S6E2 - Troy: Helen of Sparta

The stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features Zeus's swan shenanigans, scary snake facts, dangerous love spells, lost princes, and two sets of twins.

Greaking Out the greatest stories in history were told in Greek mythology.

Greaking out gods and heroes' amazing feats.

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Helen of Sparta.

This is the story of a beautiful woman, arguably the most beautiful woman who has ever lived.

At the risk of revealing spoilers, I assume you are talking about Helen of Troy.

Yes, yes, I am.

And while I appreciate your effort, Oracle, Helen's reputation as being the most beautiful woman of all time is indisputable.

She was, as the saying goes, the face that launched a thousand ships.

According to book two of the Iliad, there were 1,186 ships that sailed to Troy.

Right.

But while many people have heard of Helen, most people don't know anything about her besides her breathtaking beauty.

Who was she really?

Where did she come from?

What did she want?

I know the answers to all of these questions.

Helen was born in Sparta.

Oracle, those are actually rhetorical questions.

I'm getting there.

Okay.

Now, Helen's story begins on a rather unusual note.

Her mother was a mortal woman named Leta, a beautiful princess who married Tyndarius, king of Sparta.

Sparta is located in the southeastern region of ancient Greece, on the Peloponnese Peninsula.

And while Leta loved Tyndarius dearly, she was also in love with someone else.

Someone quite powerful.

Someone pretty impressive.

Someone who just happened to rule Mount Olympus.

It was Zeus.

Exactly.

Now, Zeus wasn't exactly a free agent himself, considering he was married to the goddess Hera, but that had never stopped him in the past.

He would sneak out to visit Leta, disguised as a swan.

When Hera finally found out about this, she forbade Zeus from ever seeing Leta again.

And of course, he had to agree.

And it could be said that he quickly forgot about Leta.

But Leta didn't quickly forget about him because nine months later, she laid two giant eggs.

This is not unusual.

The majority of animals reproduce by laying eggs.

Yes, but those are animals.

Humans don't normally come from eggs.

Yes, that is true.

But most snakes lay eggs.

I'm not sure how that's relevant.

Snake facts are always relevant.

Well, it's hard to argue with that, but anyway, these two eggs hatched and produced two sets of twins, Castor and Clytemnestra, and Polydeuces and Helen.

Castor and Clytemnestra were the children of King Tyndarius, and Polydeuces, sometimes called Pollux and Helen, were the children of Zeus.

Now, I don't have to tell you that this was a bit surprising to Lida and her husband, but Helen, Clytemnestra, Castor, and Pollux were beloved by both of their parents, who raised them with love.

Castor and Pollux grew up to have their own set of adventures, but we're going to have to come back to them in a later season because today's focus is all about helen and a little bit about clytemnestra you see it was clear from the beginning that helen was destined to be a beauty i bet it is because of the egg eggs are very good for your skin they also contain lutein and zeaxanthin two antioxidants known to improve skin tone they also contain vitamin a and zinc.

Maybe, sure, but it could also have to do with Helen being the daughter of Zeus.

Rumors of her beauty spread across the land, and while many men planned to ask for her hand in marriage when she was older, some of them didn't want to have to wait so long.

One of these men was Theseus.

Theseus was the king of Athens and the abandoner of Ariadne on Naxos.

Yes, longtime listeners will remember our episode about the Minotaur.

Theseus was best friends with a man named Perith.

Both Theseus and Perithous had one goal, to marry a daughter of Zeus.

Theseus, of course, had his eyes set on Helen, and Perithous wanted Helen for himself, but when he couldn't convince Theseus to give her up, he decided to try to snatch Persephone, who just happened to be married to Hades in the underworld.

The story of Persephone and her mother, Demeter, is told in season six, episode one.

Thanks, Oracle.

Now, obviously, Theseus and Perithous didn't exactly have respect for the way things were traditionally done.

They wanted these women for themselves and they decided that they would take them.

So one night, Theseus and Perithous broke into Sparta and kidnapped Helen.

She was terrified and begged to return, but the men would not comply.

They dropped Helen off at Theseus' mother's house and then went to the underworld to pick up Persephone.

Unfortunately, when they arrived, they were greeted by Hades.

Hades is the god of the underworld and is particularly possessive of his wife, Persephone.

Yes, and Hades knew immediately what the two young men were up to, but instead of killing them instantly, which wouldn't have been hard for Hades, he decided to have a little fun with them.

Gentlemen, he said, welcome to my home.

Please stay for dinner.

And because Theseus and Perithalus were too arrogant and foolish to suspect a trap, they sat right down in the large stone chairs set for them at the table, ready for their feast.

So you have kidnapped Zeus's daughter Helen, have you?

Hades asked.

Do you think you will make her a good husband?

Hades is here referencing the fact that Theseus has had several horribly failed romances, only one of which we've covered in this podcast.

Yeah, well, I think Zeus will be happy with the match, Theseus replied.

He was king of Athens, after all, the champion of the labyrinth.

Who wouldn't be proud to have him as a son-in-law?

But But Hades was unable to keep his good manners any longer.

He was slow to anger, but his patience wasn't infinite.

And you just thought you'd march right in here and take Persephone away from me.

You boys may be strong, but you are lacking in the brains department, that's for sure.

And just like that, a pair of snakes emerged from the dark and began to coil themselves around the feet of Theseus and Perithalus.

They reached for their swords, but Hades was quicker.

They tried to force their way out, but they were no match for the pure strength of the snakes.

Snakes are very powerful creatures.

Boas and pythons are known to squeeze the life out of their prey.

They are so strong, they make it so their victim cannot pump blood through their body and their heart stops.

Whoa, that is strong.

Once again, the snakes save the day.

As it turns out, the chairs they were sitting in were also enchanted chairs of forgetfulness that pulled everything out of the brains of the two warriors.

Eventually, they forgot what they were after, where they were, even who they were.

They were trapped, just sitting there with nothing going on in their heads.

Meanwhile, Castor and Pollux, Helen's brothers, were hot on the trail of their missing sister.

When they arrived at Theseus' mom's house, the two warriors were still trapped in the underworld, so Castor and Pollux had no resistance rescuing Helen.

And Helen was so relieved to be home.

Sparta threw a feast in the honor of her return, but King Tyndarius had begun to realize just how dangerous it was to have young Helen around.

Helen, your beauty is a threat.

You will constantly be unsafe until you are wed.

We must find you a proper suitor before dangerous men try to claim you as their own.

And so...

The competition for Helen's hand began.

By this time, news of her beauty had spread around the the world and to make matters worse, or better depending upon who you're talking to, whoever ended up with Helen had the chance of becoming the king of Sparta.

The suitor who won Helen's hand would end up with a beautiful bride and a powerful kingdom all at once.

Talk about a good prize.

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Well, there's a Webby award-winning show called Girl Tales that takes classic stories and puts a unique twist on them, giving girls the chance to save the day, use their intelligence and bravery, and show that they can be the heroes of their own stories.

If you are ready for an adventure, find Girl Tales wherever you get your podcasts.

So King Tendarius decided to invite all of the interested suitors to Sparta.

He would meet with each one and determine determine who was worthy of Helen's hand in marriage.

He would also see who would be giving him the best gifts.

You know what I'm saying?

Suitors came from all across the world.

Great warriors and princes were there, including Ajax and Philoctetes.

Even Odysseus was there.

We have discussed Odysseus many times on this podcast.

He is a great warrior, known for his cunning nature.

Yes, but at this point in time, Odysseus was a relatively unknown guy, just a mere prince of Ithaca looking for a bride.

There were other very prominent suitors in attendance, though, Agamemnon and Menelaus for starters.

Now, these two had a leg up on the competition because they had already been living in Sparta for a short period of time and were very close with Helen and her family.

Menelaus and Agamemnon were brothers.

They were exiled from Mycenae and were seeking refuge in Sparta until it was safe to return.

But it wasn't long after all the suitors had gathered that the atmosphere began to get a little, shall we say, tense.

With so many famous warriors and arrogant princes in the room, it seemed that everyone felt entitled to Helen's hand.

Now, King Tindarius was a smart man.

He could feel trouble brewing.

He knew that no matter who he picked for Helen's husband, the others would rebel.

There could be war.

Tyndarius did not want to risk the safety of his family or his kingdom.

He knew he had to choose, but he also knew that any choice he made would result in violence.

And so he sought counsel from the smartest man in the room, Odysseus.

Odysseus, what should I do?

No matter who I pick, the others will be upset.

There's bound to be war.

Now, Odysseus, being the clever man that he is, decided to spin this situation to his own advantage.

You are correct, King Tedarius.

Whoever you do not choose will be outraged, Odysseus declared.

Now, I have a solution to this problem, temporary though it may be, and I'd be willing to share it with you if you grant me a small request.

I suppose you want to marry Helen too, don't you?

He replied.

On the contrary, no.

Helen is quite beautiful, I do not deny that, but my heart belongs to another.

Help me wed Penelope, daughter of Icarius, and I will solve this whole suitor debacle for you this very evening.

One less suitor for Helen and a solution for his problem?

King Tindarius readily agreed.

So later that evening, Odysseus addressed the crowd of suitors.

Gentlemen, we're all here for one reason, for the lovely Helen.

King Tindarius invited us all here because he finds us worthy of her hand.

Now is the moment where we get to prove such worthiness.

Let us make a solemn oath here and now that we will support Helen's future husband regardless of who is chosen.

Let us swear to defend this chosen husband against anyone who tries to claim Helen as his own.

Helen has already been kidnapped once.

Should someone try to take her again, let us all promise to come to her aid.

The men looked around the room at each other.

Once again, Odysseus had done it.

No one wanted to appear dishonorable and ruin his chances of being chosen.

So,

although slightly begrudgingly, they all swore the oath to defend whoever Tyndarius chose against anyone who decides to unlawfully steal Helen.

King Tyndarius was relieved.

He knew that there would be no bloodshed over Helen, at least for tonight.

In fact, he was so relieved that he decided to let Helen choose who she would like to marry.

They were all offering huge amounts of gifts.

I mean, King Tendarius honestly couldn't choose between one pile and another.

So Helen surveyed the room, looking at each man.

She was searching for one thing and one thing only:

kindness.

Eventually, she landed on a friendly face.

Menelaus, who had been staying in Sparta for the past few months and had always been fairly kind to her.

True, they hadn't really had much interaction, but he was familiar.

And, she figured, with no home of his own to return to, she would be able to stay in Sparta forever.

She wouldn't have to leave her home for a foreign kingdom.

It was as good a reason as any to marry.

I choose Menelaus, she declared.

And just like that, it was over.

The men grumbled and swore under their breath, but no one came close to breaking the oath.

Odysseus left with a smile, off to wed his beloved Penelope.

King Tyndarius was pleased with Helen's pick.

Menelaus was eager to prove himself as king, and Helen was content with staying at her home in Sparta.

So the years passed by in predictable fashion.

Many of the suitors became impressive princes and warriors.

Agamemnon went on to marry Helen's sister Clytemnestra and become king of Argos.

Odysseus was living his best life at home in Ithaca, happily married to his beloved Penelope.

And Helen?

Well, she and Menelaus had a fairly happy marriage.

She was right.

He was a kind man.

They had a daughter named Hermione and continued to live in Sparta.

All was well.

Until one day, they received an unexpected visitor.

It was Paris, newly minted Prince of Troy.

Yes, Paris had been recognized by his royal parents at this point and was wandering the world looking to prove himself.

He hadn't thought of the great apple beauty pageant in years, not since he left his life as a shepherd and the nymph Oinone behind.

When he arrived in Sparta, Paris was simply traveling through the area, looking for a place to stay.

King Menelaus welcomed him to the city and when he learned that Paris was the long-lost prince of Troy, he was overjoyed by this unexpected turn of events.

You must stay in the palace.

I wouldn't want anyone in Troy to think that Sparta has disrespect for their prince.

Paris was welcomed with generous hospitality as was tradition in the Greek world.

But the second he saw the queen of Sparta, Helen, Paris remembered that long-ago promise from Aphrodite, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Paris liked Menelaus enough, but he was still determined to make Helen his bride.

As Aphrodite said, he deserved the best.

There was just one teeny tiny problem with this plan.

Helen.

You see, she was pretty happy in Sparta.

She loved her daughter and more or less liked her husband Menelaus.

She wouldn't just leave her entire world behind for someone she barely knew, but unfortunately for Helen, Aphrodite was involved.

As the goddess of love and beauty, one of Aphrodite's unique talents was making people fall in love.

Upon Paris's arrival, Aphrodite cast a love spell on Helen.

She made it so that Helen had no choice but to fall head over heels in love with Sparta's newest visitor.

The two were immediately starstruck.

Helen, of course, was under the influence of Aphrodite, and Paris was mesmerized by Helen's beauty.

A few days after his arrival, he snuck into her room and begged Helen to leave with him.

Come with me.

We'll go back to Troy and show my parents I am worthy of being their son.

With you as my bride, no one would doubt it.

Helen, being under Aphrodite's spell, quickly agreed.

And that very night, under the cover of darkness, Helen left her daughter, left her family, left her husband, and followed Paris back to Troy.

When Menelaus woke the next morning, Helen was gone.

And of course, so was Paris.

It didn't take long before he realized that she had been stolen by the Prince of Troy.

Menelaus sounded the alarm, awakening the whole city.

He would do just about anything to get Helen back.

He would even start a war.

That's it for this week's episode, and that's where we leave Helen for now.

Come back next week when we'll talk about one of the most famous warriors of all time.

Listen and you'll see it

National Geographic Kids Greaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis with Tori Kerr as the oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Lillian Doherty is our subject matter expert and Emily Everhart is our producer.