The story of Helen of Troy is clouded in the mists of the past. No one knows for sure whether she was real or concocted. Her tale led to wars between the Greek states and her abduction by Paris caused the flames of war to ignite between Troy and Sparta. Both the Iliad and Odyssey – the earliest surviving stories by Homer, the Greek author – recount a ravishing beauty the offspring of the god Zeus and a Spartan Princess – Leda. A correct title for her might have been, “Helen of Sparta,” if not for the amazing events of her life.

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Leda and the Swan

Accounts of Helen’s birth tell a story of Zeus and the daughter of the King of Sparta, Leda. “Helen,” a play by Euripides, from the 5th Century BC, tells how the King of the Gods took the form of a swan whilst fleeing an angry eagle. He took refuge with the Spartan Princess Leda who protected him. They fell in love, mated and then Leda produced an egg that then hatched Helen of Troy. In the Leda story shows Helen to be the glorious daughter of a god and a princess.

Kidnap by Athenians

Two Athenian youths, Thesius and Pirithous, of divine / human combination, decided they must also find wives who were part-god. Helen was known to be a, “God-Human chimera,” so the two set off to catch her.  At Sparta they kidnapped a very young Helen, spiriting her to Athens and leaving her with their mother, Aethra. The angered Spartans invaded Athens capturing Helen and bringing her home. Why beautiful Helen perpetually mingles with men and gods.

Flowering Nubile

When Helen became nubile Kings and emissaries from across the ancient world came to Sparta to win her hand. Her radiance saw a stream of eager suitors or their representatives pour into Sparta bearing lavish gifts. The King of Sparta, Tyndareus, was taken aback at the multitude for Helen’s heart. He was in a fix. Who could he choose? If he rejected one, then the others would quarrel. To avoid fights the Spartan King finally settled on one Menelaus after rock-solid guarantees from the other suitors to respect his final decree. To cement this edict he sacrificed a horse. So Helen became the wife of Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon.

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On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Meanwhile, high in Heaven Zeus, King of the Gods, held a competition to choose the most beautiful Goddess. The Trojan Prince, Paris, became the Judge who would decide the most stunning Goddess. The Goddess Aphrodite promised Paris the most beautiful woman on the Earth below as his prize if he picked her. Naturally, this happened to be Helen. The Trojan Prince Paris thus chose the Goddess Aphrodite as the prettiest Goddess. Thrilled Aphrodite came well on her word telling Paris, “Be gone to Sparta as Helen’s softness awaits you.” Never mind it that Helen was married; she was now his in an unbreakable hex from bestowed from above by Aphrodite

Snatched to Troy

Paris arrived disguised as a diplomat to the Spartan Court. The wily young Prince, with the whispers of the Goddess Aphrodite fresh in his head, cunningly seduced winsome Helen. The two, now bewitched by the love-spell of Aphrodite, eloped to Troy. Added to this mix was the simmering wrath of the Goddesses Hera and Athena who watched agape at the minxy-moves of Aphrodite and Paris. These Goddesses warned King Menelaus of Helen’s elopement.  The Trojan Wars thus began, with a thousand ships launched, to claim back the legendary beauty from distant Troy.

The Lonely Halls of Troy

 Helen, to her utter dismay was abandoned by Paris upon arrival in Troy. He was suddenly caught up in preparations for the oncoming Spartan storm to reclaim Helen. Alone, and missing home. Helen could only wander the empty halls of Troy. In despair she fell into the arms of Hector, Paris’ brother, who wiped away the tears that were now pouring from her lovely soul. Such a bloody and bitter fruit was to be plucked in the coming days. Her elopement was a dagger in heart of Sparta. Horror and blood did come upon Troy then, but miraculously Helen survived. She was returned to Sparta where she ended her days.

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Conclusion

Helen’s fantastic myth-tale leaves us today with some questions:

• Was Helen really a Goddess come down to torture men with her looks?
• Was this the end of the age of Gods and the start of human rule upon this Earth?
• Why did she comply with the Trojan Paris? Was she simply a victim of his cunning rape-abduction?

One thing we know for sure is that fully-grown men will always crumble before a ravishing beauty such was Helen of Troy.

More Ravishing Women by this author:

The Most Ravishing Women of all Time: 1 – Cleopatra

Vale Diana! Princess of Wales

St. Joan of Arc – Centenary of Beatification – 1909 – 2009