Greeks were as good as Indians in weaving mythologies in ancient world. Actually in Greek mythology Gods and Goddesses took part in human activities in a generous way. There has been an opinion that Greek mythology was influenced by Hindu mythology. That is a different field. According to Greek mythology Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world, perhaps a counterpart of Rati, Urvashi or Rambhe of our own tradition. Her very birth is associated with a divine incident. Sparta’s king Tyndareus fell in love with Leda and married her. But Zeus (a Greek God almost resembling our Indra) came in the form of a swan and carried her away and lived with her for sometime. From this came out an egg and Helen was hatched from it. Because in reality she was the daughter of God Zeus, he endowed her with unmatched beauty.
Everybody was jealous of her and many kings and princes tried in vain to carry her away. According to another version her mother was Nemesis, the Greek Goddess of vengeance. Still another version considers her as the daughter of Agamemnon of Mycenae, and a commander in the Trojan War. Helen was born in 1214 BC.
Many young men who were mad after her were waiting for an opportunity to abduct her. Prince Dionisus who found her alone in a temple abducted her and brought her to a place called Atticia. The name of the abductor is given as Theseus in other sources. She gave birth to a child. Helen’s brothers came to know of this and brought her back to Sparta. Many Spartan youths wanted to marry her including heir - apparent (Yuvaraja) Ulysis. But her father told all these contenders that she is free to marry anybody she liked, and once married others should support this marriage. Ultimately Helen married Prince Menelaus who later became the King of Sparta. She delivered a daughter Hermione. She was happy for about three years.
The goddess Aphrodite gave a gold apple to young Prince Paris. He gave it to Helen and brought her to Troy without the knowledge of her husband in 1195 BC. Enraged by this act of Prince Paris, all the Greek princes joined together under the leadership of Menelaus and invaded Troy. This is famous in history of the Trojan War. This war was fought for almost ten years from 1194 to 1182 BC. Originally it was believed to be an imaginary war, but recent researchs and archaeological excavations conducted here have shown antiquities, particularly bones and skulls of soldiers supposed to have been killed in the war, along with gold ornaments, and buildings. The great historian Herodotus and Thucidides had considered it as historically true. However, the part played by the abduction of Helen is the main cause in addition to commercial interests of the warring parties.
A ten year war was not an ordinary affair. The fort of Troy was so strong that the Greeks had to wait for ten long years.
The Greeks led by Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus assembled at a place called Aulis. The Greek army consisted of one lakh of warriors with superior weapons. From the side of Troy, Hector took the command. The long siege of ten years brought in dissidence among the Greek commanders. A misunderstanding developed between Agamemnon and prince Achilles and the latter withdrew from the battle field. Taking advantage of this development, the Trojan prince Hector killed a Greek prince and enraged by this, Achilles killed Hector and took revenge against the death of his friend. But Prince Paris who had abducted Helen killed Achilles. Paris was also killed. Immediately, brother of Paris by name Diephobus married Helen. She lived with him for sometime but later she betrayed him also.
She returned to Sparta along - with Menelaus. He wanted to punish her, but her beauty came in the way and it saved her from any punishment. In the meantime he died. Her stepson expelled her from Greece without showing any mercy. Then Helen went to and settled down in Rhodes with all her wealth. She did not stop her habit of attracting men there also. Achilles of the Island of Luke was one of the contenders of her love long ago. In other words he was a disappointed lover, and he approached Helen and she readily agreed to the proposal and married him.
But she was not left free to enjoy happiness with him also. The Queen of Rhodes Island by name Polixo wanted to take revenge against Helen because her husband was killed in the Trojan War and contemporary people considered Helen as the main cause of the Trojan War.
She thought Helen was indirectly responsible for the death of her husband (Polixo). Helen was ordered to be hanged to a tree in 1146 BC. She was buried in Thirope. There were still many people sympathetic to Helen. They began worshipping the tree on which she was hanged. They also built a temple at that place in her honour. Thus even after her death she retained her charm and fame as a beautiful woman and attained the status of a Goddess.
In connection with the Trojan War, reference is generally made to Trojan horse. Actually it is not a real horse in flesh and blood. It was a wooden horse. In the war when the Greeks were about to be defeated, they hatched a plan. They made a huge wooden horse and presented it to Troy as a gift. The Trojans dragged the horse into the fort to keep it as a momento. The Greek soldiers, who were hiding inside the belly of the wooden horse, came out and killed hundreds of soldiers of Troy and finally burnt the city of Troy. The soldiers of Troy who were celebrating their victory were taken aback and could not match the swiftness of the Greeks. Thus what could not be achieved in nine years was achieved by the introduction of the wooden horse and hence Trojan horse has become famous in Greek history. This is the story and agony behind the great beauty Helen, and Homer has made her immortal.
