Greek mythology, Idomeneus was a Cretan warrior, grandson of Minos. ... For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... Roman bronze bust, the so-called Pseudo-Seneca, now identified by some as possibly Hesiod Hesiod (Hesiodos, ) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BC. Hesiod and Homer, with whom Hesiod is often paired, have been considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived... Gaius Julius Hyginus, (c. ...

[edit] Seduction by Paris

Helen and Paris, by Jacques-Louis David, 1788

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. Some sources say that Helen willingly left behind her husband Menelaus and Hermione, their nine-year-old daughter, to be with Paris, but, since Aphrodite promised Helen to Paris, there is some ambiguity about whether or not Helen went willingly. Recent feminist scholars have argued that Helen's abduction by Paris was in fact a rape (termed abduction as per the ancient understanding of raptus). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... Jacques-Louis David (August 30, 1748 – December 29, 1825) was a highly influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the prominent painter of the era. ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... For other uses of Troy or Ilion, see Troy (disambiguation) and Ilion (disambiguation). ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... The Judgment of Paris, Peter Paul Rubens, ca 1636 (National Gallery, London) For the wine-tasting event known as The Judgment of Paris, see Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 The Judgement of Paris is a story from Greek mythology, in which the legendary roots of the Trojan War can be... For other uses, see Athena (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... In Greek mythology, Hermione was a daughter of Menelaus and Helen. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ...

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 portrayed as his unwilling captive in Troy, or as a cruel, selfish woman who brought disaster to everyone around her, and she hated him. In the version used by Euripides in his play Helen, 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. In all, she is described as being of magnificent beauty. See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... See List of King Priams children Statue of Paris in the British Museum This article is about the prince of Troy. ... A statue of Euripides. ... Helen is a drama by Euripides, probably first produced in 412 BC for the Dionysia. ... For other uses, see Hermes (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... For other uses of Troy or Ilion, see Troy (disambiguation) and Ilion (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Fall of Troy

Struck by Helen's beauty, Menelaus drops his axes. Detail of an Attic red-figure krater, ca. 450 BC–440 BC.

When he discovered that his wife was missing, Menelaus called upon all the other suitors to fulfill their oaths, thus beginning the Trojan War. Almost all of Greece took part, either attacking Troy with Menelaus or defending it from them. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1985x1830, 2202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Menelaus Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1985x1830, 2202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Menelaus Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... Red-figure pottery is a style of Greek pottery in which the figure outlines, details and the background are painted black, while the figure itself is not painted. ... A krater (Greek κρατηρ, from the Greek verb κεραννυμι, to mix. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... The fall of Troy, by Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769). ... For other uses of Troy or Ilion, see Troy (disambiguation) and Ilion (disambiguation). ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ...

Menelaus had demanded that only he should slay his unfaithful wife; but, when he raised his sword to do so, she dropped her robe from her shoulders, and the sight of her beauty caused him to let the sword drop from his hand. Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ...

[edit] Herodotus

According to Herodotus Helen never went to Troy. Paris was forced to stop in Suriname on his way home. While there, his servants told the Egyptians that Paris had kidnapped the wife of Menelaus, who had offered Paris hospitality. The Surinamese scolded Paris and informed him that they were confiscating all the treasure he had stolen (including Helen) until Menelaus came to claim them and that Paris had three days to leave their shores.

[edit] Fate

Helen returned to Sparta and lived for a time with Menelaus, where she was encountered by Telemachus in The Odyssey. According to another version, used by Euripides in his play Orestes, Helen had long ago left the mortal world by then, having been taken up to Olympus almost immediately after Menelaus' return. For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... Slaughter of the suitors by Odysseus and Telemachus, Campanian red-figure bell-krater, ca. ... Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre For other uses, see Odyssey (disambiguation). ... A statue of Euripides. ... Orestes (408 BCE) is an Ancient Greek play by Euripides that follows the events of Orestes after he had murdered his mother. ... This article refers to a mountain in Greece. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ...

According to Pausanias the geographer (3.19.10.): Pausanias (Greek: ) was a Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century A.D., who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. ...

"The account of the Rhodians is different. They say that when Menelaus was dead, and Orestes still a wanderer, Helen was driven out by Nicostratus and Megapenthes and came to Rhodes, where she had a friend in Polyxo, the wife of Tlepolemus. For Polyxo, they say, was an Argive by descent, and when she was already married to Tlepolemus shared his flight to Rhodes. At the time she was queen of the island, having been left with an orphan boy. They say that this Polyxo desired to avenge the death of Tlepolemus on Helen, now that she had her in her power. So she sent against her when she was bathing handmaidens dressed up as Furies, who seized Helen and hanged her on a tree, and for this reason the Rhodians have a sanctuary of Helen of the Tree." Orestes Ορεστης is a Greek name, literally he who stands on the mountain, or mountain-dweller. Orestes can refer to: In Greek mythology, the son of Agamemnon. ... In Greek mythology, Megapénthês was a son of Proetus. ... This article is about the Greek island of Rhodes. ... In Greek mythology Polyxo is a naiad of the river Nile, presumably one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus. ... Tlepolemus, or Tlêpólemos, in Greek mythology was the son of Heracles by Astyocheia, daughter of the King of Ephyra. ... In Greek mythology Polyxo is a naiad of the river Nile, presumably one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus. ... Tlepolemus, or Tlêpólemos, in Greek mythology was the son of Heracles by Astyocheia, daughter of the King of Ephyra. ... This article is about the Greek island of Rhodes. ... In Greek mythology Polyxo is a naiad of the river Nile, presumably one of the daughters of the river-god Nilus. ... Tlepolemus, or Tlêpólemos, in Greek mythology was the son of Heracles by Astyocheia, daughter of the King of Ephyra. ... In Greek mythology the Erinyes (the Romans called them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. ...

Tlepolemus was a son of Heracles and Astyoche. Astyoche was a daughter of Phylas, King of Ephyra who was killed by Heracles. Tlepolemus was killed by Sarpedon on the first day of fighting in the Iliad. Nicostratus was a son of Menelaus by his concubine Pieris, an Aetolian slave. Megapenthes was a son of Menelaus by his concubine Tereis, no further origin. Tlepolemus, or Tlêpólemos, in Greek mythology was the son of Heracles by Astyocheia, daughter of the King of Ephyra. ... Alcides redirects here. ... Alcides redirects here. ... Tlepolemus, or Tlêpólemos, in Greek mythology was the son of Heracles by Astyocheia, daughter of the King of Ephyra. ... In Greek mythology, Sarpedon referred to several different people. ... title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ... In Greek mythology, Megapénthês was a son of Proetus. ... Menelaus regains Helen, detail of an Attic red-figure crater, ca. ...

In Simonianism, it was taught that Helen of Troy was one of the incarnations of the Ennoia in human form. The death of Simon Magus. ...

[edit] Media

• The Private Life of Helen of Troy, an early silent film.

• A television version of Helen's life up to the fall of Troy, Helen of Troy.

• Helen was a central character in the Kolchak: The Night Stalker episode The Youth Killer. Playing the villain of the episode, Helen had lived through the centuries by sacrificing young, "perfect" people to Hecate to remain beautiful.

• Helen of Troy is referenced in the climactic scene of The Truth About Cats & Dogs

• In 2004, Helen was in the film Troy, played by Diane Kruger. In this adaption she doesn't return to Sparta with Menelaus, but leaves Troy with Paris when the city falls.

• Appeared in the episode 12 of Season 1 called "Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts" in Xena: Warrior Princess. Played by Galyn Görg, Helen was supposedly a close friend of Xena's and sent out a messenger to fetch her during the Trojan War.

• In 1928, Richard Strauss wrote the German Opera Die ägyptische Helena, The Egyptian Helena, which is the story of Helen and Menelaus's troubles when they are marooned on a mythical island.

• Troy McClure of The Simpsons once released a perfume entitled "Smellin' of Troy." She is also referenced in title of another episode, "Lemon of Troy," in which the people of Springfield invade Shelbyville to recover their stolen lemon tree.

• Margaret George wrote an epic adult novel, Helen of Troy, in 2006, told through Helen's first-person narrative.

• Esther Friesner wrote a young-adult novel, Nobody's Princess, published in 2007, of Helen's childhood and early life.

• Caroline B. Cooney also wrote a young-adult novel, Goddess of Yesterday,where Helen is one of the main characters.

• "Helen" is a song by The Cruxshadows on their 2003 album, "Ethernaut."

• Schott's Miscellany refers to Helen of Troy when it suggests that the quantity of beauty required to launch a single ship is one Millihelen.

The Private Life of Helen of Troy was a 1927 silent film based on a novel by John Erskine. ... Helen of Troy depicts the battles fought to win the love of the worlds most beautiful woman. ... Darren McGavin as Kolchak in The Night Stalker (1972) Kolchak: The Night Stalker is a television series that aired on ABC in 1974, about a newpaper reporter -- Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin -- who investigates crimes with mysterious and unlikely causes that the proper authorities wont accept. ... For other uses, see Hecate (disambiguation). ... The Truth About Cats & Dogs is a 1996 American film, a romantic comedy starring Uma Thurman, Janeane Garofalo, Ben Chaplin, and Jamie Foxx. ... Troy is an Oscar-nominated movie released on May 14, 2004 about the Trojan War, as described in Homers Iliad, Virgils Aeneid, and other Greek myths. ... Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976), is a German actress and former fashion model. ... Xena. ... This article is about the German composer of tone-poems and operas. ... Die ägyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen) is an opera in two acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. ... Troy McClure is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who was voiced by Phil Hartman, and first appeared in the episode Homer vs. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Lemon of Troy is the 24th episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which premiered on the Fox network on May 14, 1995. ... Margaret George (born in 1943) is an American historian and historical novelist, writing historical biographies. ... Esther Friesner is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for her humorous pieces. ... Caroline B. Cooney (born 1947) is an author of suspense, horror and mystery books for teenagers. ... The Crüxshadows The Crüxshadows are a darkwave band from Florida, formed in 1992 by Rogue, Sean Flanagan, and Tim Curry. ... Ethernaut is a 2003 album by The Crüxshadows. ... A millihelen is a humorous measure of beauty. ...

[edit] Modern culture

• Inspired by the line "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships...?" from Marlowe's play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, Isaac Asimov jocularly coined the unit millihelen to mean the amount of beauty that can launch one ship.^[15]

• The band Genesis wrote and performed two songs that referred to Helen. The song "Ripples" from their 1976 album titled Trick of the Tail includes the line..."The face that launched a thousand ships." The song "Blood on the Rooftops" from their 1976 album titled [Wind & Wuthering], includes the line "Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again."

This article is about the English dramatist. ... The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is a play by Christopher Marlowe, based on the Faust story (Faustus is Latin for Faust), in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), pronounced , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов [1], was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... A millihelen is a humorous measure of beauty. ... For beauty as a characteristic of a persons appearance, see Physical attractiveness. ... Genesis is an English rock band formed in 1967. ... A Trick of the Tail was the first studio album by progressive rock band Genesis following the departure of original vocalist Peter Gabriel. ...

[edit] See also

• Astyanassa

According to late Greek sources on classical mythology, Astyanassa was Helen of Troys maid. ...

[edit] References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Athenaeus (ca. ... The Bibliotheca (in English Library), in three books, provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends. ...

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Helen

• An analysis of the legend including historical evidence of worship as a goddess
• A more detailed profile of Helen