Literature · 2
In Homer's 'The Iliad,' the entire Trojan War is set in motion by the abduction of which Greek queen?
Answer
Helen of Sparta
The Iliad's backstory hinges on Paris of Troy taking Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, to Troy — prompting the Greek coalition to launch a decade-long war to retrieve her. Helen's legendary beauty made her the archetypal catalyst of the conflict.
💡 Did you know?
The phrase 'the face that launched a thousand ships' referring to Helen was coined not in ancient Greece but by playwright Christopher Marlowe in his 1592 play 'Doctor Faustus.'
Other options people guess
- Clytemnestra
- Penelope
- Cassandra
Topics
- ancient-greece
- epic-poem
- homer
- troy
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