Is Helen of Troy a true story?

Helen of Troy is a mythical figure from Greek mythology and literature, notably Homer's Iliad. She was not a real person.

What is Helen of Troy known for?

Helen of Troy is a pivotal character in the Greek myth of the Trojan War. Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, but she was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris and taken to Troy. In some versions of the story, she may have gone willingly. The Trojan War then occurred as the Greek city-states tried to capture Troy, which they did after 10 years.

Was Helen of Troy beautiful?

In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy was one of the most beautiful women in the world. For this very reason, she was given as a gift to Paris, the Trojan prince, when he chose the goddess Aphrodite as the winner of a beauty competition with the goddesses Athena and Hera.

Helen of Troy Timeline

Definition

Helen of Troy (sometimes called Helen of Sparta) is a figure from Greek mythology whose elopement with (or abduction by) the Trojan prince Paris sparked off the Trojan War. Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, and considered the most beautiful woman in the world.

More about: Helen of Troy

Timeline

1750 BCE - 1300 BCE
Troy VI - probable Troy of Homer's Iliad. City at its zenith.
1334 BCE
Trojan War, according to Duris of Samos.
c. 1250 BCE
Trojan War, according to Herodotus.
1184 BCE
Trojan War, according to Eratosthenes.
c. 800 BCE - c. 700 BCE
Homer of Greece writes his Iliad and Odyssey.

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