Helen

Helen is a play written by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. It tells the story of Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, who was famously believed to have been kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris and taken to Troy, leading to the Trojan War. However, in Euripides' version of the story, Helen was never actually taken to Troy, but rather a phantom image of her was created by the gods to deceive Paris, while the real Helen was taken to Egypt. The play centers on Helen's reunion with her husband and her attempts to clear her name and prove her innocence. Along the way, she encounters various characters, including the Egyptian king, Theoclymenus, who tries to force her to marry him, and her old suitor, Teucer, who is now a slave in Egypt. The play explores themes of identity, deception, and the power of the gods.HELEN Good friends, to what a fate am I united? Did not my mother bear me to be a monster to the world? For no woman, Hellene or barbarian, gives birth to babes in eggs inclosed, as they say Leda bare me to Zeus. My life and all I do is one miracle, partly owing to Hera, and partly is my beauty to blame. Would God I could rub my beauty out like a picture.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.