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Tiffany James World Authors Dr. Fukichi 12 February 2012 Helens Story It has always been known that the Trojan War was caused by one woman: Helen of Troy. But no one has ever really thought about how things might have seemed to happen through Helens eyes. I was never normal; I wasnt like the other children in Sparta. I was much, much more and I knew it too. The story of my birth was nothing, if not unconventional. According to mother, known to others as Leda, queen of Sparta, the most powerful of all the gods, known as Zeus, wanted her and would not take no for an answer. So one day while she was walking by the pond in the courtyard Zeus attacked her in the forum of a swan. While Zeus was taking my mother, he impregnated her with me and my brother Polydeuces. That same night my human father Tyndarecus, king of Sparta, impregnated my mother. A few days later mother laid two swans eggs; one egg containing me and Polyduces and the other containing my human siblings, Castor and Clytemnestra. Growing up I had a happy and contented childhood playing in the gardens with my sister Clytemnestra. But as I got older and closer to womanhood, I noticed a change in myself and the people around me. I stared to grow large breast and my waist started to thin out. I also started to notice that the boys were looking at me differently; no longer as a playmate, but as something else. And the old men looked at me strangely, when I walked by, which I would later find out to be lust. At that time my relationship with my dear sister Clytemnestra became strained and

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unnatural. She would get mad that the boys looked at me differently, but to them she was their same old playmate. When I reached puberty, around the age of 13, something horrible happened to me. The old kings Theseus, king of Athens and Peirithous, king of Larissa, kidnapped me. They spirited me away to a small city north of Athens, called Aphidna, where they left me with one of Theseus vassals and his mother to watch after me and keep me occupied. On our journey to this city, they had me blindfolded and my hands and feet bond so I couldnt escape, but I could still here them talking. They talked about how beautiful I was, with my flawless, ivory colored skin, my long reddish-blond hair the color of a fierce fire, and my lovely red bow shaped mouth. They talked about who would get to bed me first and how they were sure the pleasure would surpass and mortal pleasure because I was fathered by a god, but not just any god, Zeus, the king of all gods. That was when I first started to understand a mans desires. After a year in Aphidna, Theseus decided he was tired of waiting for me to reach a marriageable age before he took me. So one stormy night, when the clouds hid the moon and the wind became furious, Theseus came into my room, only in a robe. He ripped the blankets off the bed and then told me to take off my clothes, while he threw off his robe and it hit the wall with a soft thud. I begged and pleaded with him not to take me, but he could no longer see or hear me; he was so caught up in his own lust. He took me then with brutal force, only thinking of his own pleasure and comfort, and when he was done he rolled off me leaving a puddle of blood in his wake. I was horrified, I thought I was dying and so I fainted. After that Theseus disappeared, having gotten what he wanted and I was left in Aphidna for another four years. When I turned 18 the Dioscuri marched on Athens looking for me, but the Athenians knew nothing of me and the fact that I had been kidnapped five long years ago.

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However, one man named Academus, who was a servant of a neighbor in Aphidna, knew of me and where I had been hidden. The Dioscuri and their army came into Aphidna in a blaze of glory. They burned houses, killed and injured men, raped women, and looted the city, while they were looking for me. And then when they found me they treated me with respect and took me home to Sparta, bringing Theseus mother, Aethra, and Peirithous sister to be my personal slaves. On the trip home I learned that my sister Clytemnestra had been married off to Tantalus, son of Thyestes, who was later killed by his uncle Atreus to get revenge on his father for having slept with his uncles wife. She was then married to Agamemnon, son of Arteus. I found it interesting that she stayed married within the same family; I bet you Agamemnon actually wanted her from the beginning, but his cousin got her and so when his cousin was killed he could finally get what he wanted. I wouldnt be surprised if it was actually Agamemnon who killed Tantalus and his father just took the blame for it because men are malicious and cunning when they want something. I also heard that my dear sister had a daughter named Iphigenia with Agamemnon. When I returned to my home city-state, Sparta, I was barley home a day before men of all ages, sizes, and wealth started approaching me to win my hand in marriage. I had no interest in being locked up and confined again, but I did enjoy the attention, so I played with many a mans feelings. Scores of men came from all across Greece to woo me, or so I like to believe. Truthfully, they were trying to woo my father Tyndarcus so he would give them permission to have my hand in marriage. But wooing me came with a very hefty price, weeding out any man who didnt come from a very wealthy family. My suitors had to send attendants, gifts of gold, silver and jade, silk fabric, and other luxurious items. However, some men brought nothing already expecting not to win my hand in marriage. I of course found all of this parading around

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quite entertaining. Men strutting around like animals on the prowl for the finest mate, fluffing their feathers to show that they had the most to offer. After a few weeks of this had gone by, one of my suitors, Odysseus offered my father a solution to his problem in exchange for my cousin, Penelopes hand in marriage. He had all the men agree that whoever I was to marry, if I was stolen, that they would help to retrieve me. At this point father choose for me to marry Menelaus, son of Atreus and brother to my sisters husband Agamemnon. Menelaus was not as handsome or as interesting as some of my other suitors and if left up to me I wouldnt have chosen him. I need someone entertaining, someone whose looks match my own and his do not. I complained to father and asked him to choose someone else, but he was only concerned with the fact that this marriage would be a great political match. Our wedding was a grand one, with all of the important political and wealthy people of Greece attending. I could say at least 200 people were there if not more. The wedding ceremony was held at the temple of Artemis Orthia in the center of Sparta. The outside of the temple was decorated in akoniton and inside we left it the way it was, even though I tried to add things. I arrived at the temple in a white and gold chariot wearing a slender white dress beaded with clear stone at the bust and synched at the waist with a gold ribbon. The ceremony took entirely too long for me, but its what was required. Then we had a party, to celebrate our union, at my fathers home. There was food and drinks a plenty and many people got drunk off of the wine. A year after being wed to Menelaus, I gave birth to Hermione, and then came Aethiolas, Maraphius, and Pleisthenes. A few years after we had been married Sparta got hit with the plague and Menelaus went to Troy to pay tribute to the graves of Lycus and Chimaereus. You are probably wondering how I know all of this since my husband feels I dont need to know

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anything. Well the servants and slaves do here everything and they arent quite with their gossiping and I over hear them all the time. Im sure youve heard them gossip about things yourself. When came back he brought a very handsome and charming guest with him, named Paris. Paris was everything Menelaus was not. He cared about what I had to say, he spent time with me, and he gave me the attention I craved and deserved. Honestly, it was my stupid husbands fault for bringing such a man into our home and then leaving him for me to entertain while he went to his grandfathers funeral. What did he think would happen, that I would stay faithful to a man who paid me no attention. So while Paris was in my home we had a passionate affair and I dont regret any bit of it. Not that I would tell anyone that. Not long after Menelaus left, maybe a day or two, Paris begged me to return to Troy with him and of course I said yes. I was fully charmed by this young man. He had his ship with servants and all of the luxuries that only someone of royal birth would have. But of course I couldnt depend on his servants to tend to me correctly, I needed my own. So I brought my servants Aethra, Thisadie, Clymene, Astyanassa, and Electra with me. And before we left Paris wanted to take some treasure home with to show proof of a dowry and I knew the guards would let him if I told them it was ok, because they were all infatuated with my beauty after all. Everyone knows that men are led around by their cocks and when they see a beautiful woman, such as myself, they dont know how to say no. I stopped briefly to think about what my children would think, but then I saw Paris and the thoughts were wiped clean from my head and we left to journey to his home after Paris insisted on dedicating a sanctuary to Aphrodite. On our way to Troy we stopped at the island of Cranae, not too far away from Sparta, where Paris sweet talked me into his bed and we coupled. It was the most amazing, passion filled

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sex that I had ever experienced, but in the back of my mind I remembered that I had left behind a husband and children in Sparta. So the moment was a bitter sweet one. As we journeyed to Troy we had many adventures including when we went to Egypt and Phoenicia. When we stopped in Egypt to rest, the king Proteus kidnapped me from Paris and was going to send me back to my husband. But that same night Paris climbed the palace walls to my room and rescued me; then we departed in the dead of night without a sound and made our way to Troy. When we reached Troy I was met with a warm and loving reception, at least by the men who were overwrought with my beauty. Pariss father Priam immediately through us a wedding, but it felt more like I was marring the whole city than one man. During the ceremony I wondered if this would even hold up under the laws of the gods because I was still married and to find out so was Paris. But it was done and Priam had already vowed to protect me if anything was to happen and I wanted to remain in Troy. I smiled at him and said thank you not know that I would one day have to ask him to fulfill that promise. I had barely been Sparta three months before Menelaus, my Spartan husband, Odysseus, and Acamas came to the walls of Troy and demanded that I be returned to Sparta. For some reason the people in Sparta were under this crazy delusion that I had been kidnapped from my home by Paris, which I knew not to be true. And true to his word Priam keep me safe inside the walls of Troy even though his advisers Antenor and Aeneas him against it. So the Greek left empty handed and returned home. But unfortunately for the Trojans, the Greeks were getting themselves ready for war. That same year the Greeks came to attack Troy with an immense army covered in the best armor that money could buy. But the Trojans received help from neighboring cities and

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towns. Realizing this, the Greeks sent troops out to defeat these neighboring regions. And so during the first nine years of the ten year war the Greeks caused the Trojan economy to suffer, which I did not agree with because it messed with my daily diet. And all of the fighting and noise interfered with my daily beauty rest. But, while the Trojans economy suffered, the Greeks gained many spoils of war from gold to women. Then one day one of Priams sons named Hector, foolishly decided that he was going to be a hero. So I heard that he fought against the Greeks and won many battles and killed the Greek hero, Achilles, favorite servant and lover. That enraged Achilles and so he came to the walls of Troy and bade him to come and face his death like a man. I found this story from a servant interesting so I decided to view this for myself. So from a perch on the wall where no one could see me I watched as Achilles chased the foolish Hector around the walls three times before Athena tricked Hector and he died by Achilles spear. For the next week or so the Trojans mourned over the death of their beloved Hector and the fact that they could not give him a proper funeral without his body. So Priam went to Achilles and asked for his sons body and time to give him a proper funeral. The women cooed and squealed as they saw Hectors unmarred body. I presumed him blessed by the gods with some twisted fate to die, but to stay perfect condition, considering what I knew the Greeks would do to his body. Not soon after Hectors death and burial my charmingly stupid Trojan husband, with the help of the gods killed Achilles with one arrow. Paris died soon after and Priam married me to one of his other sons Deiphobus. The whole city rejoiced then, thinking that the war would end soon with the death of the Greeks great hero. But oh, were they wrong, while celebrating I saw one of my old suitors Odysseus dressed as an old beggar, wandering in the city. The next day it was found that the palladium, created in Athenas likeness, was stolen. That was the beginning of the Trojans real

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downfall. That night a wooden horse was found outside of the city, with no Greeks in site and all ships gone, the Trojans thought that they had won and dragged the horse inside the city walls. But I knew better, I walked past the horse sounding like the Trojan women talking, knowing it would entice the mens lust; but they held out. The next day while the Trojans partied and drank themselves into a stupor the Greeks broke free of the horse and slaughtered the men and raped the women. My husband Menelaus came at me with a spear that same day, but dropped it immediately after my quick thinking to bare my breast. I mean all men couldnt help but to do my bidding after seeing my beauty. He then took me back to the ships with him, but the Greeks were not happy to see me and wanted to kill me by stoning me to death, but after a glimpse of my beauty they dropped their stones and apologized for ever thinking about killing me. Before returning to my home land of Sparta, I spent eight long years wandering. Finally I made it home only to find that my sister Clytemnestra being killed for the murder of her husband Agamemnon. Euripides wanted to kill me too, because he blamed me for everything that had happened to his family. But my real father Zeus sent Apollo to bring me to him so that he could make me immortal. I lived a decently respectful life after that, but after Menelaus died my own sons, who came from me, banned me from the city. So I went to stay with an old friend, Polyxo, in Rhodes. It was great there until one day erynies came and frightened me. I was so scared that I couldnt sleep or eat and so one day I deiced to end it all and hung myself. Death isnt as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I got married to a very handsome and heroic man named Achilles and now live on the island of Leuke, near the mouth of the river Danube. I have even had a great poet named Stesichorus write a poem praising my beauty and I am surrounded by wealth. What more could a woman want.

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Bibliography Bell, Robert. "About Helen of Troy." Modern American Poetry. Women of Classical Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary, 1991. Web. 22 Feb 2012. Giraudoux, Jean. Tiger at the Gates. New York: Samuel French, Inc., 1995. Print. "Helen of Troy The Face that Launched One Thousand Ships." The Midthuns. N.p., 11/18/1998. Web. 22 Feb 2012. "Information About Helen of Troy and Her Family of Origin."About. Com. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Feb 2012. Joe, Jimmy. "Trojan War." Timeless Myths . Timeless Myths, 1999. Web. 22 Feb 2012. Pierce, Karen. "Helen of Troy - Heroine or Goddess?." White Dragon. N.p., 2000. Web. 22 Feb 2012. Pia, Stephanie. "Helen of Troy." Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood. N.p., 12/05/2007. Web. 22 Feb 2012. "Plants of Greek Myth." Theoi Project. Theoi Project, 2011. Web. 22 Feb 2012. "The Beautiful Helen of Troy - Biography." Greek Gods and Godesses. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb 2012. "The Trojan War." Stanford.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb 2012.