Week 2: Storytelling: How the War with Troy Began

Storytelling for Week 2: How the War with Troy Began

Long, long ago there once was a beautiful young woman named Helen. Helen was the daughter of the mighty King of Sparta. She had long blonde hair and bright green eyes. All of the Princes in the land of Greece wanted to marry Helen because of her beauty. The King of Sparta had all of the Princes in the land promise to always be friends no matter who his daughter would choose to marry, and also to help get Helen back if she were ever to be taken by some other wicked man. 

Beautiful Helen

Helen had a very large group of men to choose from. There was ugly men and handsome men, short men and tall men, powerful men and less powerful men, young men and older men, and muscular men and plump men. Helen, of course, wanted someone who was handsome, tall, powerful, young, and muscular. She believed she deserved the most handsome of all the men in Greece because she was the most beautiful woman in all of Greece.

Helen went on many, many dates throughout the spring, but did not find anyone worthy of her. Finally, the last date she went on was with Prince Menelaus. Menelaus was chief of all of the Kings of Greece, and was also very good looking. Helen decided Menelaus was worthy of her love so they got married that summer. They lived very happily together until a man named Paris made his way to Sparta. 

Prince Paris was son of the King of Troy. Helen had never seen such a beautiful man in her life. She could not keep her eyes off of him. He was taller, more handsome, and more muscular than Menelaus.  Paris was also very funny, smart, and extremely charming. He was everything Helen had ever wanted in a man. Helen captured him with her sparkling green eyes, and they instantly fell in love. 

Helen and Paris

That night, Helen convinced Paris to leave with her. She did not want to be with Menelaus anymore because she realized she had never known what love was until she met Paris. She wanted to be with Paris forever and forget her life back in Sparta. They were going to run away together to Italy so that no one would ever be able to find them. Since they were running away, they needed money. Helen robbed her palace of all of its gold and precious jewels. Helen and Paris then left the lives they had known in Sparta and Troy behind forever. 

When Menelaus woke up to find Paris, Helen, and all of his riches gone, he gathered up his army of men who had previously promised to help fight to get Helen back from any man who would steal her away. They would soon be on their way to Troy to fight the Trojans. He hoped to find his love Helen and bring her back home safely. 

Author's Note: In the original story of How the War with Troy Began, Helen is beautiful, but is not conceited. She chooses Menelaus as her husband and loves him. She does not instantly fall in love with Paris, he takes her away along with the jewels and gold. They do not go to Italy, they go back to Troy. The fact that she left with Paris is what causes the war in both stories. I decided to change it up because in the original story it did not elaborate on what happened when they left. It just said that Paris carried Helen away. So I thought it might be fun to add some details, and to make it all be Helen's idea. 

Bibliography:

Book: Homer's Iliad

Author: A.J. Church

Year Published: 1907

Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook