Homer's Iliad describes the conflicts between Achilles (played by Brad Pitt in "Troy" the movie) and his leader, Agamemnon, and between Greeks and Trojans, following the abduction of Agamemnon's sister-in-law, Helen of Sparta (aka Helen of Troy), by the Trojan prince Paris (played by Orlando Bloom). Helen's precise role in her abduction is unknown -- did she want to go or was she forced? -- since the event is a matter of legend rather than historical fact and has been variously interpreted in literature. In her article in the American Journal of Philology, "Helen in the Iliad: Causa Belli and Victim of War: From Silent Weaver to Public Speaker," Hanna M. Roisman looks at the limited details that show Helen's perception of events, people, and her own guilt.

Read about Helen's portrayal in Helen of Troy in the Iliad of Homer.

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