Mates of Helen and Clytemnestra
Agamemnon and Menelaus were sons of King Atreus of Mycenae, and were therefore referred to as Atrides. Agamemnon married the sister of Helen, Clytemnestra, and became king of Mycenae after driving his uncle out of Mycenae.
The first likely mate of Helen was the Athenian hero Theseus, who kidnapped Helen when she was still young. Later, the brother of Agamemnon, Menelaus, married Helen (of Sparta). In this way, Menelaus and Agamemnon were not only brothers but brothers-in-law, just as Helen and Clytemnestra were not only (half) sisters, but sisters-in-law.
After Paris was killed, his brother Deiphobus married Helen of Troy.
Clytemnestra
Agamemnon
House of Atreus
Paris and Helen of Troy
Paris (aka Alexander or Alexandros) was the son of King Priam of Troy and his queen, Hecuba, but he was rejected at birth, and raised as a shepherd on Mt. Ida. While living the life of a shepherd, the three goddesses, Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, appeared to him asking him to award the "fairest" of them the golden apple that Discord had promised one of them. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe, but the bribe offered by Aphrodite appealed to Paris most, so Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite. Aphrodite had offered Paris the most beautiful woman as bride. This woman was Helen. Unfortunately, Helen was the bride of Menelaus.
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Helen Kidnapped by Paris of Troy
Whether or not there was love between Menelaus and Helen is unclear. In the end, they may have been reconciled, but meanwhile, when Paris came to the court of Menelaus of Sparta as a guest, Menelaus received and extended hospitality to him. Thus, when Menelaus discovered that Paris had taken off for Troy with Helen, he was enraged at this violation of the laws of hospitality.
Along with Helen, Paris stole wealth, which he offers to return in the course of the Iliad, even when he is unwilling to return Helen.
Agamemnon Marshalls the Troops
Before Menelaus won out in the bid for Helen, all the leading princes and unmarried kings of Greece had sought to marry Helen. Before Menelaus married Helen, he extracted an oath from these, the Achaean leaders, that should anyone try to kidnap Helen again, they would all bring their troops to win back Helen for her rightful husband. When Paris took Helen to Troy, Agamemnon gathered together these Achaean leaders and made them honor their promise. Agamemnon then led the troops to Aulis -- the point from which they would sail to Troy -- where there was a delay.
Agamemnon
Iphigenia at Aulis
Major Points About and Events in the Trojan War
