Do you think Helen of Troy was abducted? Or did she escape willingly with Paris?

[seleanor]

Many people think that Helen of Troy is a love story… but the details of the story are quite contested. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in the entire world, and the son of Zeus. Her image is depicted in so many ancient Greek illustrations and her beauty was referenced throughout many Greek mythological stories. In some versions of the myth, they depict Helen as Paris's lover, who willingly fled with him. On the other hand, other stories depict her as a victim who was abducted by Paris. What do you all think? Here is a link of the full story...

Helen of Troy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[k_tsoukalas]

Does anyone know if there is any truth to the mythological story?

 

[amygdalE]

There is no single story; the contradictory stories imply agnosticism. So, I ask myself, was there ever a Helen [related to the historical war] ? According to one myth, Helen was the daughter of Zeus. I infer that if he is mythic in nature so is she. Why a Helen? //... to EXPLAIN the reason/cause for the Trojan war.



































































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[amygdalE]

There is no single story; the contradictory stories imply agnosticism. So, I ask myself, was there ever a Helen [related to the historical war] ? According to one myth, Helen was the daughter of Zeus. I infer that if he is mythic in nature so is she. Why a Helen? //... to EXPLAIN the reason/cause for the Trojan war.



































































'

Mythographers have their idiosyncrasies, but they usually share a general nationality. Not in the case of Helen! Think again: Wether abduced or consenting, she was lost to her husband, the Spartan or "Mycenean" Menelaos, because of the Trojan Paris. Did Menelaos instigate a war to get her back or to punish Paris? His brother, Agamennon, was made commander-in-chief of the NAVAL siege of Troy. After the capture of the city, Men. retrieved her, but why the burning of the city -- when the Greeks had gained control of the Dardanelles [the true reason for the "war"]??