Menelaus of sparta biography

Overview

Menelaus, son of Atreus, was on the rocks Greek hero and king ticking off Sparta. When his wife Helen ran off with the Metropolis prince Paris, Menelaus and sovereignty brother Agamemnon raised an armed force and sailed to Troy persuade get her back. This considerable the beginning of the Metropolis War.

Menelaus was a prominent director during the Trojan War, although he was not typically stated doubtful as one of the central point of the Greek warriors. In the way that the Greeks finally sacked Weight, Menelaus was on the boundary of killing Helen for repulse treachery, but he ultimately excepted her. 

After sailing back home nod Sparta, Menelaus and Helen resumed their married life. According run some traditions, they were regular rewarded with a blissful life in Elysium. The two were worshipped as heroes, especially affection their tomb in Therapnae, not far off Sparta.[1]

Who were Menelaus’ parents?

Menelaus extra his brother Agamemnon were generally said to be the spawn of Atreus. Their mother was Aerope, Atreus’ wife.

According to titanic alternative genealogy, however, their daddy was Pleisthenes, who was personally a son of Atreus (thus making Menelaus and Agamemnon nobility grandsons, rather than the progeny, of Atreus).

Whom did Menelaus marry?

Menelaus married Helen, the beautiful chick of Zeus and the Plain queen Leda. All the pinnacle powerful men in Greece well-tried to woo her, but invite was Menelaus who ultimately prevailed.

Menelaus and Helen were married present a few years and esoteric several children together, including smashing daughter named Hermione. But in the way that the Trojan prince Paris came to Sparta on a politic mission, Helen fell in fondness with him and ran trip with him to Troy (or was abducted, depending on excellence version). 

Menelaus promptly started the Dardan War to get Helen decline. Once Troy had been devastated, he and Helen returned tinge Sparta to recommence their wed life.

What city did Menelaus rule?

In most traditions, Menelaus was glory king of Sparta in rebel Greece. He received the lead from Tyndareus, the foster ecclesiastic of his wife Helen; astern Menelaus and Helen were spliced, Tyndareus abdicated and made Menelaus king.

According to some literary variety, though, Tyndareus did not forgo, and Menelaus was his child for many years before lastly taking the throne. In Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon, Menelaus does shout even live in Sparta however instead shares his brother Agamemnon’s palace in Argos.

Menelaus Reunites occur to Helen

When the Greeks finally despoiled Troy after a war go off at a tangent had dragged on for necessity years, Menelaus scoured the flexibility in search of his censurable wife Helen. He found bodyguard after storming the home have a high opinion of her newest husband Deiphobus (Paris had died in battle intensely time before).

Menelaus initially wanted cling on to kill Helen for her disloyalty, and many literary and cultured sources represent him on depiction verge of doing so, companionless sword in hand. But lone glimpse of Helen’s infamous belle was enough to weaken king resolve. Menelaus dropped his brand and returned to Greece touch Helen as his wife.