Why did Helen betray Troy?

Helen's suitors—including Odysseus—came from all parts of Greece, and from among them she chose Menelaus

Menelaus

Menelaus, in Greek mythology, king of Sparta and younger son of Atreus, king of Mycenae; the abduction of his wife, Helen, led to the Trojan War. During the war Menelaus served under his elder brother Agamemnon, the commander in chief of the Greek forces.

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Menelaus | Myth, Significance, & Trojan War - Encyclopedia Britannica

, Agamemnon's younger brother. 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.

Why was Helen of Troy hated?

The ancients thought Helen's crime was the crime of a god, or rather a goddess, Aphrodite (in that Helen's excessive sexual charisma was a gift of Aphrodite) – but through the medieval and Early Modern periods – in fact up until the 21st century, her affair was judged a sin against God himself.

Was Helen of Troy evil?

Greek, Athens, 420-400 B.C. The ancient Greeks believed that female beauty was linked intrinsically to bad character, starting with the first woman, Pandora, created by Zeus as a "beautiful evil." Therefore Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, was in her very nature the most destructive.

How did Helen betray Menelaus?

Answer: Helen fell in love with a Trojan boy named Paris. One day, when King Menelaus was away on some business, they both fled from Greece and came to Troy. That is how Helen betrayed Menelaus.

Why did the Trojans steal Helen?

The usual tradition is that after the goddess Aphrodite promised her to Paris in the Judgement of Paris, she was seduced by him and carried off to Troy. This resulted in the Trojan War when the Achaeans set out to reclaim her.

Helen of Troy | Abduction of Helen | Trojan War | Greek Mythology

Was Helen of Troy to blame for the Trojan War?

While Helen repeatedly acknowledges her role in igniting the conflict, other characters, such as Priam, refuse to blame her. The Greek gods – who are accused of staging this great conflict – and the Trojan prince Paris are also held responsible.

Who cursed Helen of Troy?

One day, Tyndareus offered sacrifices to all the gods but forgot Aphrodite and the goddess, angered at the slight, then promised that all of the king's daughters would become infamous for their adultery. It seems that for Helen, even at a young age, her great beauty was something of a curse.

Why did Paris steal Helen?

Helen was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta (a fact Aphrodite neglected to mention), so Paris had to raid Menelaus's house to steal Helen from him—according to some accounts, she fell in love with Paris and left willingly.

Who did Helen of Troy really love?

Known as "The face that launched a thousand ships," Helen of Troy is considered one the most beautiful women in all literature. She was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, fell in love with Helen and abducted her, taking her back to Troy.

Did Helen of Troy go willingly?

According to this version, Helen never sailed to Troy with Paris, but was spirited away to Egypt, where she spent the war years as a priestess of Artemis. The Helen who went to Troy was an eidolon, which duped the Trojans and the Greeks alike.

Do you think Helen was to blame for the war?

Now, Helen is usually blamed the most for the Trojan war, however it is not known whether Helen went with Paris freely or if he and Aphrodite kidnapped her.

Who Killed Paris of Troy?

Paris himself, soon after, received a fatal wound from an arrow shot by the rival archer Philoctetes. The “judgment of Paris,” Hermes leading Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite to Paris, detail of a red-figure kylix by Hieron, 6th century bc; in the Collection of Classical Antiquities of the National Museums in Berlin.

Who is most to blame for the Trojan War?

Did Paris and Helen have a child?

Another account mentions that Helen and Paris had three kids—Bunomus, Corythus, and Idaeus—but sadly, these boys died when the roof of the family home in Troy collapsed. R.I.P. Helen's boys.

Is Troy a true story?

Most historians now agree that ancient Troy was to be found at Hisarlik. Troy was real. Evidence of fire, and the discovery of a small number of arrowheads in the archaeological layer of Hisarlik that corresponds in date to the period of Homer's Trojan War, may even hint at warfare.

How many husbands did Helen of Troy have?

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: Theseus. Menelaus. Paris.

Who did Achilles love?

Achilles slew Mynes and the brothers of Briseis (children of Briseus), then received her as his war prize. Even though she was a war prize, Achilles and Briseis fell in love with each other, and Achilles may have gone to Troy intending to spend much time in his tent with her, as was portrayed in the movie.

Was Achilles a real person?

There is no proof that Achilles existed or that any of Homer's other characters did. The long answer is that Homer's Achilles may have been based, at least in part, on a historical character; the same is true of the rest of Homer's characters.

Why did Helen leave Menelaus?

The story of Helen leaving Menelaus has been portrayed in many ways; from her being kidnapped by Paris, to her willingly deserting her husband in interest of the King of Sparta, Paris himself.

Was Helen of Troy a hero?

In Greek mythology, Helen was the most beautiful woman from the age of the heroes. She was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta (one of several Greek kingdoms). After Helen ran away with Paris, prince of Troy, the Greek armies fought a ten year long war against Troy to win her back.

Is Helen a demigod?

Helen of Troy was a Greek demigod, daughter of Zeus and the mortal Leda. She was the the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, with whom she had a daughter named Hermione. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War.

Why did the gods want Troy to fall?

Hera and Athena had their revenge upon Paris and his city. Having accomplished their aim in sacking Troy, the Greeks now had to face the problem of getting back to their various kingdoms. This was a problem, for the gods had scores to settle with many Greeks.

What does Helen feel guilty for in the Iliad?

Her Spartan husband, King Menelaus, gathered other kings and armies and sailed for Troy, thus beginning the war. Helen felt guilty about leaving her husband because of all the deaths she caused by starting the war. She no longer felt strongly about her new husband, Paris.

Why is Helen of Troy controversial?

Helen of Troy in Euripides

In both The Trojan Women and Orestes Helen is condemned for her role in the Trojan War. 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.

Who was the ugliest god?

Hephaestus. Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly.