Helen

Helen of Troy, renowned for her unparalleled beauty, was a pivotal figure in Greek mythology, sparking the Trojan War due to her abduction by Paris.

Character

Mythological

Greek Mythology

Sparta, Greece

Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Her abduction by Paris, a Trojan prince, ignited the decade-long Trojan War. Though often portrayed as a passive figure, Helen’s agency and character vary across different versions of the myth. Some depict her as a victim, manipulated by the gods or coerced by Paris, while others present her as a willing participant in her departure from Sparta. Regardless of interpretation, Helen’s beauty and its consequences serve as a central theme, exploring ideas of desire, fate, and the destructive power of war. After the war, Helen returned to Sparta with her husband Menelaus, where they lived out their days in peace.