Greeks Mythology
Foreign women of mythology are set apart in some way from their fellows. The mythological figures of Helen of Troy and Medea are two key examples of this separation seen throughout mythology in antiquity. In the instance of Medea: the woman who "kills her children in vengeance when her husband deserts her" it is clear that Euripides wishes to permanently separate her from other mothers, not only in Greek mythology, but also from other mothers from any type of story from any time period. Helen of Troy's case however is seemingly different. Believed by many to be the cause, of the Trojan War, she is portrayed as somewhat a divine creature. Helen's mortal parents were Leda and Tyndareus, but her real father was known to be Zeus, who had also fathered one of her brothers, Polydeuces. Helen, a great beauty, was worshipped by many men but was eventually married to Menelaus. Whilst this was happening a prince named Paris was
promised by the goddess Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife, and it would appear that this promise set in motion the beginnings of the Trojan War. The placing of Menelaus may therefore be credited to Helen, as it could be seen that she has raised Menelaus to a divine status. Both Homer and Apollodorus place Helen (and Menelaus) in the Elysian Fields, (Menelaus because he recovers his Spartan kingdom, and is subsequently made immortal by the goddess Hera so that he and Helen can then go to the Elysian Fields together), thus further reinforcing the fact that is important for Helen and Menelaus to be together. Paris came to Sparta, the home of Helen and Menelaus, visiting as a royal guest, and after Menelaus had departed to Crete, Paris seduced Helen, (or raped her), and took her back to Troy with him. Isocrates also mentions that even in his time the Spartans made sacrifices to Helen and Menelaus, (Menelaus as a god, and Helen as a goddess). The placing of Helen in the Elysian Fields is relatively easily understood. She is a daughter of Zeus, her place is not in the underworld, and she is immortal. While this is only one account of Helen and Menelaus' happenings after the Trojan War, it would be fair to argue that Helen was of divine birth and was worshipped for her beauty in a goddess like fashion. When Menelaus learned of his wife's abduction he called together a great Greek army and sailed to Troy to reclaim Helen, thus the Trojan War had begun. In studying the myth of Helen of Troy it is important to discover exactly what she was portrayed as: a heroine or a goddess? The exceptional circumstances of Helen's conception and birth illustrate that she is at least semi-divine, as her father was Zeus, however turning to the opposite end of her life, how is her death portrayed? It is common knowledge that at the cessation of the Trojan War Helen travelled back to Sparta and spent the rest of her life Menelaus, but what after that? It is somewhat expected that she has no mortal ending, instead she is either elevated to her rightful divine status, or spends her days in the Elysian Fields. The war lasted ten years, and was the cause of death for many mythical Greek heroes. To compensate him for all he had gone through because of her, she made him immortal, and an equal partner of the house and throne. In Ancient Greek myth the Elysian Fields were a dwelling place for immortalised human beings. This reasoning can be seen in Isocrates' Helen.
Common topics in this essay:
Trojan War,
Elysian Fields,
Troy Medea,
Helen Troy,
War Helen,
Menelaus Whilst,
Isocrates' Helen,
Helen Menelaus,
Troy Menelaus,
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trojan war,
elysian fields,
helen menelaus,
helen troy,
helen elysian,
helen elysian fields,
divine status,
father zeus,
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Acceptance Essays
