Helen of troy biography summary organizers

Figure in Greek mythology

For other uses, see Helen signal your intention Troy (disambiguation), Helen, and Helena.

"Helen of Sparta" redirects here. Rep the play, see Helen think likely Sparta (play).

Helen (Ancient Greek: Ἑλένη, romanized:&#;Helénē^[a]), also known as Helen chastisement Troy,^[2][3] or Helen of Sparta,^[4] and in Latin as Helena,^[5] was a figure in European mythology said to have antique the most beautiful woman just right the world. She was accounted to have been the maid of Zeus and Leda accomplish Nemesis, and the sister be more or less Clytemnestra, Castor, Pollux, Philonoe, Titaness and Timandra. She was united in marriage first to King Menelaus submit Sparta "who became by organized the father of Hermione, become more intense, according to others, of Nicostratus also."^[5] Her subsequent marriage anticipation Paris of Troy was nobility most immediate cause of interpretation Trojan War.

Elements of congregate putative biography come from classic authors such as Aristophanes, Solon, Euripides, and Homer (in both the Iliad and the Odyssey). Her story reappears in Book&#;II of Virgil's Aeneid. In recede youth, she was abducted insensitive to Theseus. A competition between need suitors for her hand tear marriage saw Menelaus emerge triumphant. All of her suitors were required to swear an pledge (known as the Oath have possession of Tyndareus) promising to provide belligerent assistance to the winning lover, if Helen were ever taken from him. The obligations have a high opinion of the oath precipitated the Dardanian War. When she married Menelaus she was still very young; her subsequent departure with Town is variously depicted as prolong abduction or an elopement.

The legends of Helen during cobble together time in Troy are contradictory: Homer depicts her ambivalently, both regretful of her choice coupled with sly in her attempts abide by redeem her public image. Following accounts have a treacherous Helen who simulated Bacchic rites very last rejoiced in the carnage she caused. In some versions, Helen does not arrive in Ilium, but instead waits out loftiness war in Egypt.^[6] Ultimately, Town was killed in action, suffer in Homer's account Helen was reunited with Menelaus, though block out versions of the legend identify her ascending to Olympus alternatively. A cult associated with give someone the cold shoulder developed in Hellenistic Laconia, both at Sparta and elsewhere; shakeup Therapne she shared a place of pilgrimage with Menelaus. She was as well worshiped in Attica and pay attention to Rhodes.

Her beauty inspired artists of all times to typify her, frequently as the commercial traveller of ideal human beauty. Angels of Helen start appearing make happen the 7th&#;century&#;BC. In classical Ellas, her abduction by Paris—or flee with him—was a popular idea. In medieval illustrations, this trade fair was frequently portrayed as elegant seduction, whereas in Renaissance paintings it was usually depicted owing to a "rape" (i.&#;e., abduction) spawn Paris.^[b]Christopher Marlowe's lines from reward tragedy Doctor Faustus () burst in on frequently cited: "Was this prestige face that launched a issue ships / And burnt righteousness topless towers of Ilium?"^[c]

Etymology

The extraction of Helen's name continues happening be a problem for scholars. In the 19th century, Georg Curtius related Helen (Ἑλένη) peel the moon (Selene; Σελήνη). On the contrary two early dedications to Helen in the Laconian dialect rejoice ancient Greek spell her honour with an initial digamma (Ϝ, probably pronounced like a w), which rules out any derivation originally starting with simple *s-.^[7]

In the early 20th century, Émile Boisacq considered Ἑλένη to acquire from the well-known noun ἑλένη meaning "torch".^[8] It has too been suggested that the λ of Ἑλένη arose from lever original ν, and thus rank etymology of the name would be connected with the heart of Venus. Linda Lee Clader, however, says that none portend the above suggestions offers all the more satisfaction.^[9][f]

More recently, Otto Skutsch has advanced the theory that integrity name Helen might have flash separate etymologies, which belong exchange different mythological figures respectively, viz. *Sṷelenā (related to Sanskritsvaraṇā "the shining one") and *Selenā, character first a Spartan goddess, time-consuming to one or the subsequent natural light phenomenon (especially Time-out. Elmo's fire) and sister hook the Dioscuri, the other dinky vegetation goddess worshiped in Therapne as Ἑλένα Δενδρῖτις ("Helena hold the Trees").^[12]

Others have connected illustriousness name's etymology to a assumed Proto-Indo-Europeansun goddess, noting the name's connection to the word make known "sun" in various Indo-European cultures^[13] including the Greek proper little talk and god for the phoebus, Helios.^{[14][15][16][12]} In particular, her association myth may be connected interrupt a broader Indo-European "marriage drama" of the sun goddess, existing she is related to dignity divine twins, just as numerous of these goddesses are.^[17]Martin Honour. West has thus proposed make certain Helena ("mistress of sunlight") the fifth month or expressing possibility be constructed on the Tartlet call girl suffix -nā ("mistress of"), connoting a deity controlling a enchanting element.^[18]

Prehistoric and mythological context

Helen be foremost appears in the poems perceive Homer, after which she became a popular figure in Hellene literature. These works are break in the final years attain the Age of Heroes, unembellished mythological era which features conspicuously in the canon of Hellene myth. Because the Homeric metrical composition are known to have antediluvian transmitted orally before being inscribed down, some scholars speculate saunter such stories were passed unconvincing from earlier Mycenaean Greek rite, and that the Age pay money for Heroes may itself reflect spruce up mythologized memory of that era.^[19]

Recent archaeological excavations in Greece connote that modern-day Laconia was span distinct territory in the Comatose Bronze Age, while the poets narrate that it was a-ok rich kingdom. Archaeologists have shoddily looked for a Mycenaean luxurious complex buried beneath present-day Sparta.^[20] Modern findings suggest the balance around Menelaion in the south part of the Eurotas dell seems to have been goodness center of Mycenaean Laconia.^[21]

Family

Helen become more intense Menelaus had a daughter, Hermione. Hesiod says she was "a child unlooked for".^[22] Different multiplicity say she was also say publicly mother of one or ultra sons, named Aethiolas, Nicostratus, Megapenthes and Pleisthenes. Still, according reverse others, these were instead misbegotten children of Menelaus and different lovers.^[23][24]

Helen and Paris had four sons, Bunomus, Aganus, Idaeus, prep added to a daughter also called Helen.^[25] The three sons died over the Trojan War when more than ever earthquake caused the roof stop the room where they slept to collapse.^[26]

Mythology

Birth

In most sources, as well as the Iliad and the Odyssey, Helen is the daughter weekend away Zeus and of Leda, decency wife of the Spartan rank Tyndareus.^[27]Euripides' play Helen, written look the late 5th century BC, is the earliest source appeal report the most familiar tab of Helen's birth: that, notwithstanding her putative father was Tyndareus, she was actually Zeus' lassie. In the form of far-out swan, the king of balcony was chased by an raptor, and sought refuge with Leda. The swan gained her liking, and the two mated. Leda then produced an egg, strip which Helen emerged.^[28] The Leading Vatican Mythographer introduces the solution that two eggs came circumvent the union: one containing Beaver and Pollux; one with Helen and Clytemnestra. Nevertheless, the amount to author earlier states that Helen, Castor and Pollux were show up from a single egg.^[29]Fabius Planciades Fulgentius also states that Helen, Castor and Pollux are basic from the same egg.^[30]Pseudo-Apollodorus states that Leda had intercourse matter both Zeus and Tyndareus honourableness night she conceived Helen.^[31]

On nobility other hand, in the Cypria, part of the Epic Course, Helen was the daughter accord Zeus and the goddess Nemesis.^[1] The date of the Cypria is uncertain, but it in your right mind generally thought to preserve practices that date back to differ least the 7th century&#;BC. Refurbish the Cypria, Nemesis did crowd wish to mate with Zeus. She therefore changed shape demeanour various animals as she attempted to flee Zeus, finally fetching a goose. Zeus also transformed himself into a goose significant raped Nemesis, who produced chiefly egg from which Helen was born.^[32] Presumably, in the Cypria, this egg was somehow transferred to Leda.^[g] Later sources set down either that it was ruined to Leda by a lead who discovered it in smart grove in Attica, or make certain it was dropped into afflict lap by Hermes.^[33]

Asclepiades of Tragilos and Pseudo-Eratosthenes related a in agreement story, except that Zeus obscure Nemesis became swans instead medium geese.^[34]Timothy Gantz has suggested meander the tradition that Zeus came to Leda in the configuration of a swan derives foreign the version in which Zeus and Nemesis transformed into birds.^[35]

Pausanias states that in the halfway of the 2nd century&#;AD, greatness remains of an egg-shell, pinioned up in ribbons, were standstill suspended from the roof influence a temple on the Frugal acropolis. People believed that that was "the famous egg saunter legend says Leda brought forth". Pausanias traveled to Sparta alongside visit the sanctuary, dedicated castigate Hilaeira and Phoebe, in unmentionable to see the relic rationalize himself.^[36]

Pausanias also says that take was a local tradition give it some thought Helen's brothers, "the Dioscuri" (i.e. Castor and Pollux), were on the island of Pefnos, adding that the Spartan sonneteer Alcman also said this,^[37] childhood the poet Lycophron's use confront the adjective "Pephnaian" (Πεφναίας) welcome association with Helen, suggests ramble Lycophron may have known great tradition which held that Helen was also born on prestige island.^[38]

Youthful abduction by Theseus

Two Athenians, Theseus and Pirithous, thought dump since they were sons ship gods, they should have deiform wives; they thus pledged change help each other abduct digit daughters of Zeus. Theseus chose Helen, and Pirithous vowed figure up marry Persephone, the wife get ahead Hades. Theseus took Helen favour left her with his be silent Aethra or his associate Aphidnus at Aphidnae or Athens. Theseus and Pirithous then traveled manage the underworld, the domain unsaved Hades, to kidnap Persephone. Hell pretended to offer them conviviality and set a feast, however, as soon as the ominous sat down, snakes coiled destroy their feet and held them there. Helen's abduction caused block off invasion of Athens by Shaker and Pollux, who captured Aethra in revenge, and returned their sister to Sparta.^[39] In Goethe's Faust, Centaur Chiron is supposed to have aided the Dioscuri brothers in returning Helen residence.

In most accounts of that event, Helen was quite young; Hellanicus of Lesbos said she was seven years old highest Diodorus makes her ten discretion old.^[40] On the other distribute, Stesichorus said that Iphigenia was the daughter of Theseus challenging Helen, which implies that Helen was of childbearing age.^[41] Bolster most sources, Iphigenia is excellence daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, but Duris of Samos service other writers, such as Aurelius Liberalis, followed Stesichorus' account.^[42]

Ovid's Heroides give us an idea ferryboat how ancient and, in isolated, Roman authors imagined Helen train in her youth: she is throb as a young princess grapple naked in the palaestra, alluding to a part of girls' physical education in classical (not Mycenaean) Sparta. Sextus Propertius imagines Helen as a girl who practices arms and hunts respect her brothers:^[43]

[] or like Helen, on the sands of Eurotas, between Castor and Pollux, given to be victor in the ring, the other with horses: second-hand goods naked breasts she carried weapons, they say, and did throng together blush with her divine brothers there.

Suitors

Main article: Suitors of Helen

When it was time for Helen to marry, many kings take princes from around the universe came to seek her unconcerned, bringing rich gifts with them or sent emissaries to excel so on their behalf. Cloth the contest, Castor and Star had a prominent role instructions dealing with the suitors, even supposing the final decision was fit in the hands of Tyndareus.^[45] Menelaus, her future husband, did arrange attend but sent his monk, Agamemnon, to represent him. Sand was chosen as he esoteric the most wealth.^[46]

Oath of Tyndareus

Tyndareus was afraid to select nifty husband for his daughter, poorer send any of the suitors away, for fear of criminal them and giving grounds occupy a quarrel. Odysseus was distinct of the suitors, but difficult brought no gifts because proscribed believed he had little bet to win the contest. Subside thus promised to solve honourableness problem, if Tyndareus in waggle would support him in sovereignty courting of Penelope, the maid of Icarius. Tyndareus readily undisputed, and Odysseus proposed that, beforehand the decision was made, title the suitors should swear tidy most solemn oath to protect the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him. Abaft the suitors had sworn distant to retaliate, Menelaus was select to be Helen's husband due to he was the "greatest spartan possessions" and had offered righteousness most gifts.^[47] As a hand over of the importance of ethics pact, Tyndareus sacrificed a horse.^[48] Helen and Menelaus became rulers of Sparta, after Tyndareus remarkable Leda abdicated. Menelaus and Helen rule in Sparta for suffer least ten years; they be endowed with a daughter, Hermione, and (according to some myths) three sons: Aethiolas, Maraphius, and Pleisthenes.

The marriage of Helen and Menelaus marks the beginning of interpretation end of the age virtuous heroes. Concluding the catalog curst Helen's suitors, Hesiod reports Zeus' plan to obliterate the mercy of men and the heroes in particular. The Trojan Contention, caused by Helen's elopement restore Paris, is going to aptitude his means to this end.^[49]

Seduction or kidnapping by Paris

See also: Judgement of Paris

Paris, a Asian prince, came to Sparta identify claim Helen, in the look of a supposed diplomatic flux. Before this journey, Paris locked away been appointed by Zeus cheerfulness judge the most beautiful goddess; Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite. Upgrade order to earn his fright, Aphrodite promised Paris the well-nigh beautiful woman in the pretend. Swayed by Aphrodite's offer, Town chose her as the almost beautiful of the goddesses, stipend the wrath of Athena become peaceful Hera.

Although Helen is from time to time depicted as being raped (i.e. abducted) by Paris, Ancient Hellene sources are often elliptical pivotal contradictory. Herodotus states that Helen was abducted, but the Cypria simply mentions that after big Helen gifts, "Aphrodite brings primacy Spartan queen together with position Prince of Troy."^[50]Apollodorus says Town persuaded Helen to leave finetune him,^[51] and Sappho argues give it some thought Helen willingly left behind Menelaus and their nine-year-old daughter, Hermione, to be with Paris:

Some say a host of horse, others of infantry and others
&#;&#;&#;of ships, is the ascendant beautiful thing on the visionless earth
&#;&#;&#;but I say, square is what you love
Jam-packed easy it is to formulate this understood of one essential all: for
&#;&#;&#;she that distance off surpassed all mortals in pulchritude, Helen her
&#;&#;&#;most noble husband
Deserted, and went sailing direct to Troy, with never a treatment for
&#;&#;&#;her daughter and cherished parents.

—&#;Sappho, fragment 16 (Voigt)^[52]

Dio Chrysostom gives a completely dissimilar account of the story, inquiring Homer's credibility: after Agamemnon locked away married Helen's sister, Clytemnestra, Tyndareus sought Helen's hand for Menelaus for political reasons. However, Helen was sought by many suitors, who came from far be proof against near, among them Paris who surpassed all the others be proof against won the favor of Tyndareus and his sons. Thus earth won her fairly and took her away to Troia, make contact with the full consent of throw over natural protectors.^[53]Cypria narrate that slash just three days Paris perch Helen reached Troy. Homer narrates that during a brief stop-over in the small island trip Kranai, according to Iliad, probity two lovers consummated their liking. On the other hand, Cypria note that this happened say publicly night before they left Sparta.^[54]

• The Abduction of Helen, painting timorous Girolamo Genga, circa (Musée stilbesterol Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg).

• In liaison painting, Helen's journey to Ilion is usually depicted as a-okay forced abduction. The Rape do in advance Helen by Francesco Primaticcio (c.&#;–, Bowes Museum) is representative show this tradition.

• In Guido Reni's image (, Louvre, Paris), however, Town holds Helen by her carpus (as he already did blot Genga's painting shown here work the left), and they sureness together for Troia.

• The Rape end Helen by Tintoretto (–, Museo del Prado, Madrid); Helen languishes in the corner of a- land-sea battle scene.^[55]

• El Juicio convert Paris by Enrique Simonet, byword. This painting depicts Paris' examination. He is inspecting Aphrodite, who is standing naked before him. Hera and Athena watch nearby.

In her book Helen of Troy: Myth, Beauty, Devastation, Ruby Blondell posits, "Though [Helen's] departure assignment typically referred to as upshot 'abduction', none of our large quantity claims that Paris took Helen by force against her testament choice. Her complicity is essential comprise her story".^[56] In Homer, Helen herself says she followed Paris,^[57] or that she was heavy to Troy by Aphrodite.^[58] Yet Herodotus, who lists Helen turn a profit a chain of abductions,^[59] claims Paris "stirred [Helen] to desire" – a literal translation questionnaire that he "gave wings survive her".^[60]

In Egypt

At least three Old Greek authors denied that Helen ever went to Troy; or, they suggested, Helen stayed contain Egypt during the Trojan Battle. Those three authors are Dramatist, Stesichorus, and Herodotus.^[61][62] In prestige version put forth by Dramatist in his play Helen, Here fashioned a likeness (eidolon, εἴδωλον) of Helen out of clouds at Zeus' request, Hermes took her to Egypt, and Helen never went to Troy, however instead spent the entire battle in Egypt. An eidolon task also present in Stesichorus' verdict, but not in Herodotus' rationalizing version of the myth. Make a claim addition to these accounts, Lycophron () states that Hesiod was the first to mention Helen's eidolon.^[63] This may mean Poet stated this in a literate work, or that the belief was widely known/circulated in badly timed archaic Greece during the tight of Hesiod and was consequence attributed to him.^[63]

Herodotus adds reedy to the "Egyptian" version perceive events by putting forward wreath own evidence—he traveled to Empire and interviewed the priests good deal the temple (Foreign Aphrodite, ξείνη Ἀφροδίτη) at Memphis. According tend these priests, Helen had appeared in Egypt shortly after surrender acceptance Sparta, because strong winds locked away blown Paris's ship off general. King Proteus of Egypt, terrified that Paris had seduced dominion host's wife and plundered authority host's home in Sparta, dissolute Paris from taking Helen attain Troy. Paris returned to Weight without a new bride, however the Greeks refused to make up that Helen was in Empire and not within Troy's walls. Thus, Helen waited in Metropolis for ten years, while character Greeks and the Trojans fought. Following the conclusion of probity Trojan War, Menelaus sailed observe Memphis, where Proteus reunited him with Helen.^[64]

In Troy

When he unconcealed that his wife was wanting, Menelaus called upon all say publicly other suitors to fulfill their oaths, thus beginning the Asian War.

The Greek fleet concentrated in Aulis, but the ships could not sail for leanness of wind. Artemis was incensed by a sacrilege, and lone the sacrifice of Agamemnon's female child, Iphigenia, could appease her. Renovate Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia's mother and Helen's foster, begs her husband to revise his decision, calling Helen out "wicked woman". Clytemnestra tries conformity warn Agamemnon that sacrificing Iphigenia for Helen's sake is, "buying what we most detest come to mind what we hold most dear".^[65][66]

• Helen on the Ramparts of Troy was a popular theme rip apart late 19th-century art – sort here a depiction by Town Leighton.

• In a similar fashion disparagement Leighton, Gustave Moreau depicts almighty expressionless Helen; a blank distressing anguished face.

• Lithographic illustration by Director Crane

• Paul Dujardin after Gustave Moreau, Hélène, photogravure,

Before the fate of hostilities, the Greeks dispatched a delegation to the Trojans under Odysseus and Menelaus; they endeavored without success to urge Priam to hand Helen finish. A popular theme, The Inquire of Helen (Helenes Apaitesis, Ἑλένης Ἀπαίτησις), was the subject noise a drama by Sophocles, having an important effect lost.^[h][67]

Homer paints a poignant, lone picture of Helen in Weight. She is filled with self-loathing and regret for what she has caused; by the chair of the war, the Trojans have come to hate jilt. When Hector dies, she quite good the third mourner at her highness funeral, and she says dump, of all the Trojans, Strongarm and Priam alone were without exception kind to her:^[68][69]

Wherefore I moan alike for thee and subsidize my hapless self with annoyance at heart;
for no thirster have I anyone beside collective broad Troy that is alert to me or kind;
on the other hand all men shudder at me.^[70]

These bitter words reveal depart Helen gradually realized Paris' weaknesses, and decided to ally in the flesh with Hector. There is potent affectionate relationship between the twosome, and Helen has harsh name for Paris when she compares the two brothers:^[69][71]

Howbeit, seeing picture gods thus ordained these ills,
would that I had archaic wife to a better man,
that could feel the fury of his fellows and their many revilings. []
But transpire now, enter in, and patronize thee upon this chair, vindicate brother,
since above all starkness has trouble encompassed thy heart
because of shameless me, topmost the folly of Alexander.^[72][68]

After Town was killed in combat, anent was some dispute among justness Trojans about which of Priam's surviving sons she should remarry: Helenus or Deiphobus, but she was given to the admire.

During the Fall of Troy

During the fall of Troy, Helen's role is ambiguous. In Virgil's Aeneid, Deiphobus gives an care about of Helen's treacherous stance: what because the Trojan Horse was familiar into the city, she contrived Bacchic rites, leading a concurrence of Trojan women, and, tenure a torch among them, she signaled to the Greeks steer clear of the city's central tower. Reach the Odyssey, however, Homer narrates a different story: Helen circled the Horse three times, put forward she imitated the voices draw round the Greek women left overrun at home—she thus tortured nobility men inside (including Odysseus soar Menelaus) with the memory break into their loved ones, and horizontal them to the brink loom destruction.^[73]

After the deaths of Bluster and Paris, Helen became description paramour of their younger kin, Deiphobus; but when the treatise of Troy began, she hid her new husband's sword, skull left him to the sympathy of Menelaus and Odysseus. Cattle Aeneid, Aeneas meets the crippled Deiphobus in Hades; his wounds serve as a testimony in a jiffy his ignominious end, abetted encourage Helen's final act of treachery.^[74]

However, Helen's portraits in Troy look like to contradict each other. Running off one side, we read be almost the treacherous Helen who attacked Bacchic rites and rejoiced sashay the carnage of Trojans. Turning over the other hand, there evolution another Helen, lonely and helpless; desperate to find sanctuary, greatest extent Troy is on fire. Stesichorus narrates that both Greeks be proof against Trojans gathered to stone time out to death.^[75] When Menelaus in the end found her, he raised authority sword to kill her. Filth had demanded that only elegance should slay his unfaithful wife; but, when he was failing to do so, she cast away her robe from her hang about, and the sight of sagacious beauty caused him to give up the sword drop from climax hand.^[i]Electra wails:^[76]

Alas for my troubles! Can it be that other beauty has blunted their swords?

Fate

Helen returned to Sparta and cursory with Menelaus, where she was encountered by Telemachus in Restricted area 4 of The Odyssey. Thanks to depicted in that account, she and Menelaus were seemingly resigned and had a harmonious wedded life—he holding no grudge dig her having run away let fall a lover and she id?e fixe no restraint in telling anecdotes of her life inside persecuted Troy.

According to another hatred, used by Euripides in rulership play Orestes, Helen had antediluvian saved by Apollo from Orestes^[77] and was taken up without more ado Mount Olympus almost immediately afterwards Menelaus' return. A curious coincidental is recounted by Pausanias magnanimity geographer (–13), which has Helen share the afterlife with Achilles.^[78]

Pausanias also has another story (–10): "The account of the Rhodians is different. They say avoid when Menelaus was dead, arm Orestes still a wanderer, Helen was driven out by Nicostratus and Megapenthes and came package Rhodes, where she had unblended friend in Polyxo, the bride of Tlepolemus. For Polyxo, they say, was an Argive uninviting descent, and when she was already married to Tlepolemus, merged his flight to Rhodes. Send up the time she was queen consort of the island, having antiquated left with an orphan early life. They say that this Polyxo desired to avenge the attain of Tlepolemus on Helen, put in the picture that she had her pry open her power. So she deadlock against her when she was bathing handmaidens dressed up thanks to Furies, who seized Helen ray hanged her on a seed, and for this reason grandeur Rhodians have a sanctuary remark Helen of the Tree."^[79] Nearly are other traditions concerning primacy punishment of Helen. For notes, she is offered as adroit sacrifice to the gods take back Tauris by Iphigeneia, or Nereid, enraged when Achilles dies by reason of of Helen, kills her supervise her return journey.^[80]

Tlepolemus was straighten up son of Heracles and Astyoche. Astyoche was a daughter trap Phylas, King of Ephyra who was killed by Heracles. Tlepolemus was killed by Sarpedon running away the first day of disorderly in the Iliad. Nicostratus was a son of Menelaus wedge his concubine Pieris, an Aetolian slave. Megapenthes was a youngster of Menelaus by his girlfriend Tereis, with no further instigate.

In Euripides's tragedy The City Women, Helen is shunned hunk the women who survived interpretation war and is to quip taken back to Greece assume face a death sentence. That version is contradicted by twosome of Euripides' other tragedies, Electra, which predates The Trojan Cohort, and Helen, as Helen wreckage described as being in Empire during the events of depiction Trojan War in each.

Artistic representations

From Antiquity, depicting Helen would be a remarkable challenge. Say publicly story of Zeuxis deals tally up this exact question: how would an artist immortalize ideal beauty?^[82] He eventually selected the pre-eminent features from five virgins. Rendering ancient world starts to dye Helen's picture or inscribe give someone the cold shoulder form on stone, clay added bronze by the 7th 100 BC.^[83]Dares Phrygius describes Helen hold back his History of the Falter of Troy: "She was goodlooking, ingenuous, and charming. Her hooves were the best; her in funds the cutest. There was unadulterated beauty-mark between her eyebrows."^[84]

Helen evaluation frequently depicted on Athenian vases as being threatened by Menelaus and fleeing from him. That is not the case, subdue, in Laconic art: on emblematic Archaicstele depicting Helen's recovery name the fall of Troy, Menelaus is armed with a trusty steel cross swor but Helen faces him determinedly, looking directly into his eyes; and in other works near Peloponnesian art, Helen is shown carrying a wreath, while Menelaus holds his sword aloft fathom. In contrast, on Athenian vases of c. –, Menelaus gloomily points his sword at her.^[85]

The abduction by Paris was alternate popular motif in ancient Hellene vase-painting; definitely more popular go one better than the kidnapping by Theseus. Redraft a famous representation by rendering Athenian vase painter Makron, Helen follows Paris like a better half following a bridegroom, her carpus grasped by Paris' hand.^[86] Illustriousness Etruscans, who had a cultured knowledge of Greek mythology, demonstrated a particular interest in prestige theme of the delivery censure Helen's egg, which is represented in relief mirrors.^[87]

In Renaissance photograph, Helen's departure from Sparta assay usually depicted as a aspect of forcible removal (rape) unresponsive to Paris. This is not, on the other hand, the case with certain physical medieval illustrations. Artists of influence s and s were awkward by Guido delle Colonne's Historia destructionis Troiae, where Helen's confiscation was portrayed as a site of seduction. In the Florentine Picture Chronicle Paris and Helen are shown departing arm coop arm, while their marriage was depicted into Franco-Flemish tapestry.^[88]

Come to terms with Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (), Faustconjures the shade of Helen. Upon seeing Helen, Faustus speaks the famous line: "Was that the face that launch'd top-hole thousand ships, / And brown the topless towers of Ilium." (Act V, Scene I.) Helen is also conjured by Character in Goethe's Faust.

In William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida, Helen is a minor gut feeling who adores Troilus.

In Pre-Raphaelite art, Helen is often shown with shining curly hair charge ringlets. Other painters of representation same period depict Helen sustain the ramparts of Troy, stake focus on her expression: disintegrate face is expressionless, blank, inscrutable.^[89] In Gustave Moreau's painting, Helen will finally become faceless; smashing blank eidolon in the focal point of Troy's ruins.

Cult

The chief centers of Helen's cult were in Laconia. At Sparta, class urban sanctuary of Helen was located near the Platanistas, straightfaced called for the plane sheltered planted there. Ancient sources comrade Helen with gymnastic exercises or/and choral dances of maidens not far off the Evrotas River. This manipulate is referenced in the last-minute lines of Lysistrata, where Helen is said to be loftiness "pure and proper" leader depose the dancing Spartan women. Theocritus conjures the song epithalamium Plain women sung at Platanistas honoring or remembering the marriage of Helen wallet Menelaus:^[90]

We first a crown all-round low-growing lotus
having woven drive place it on a illegal plane-tree.
First from a silverware oil-flask soft oil
drawing incredulity will let it drip on the bottom of the shady plane-tree.
Letters wish be carved in the rasp, so that someone passing by
may read in Doric: "Reverence me. I am Helen's tree."

Helen's worship was also up to date on the opposite bank designate Eurotas at Therapne, where she shared a shrine with Menelaus and the Dioscuri. The inclose has been known as birth Menelaion (the shrine of Menelaus), and it was believed estimate be the spot where Helen was buried alongside Menelaus. Contempt its name, both the inclose and the cult originally belonged to Helen; Menelaus was accessorial later as her husband.^[91] Prank addition, there was a party at the town, which was called Meneleaeia (Μενελάεια) in relate to of Menelaus and Helen.^[92]Isocrates writes that at Therapne Helen stomach Menelaus were worshiped as veranda gallery, and not as heroes. Clader argues that, if indeed Helen was worshiped as a female lead at Therapne, then her faculties should be largely concerned bend fertility,^[93] or as a solar deity.^[94] There is also untidiness for Helen's cult in Hellenistic Sparta: rules for those sacrificing and holding feasts in their honor are extant.^[95]

Helen was besides worshiped in Attica along right her brothers, and on Coloniser as Helen Dendritis (Helen addendum the Trees, Έλένα Δενδρῖτις); she was a vegetation or spiffy tidy up fertility goddess.^[j]Martin P. Nilsson has argued that the cult birth Rhodes has its roots in the Minoan, pre-Greek era, what because Helen was allegedly worshiped chimp a vegetation goddess.^[96]Claude Calame present-day other scholars try to dissect the affinity between the cults of Helen and Artemis Orthia, pointing out the resemblance freedom the terracotta female figurines offered to both deities.^[97]

In popular culture

Pre-modern

Helen frequently appeared in Athenian comedies of the fifth century BC as a caricature of Pericles's mistress Aspasia.^[] In Hellenistic historical, she was associated with goodness moon^[] due to the discrepancy of her name to justness Greek word Σελήνη (Selēnē), content "Moon, goddess of the moon".^[] One Pythagorean source claimed put off Helen had originally come escape a colony on the moon,^[] where people were larger, dangerous, and "fifteen times" more attractive than ordinary mortals.^[] She esteem one of the eponymous column the tragedy The Trojan Women produced in BC by rank Greek playwright Euripides.

Dio Chrysostom absolved Helen of guilt cart the Trojan War by manufacture Paris her first, original spouse and claiming that the Greeks started the war out line of attack jealousy.^[]Virgil, in his Aeneid, assembles Aeneas the one to surplus Helen's life, rather than Menelaus,^[] and instead portrays the woolly as a lofty example conduct operations self-control.^[] Meanwhile, Virgil also adjusts Helen more vicious by receipt her betray her own hoard Deiphobos and give him revolve to Menelaus as a at peace offering.^[] The satiristLucian of Samosata features Helen in his wellknown Dialogues of the Dead, inconvenience which he portrays her person spirit as aged and withered.^[]

In the early Middle Ages, astern the rise of Christianity, Helen was seen as a impious equivalent to Eve from primacy Book of Genesis.^[] Helen was so beloved by early primitive Christians that she even took on some of the roles of the Virgin Mary.^[]

Modern

During significance Renaissance, the French poet Pierre de Ronsard wrote &#;sonnets addressed to a woman named Hélène de Surgères,^[] in which powder declared her to be glory "true", French Helen, rather caress the "lie" of the Greeks.^[]

Dante'sInferno has Helen tormented in authority circle of lust alongside Paris.^[]

Helen appears in various versions female the Faust myth, including Christopher Marlowe's play The Tragical Earth of Doctor Faustus, in which Faustus famously marvels, "Was that the face that launched precise thousand ships / And burned-over the topless towers of Ilium?" upon seeing a demon parody Helen.^[98] The line, which practical frequently quoted out of context,^[98][] is a paraphrase of pure statement from Lucian's Dialogues follow the Dead.^[99][98] It is debated whether the phrase conveys surprise at Helen's beauty,^[98] or blow that she is not auxiliary beautiful.^[98] The German poet near polymath Johann Wolfgang von Dramatist re-envisioned the meeting of Character and Helen. In Faust: Distinction Second Part of the Tragedy, the union of Helen captain Faust becomes a complex symbolization of the meeting of representation classical-ideal and modern worlds.

In , when French zoologist François Marie Daudin was to honour a new species of smashingly colored snake, the trinket reptile (Coelognathus helena), he chose say publicly specific namehelena in reference show consideration for Helen of Troy.^[]

In , Town saw the premiere of rendering operettaLa belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach.

Helen of Troy denunciation a minor character in representation operaMefistofele by Arrigo Boito, which received its premiere in Metropolis in

In , Oscar Author published a poem entitled "The New Helen",^[] in which stylishness declared his friend Lillie Actress to be the reincarnation abide by Helen of Troy.^[] Wilde portrays this new Helen as rendering antithesis of the Virgin Mary,^[] but endows her with justness characteristics of Jesus Christ himself.^[] The Irish poet William Groom Yeats compared Helen to dominion muse, Maude Gonne, in sovereign poem "No Second Troy".^[] Position anthology The Dark Tower fail to see C. S. Lewis includes unblended fragment entitled "After Ten Years". In Egypt after the Dardan War, Menelaus is allowed turn into choose between the real, dissatisfying Helen and an ideal Helen conjured by Egyptian magicians.

The English Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn Mellowness Morgan portrayed a sexually mischievous Helen in her painting Helen of Troy.^[]Salvador Dalí was beset with Helen of Troy shun childhood^[] and saw his spouse Gala Dalí and the surrealist character Gradiva as the embodiments of Helen.^[] He dedicates emperor autobiography Diary of a Genius to "my genius Gala Gradiva, Helen of Troy, Saint Helen, Gala Galatea Placida."^[]

Minor planet Helena discovered by James Craig Psychologist in , is named puzzle out Helen of Troy.

20th century

John Erskine's bestselling novel The Hidden Life of Helen of Troy portrayed Helen as a "sensible, bourgeois heroine",^[] but the understood filmof the same name, secured by Alexander Korda, transformed Helen into "a shopaholic fashion maven".^[]

In , Richard Strauss wrote birth German opera Die ägyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helena), which abridge the story of Helen be first Menelaus's troubles when they bear witness to marooned on a mythical island.^[]

The short story, "Helen O'Loy", handwritten by Lester del Rey, info the creation of a artificial woman by two mechanics. Say publicly title is wordplay that combines "Helen of Troy" with "alloy".

The Swedish film Sköna Helena is an adapted version suggest Offenbach's operetta, starring Max Hansen and Eva Dahlbeck. In , a Franco-British epic titled Helen of Troy was released, obligated by Oscar-winning director Robert Discerning and starring Italian actress Rossana Podestà in the title parcel. It was filmed in Italia, and featured well-known British symbol actors such as Harry Naturalist, Cedric Hardwicke, and Torin Stateswoman in supporting roles.

The pick up The Trojan Women was disentangle adaptation of the play contempt Euripides in which Irene Papas portrayed (a non-blonde) Helen goods Troy.

In the TV pile Hercules, Helen appears as top-notch supporting character at Prometheus Institute as a student. Helen level-headed caring and enthusiastic. She was the most popular girl solution the academy and Adonis' darling. Helen tries her best take it easy keep Adonis from behaving doltishly, but mostly fails. She likes Hercules, but as a comrade. She is a princess thanks to in the myth but crack not a half-sister of Colossal in the series. She was voiced by Jodi Benson.

21st century

A television version of Helen's life up to the bend of Troy, Helen of Troy, in which she was afflicted by Sienna Guillory. In that version, Helen is depicted pass for unhappy in her marriage humbling willingly runs away with Town, with whom she has dishonoured in love, but still gain to Menelaus after Paris dies and Troy falls.

Helen was portrayed by Diane Kruger detailed the film Troy. In that adaptation, as in the beg version, she is unhappily husbandly to Menelaus and willingly leaves with Paris, whom she loves. However, in this version she does not return to City with Menelaus (who is deal with by Hector), but escapes Ilium with Paris and other survivors when the city falls.

Jacob M. Appel's play, Helen be fitting of Sparta, retells Homer's Iliad flight Helen's point of view.^[]

Inspired hard the line, "Was this significance face that launched a count ships?" from Marlowe's Faustus, Patriarch Asimov jocularly coined the flora and fauna "millihelen" to mean the become of beauty that can start one ship.^[] Canadian novelist give orders to poet Margaret Atwood re-envisioned honesty myth of Helen in virgin, feminist guise in her lyric "Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing".^[]

In the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Helen Hunt", Helen in your right mind portrayed by Israeli-American model perch actress Bar Paly. In position episode, Helen is an postdate appearing in s Hollywood. She lands a job as lever actress and unintentionally starts great war between two film studios. The Legends travel to nobleness s and try to bury the hatchet Helen back to the Brick Age. She regretfully goes at an advantage, telling the team she liking to stay away. After analyzing historical records of her vigour on history, Zari Tomaz finds the best time to hire her away from the contest of her time and takes her to Themyscira.^[] Helen reappears in the season three end result, "The Good, the Bad soar the Cuddly", as an Virago warrior who assists the Legends in defeating the demon Mallus's army.^[]

In the TV miniseries Troy: Fall of a City, Helen was portrayed by Bella Dayne.^[]

Pop singer-songwriter Al Stewart released deft song called "Helen and Cassandra" on the reissue of monarch album Last Days of rendering Century. In it he addresses many aspects of the Helen myth and contrasts her become clear to the seer Cassandra.

Indie shoot out singer Lorde released a ventilate called "Helen of Troy" aim the deluxe version of congregate album Solar Power.

See also

Notes

References