Leda's swan. - Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces). - The abduction of the daughters of Leucippus - Gilaeira and Phoebe. - Divided immortality.

Leda's swan

Leda, the wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus, attracted the attention of Zeus. Not wanting to arouse the jealousy of Hera, Zeus, disguised as a swan, flew from the top of Mount Olympus to meet the beautiful Leda.

This poetic myth inspired many artists. Many ancient statues and cameos depicting this mythological plot have been preserved.

Of the later painters, Correggio, Paolo Veronese, and Tintoretto painted on the same subject, but the Venetian painters were not particularly historically accurate in their mythological paintings.

So, for example, Tintoretto portrayed Leda in a room. Finding it probably not particularly convenient to keep such a large bird as a swan free in the room, Leda, as it were, orders her maids to lock Zeus the swan in a chicken cage, in which there are already other birds, and Leda's small dog barks fiercely at the swan .

Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces)

Brothers Dioscuri(translated from ancient Greek it means - sons of Zeus) - Castor and Pollux(in ancient Greek name Pollux - Polydeuces), the sons of Leda, were born from an egg, since Zeus communicated with Leda in the form of a bird - a swan. An antique sculptural image of Leda has survived, showing an egg with two twins to her husband Tyndareus, king of Sparta.

The Dioscuri brothers were twins, but, according to ancient myths, Castor was the son of Leda and Tyndareus - a mortal, although a king, and Pollux (Polideuces), as the son of Zeus and Leda, enjoyed the privilege of divine immortality. However, both of them are collectively called the sons of Zeus - the Dioscuri.

Both brothers of Dioscurus took part and distinguished themselves in the famous campaign. Dioscurus Pollux (Polideuces) defeated the cruel king of the Bebriks, Amik, in a fistfight, and since then Pollux has been considered the patron of all athletes and wrestlers. Dioscurus Castor defeated and subdued the wild horses. The Dioscuri brothers also defeated and defeated the sea robbers they came across on the road.

The abduction of the daughters of Leucippus - Gilaeira and Phoebe

Both brothers of Dioscurus, seduced by the beauty of the two daughters of Leucippus - Gilaeira and Phoebe, kidnapped them.

But the beauties Gilaeira and Phoebe were already the brides of two Messenian heroes - Idas and Linkei. A fierce struggle ensued between the rivals. Struck by the arrow of the enemy, Castor fell, Pollux (Polideuces) hurried to his aid, and Zeus, seeing the unequal struggle, struck Idas and Linkei, impudent youths who decided to compete with his sons, the Dioscuri, with their thunderous arrows.

Divided immortality

Dioscurus Pollux (Polideuces), seeing that his brother Castor had turned into a lifeless corpse, began to beg Zeus to bring Pollux back to life, but the lord of the gods replied that he could only offer Pollux the following choice: either share the dwelling of the gods and be eternally immortal, or together with his twin brother Castor, spend half a year in the gloomy kingdom of the god Pluto (c), and half a year on Olympus.

Pollux immediately chose the latter, not wanting to part with his brother. Touched by such tender friendship, Zeus turned the Dioscuri brothers into the constellation Gemini. The Dioscuri were also considered in antiquity to be the personification of the evening and morning stars.

Many ancient temples were dedicated to the Dioscuri. Games were instituted in honor of the Dioscuri. Many coins with their images, statues and carved stones have been preserved. One very valuable cameo depicts the heads of both Dioscuri twins; a star shines on the forehead of every Dioscurus.

In the Munich Pinakothek there is a beautiful painting by Rubens depicting the abduction of the daughters of Leucippus by the Dioscuri. She is very famous for many replays.

An antique group, considered one of the best sculptural works of ancient times, depicts Castor and Pollux in full growth: one of the Dioscuri brothers holds two torches - one burning, the other extinguished, as if hinting that the Dioscuri spend half a year in the realm of shadows, and half a year among gods of Olympus.

ZAUMNIK.RU, Egor A. Polikarpov - scientific editing, scientific proofreading, design, selection of illustrations, additions, explanations, translations from Latin and ancient Greek; all rights reserved.

Anazonki - In Greek mythology - a warlike tribe of women who lived on the shores of Meotida (Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov) or Asia Minor; they did not marry, but in order to preserve their lineage, they gave birth to men from neighboring tribes. Then the boys were killed or given to their fathers, and the girls were brought up by themselves, first of all they were taught to ride horses and throw a spear. In the heat of militancy, the Amazons reached Athens. At this time in Athens rulesTheseus ., which previously together withHercules fought with the Amazons, defeated them and, as a reward, took as his wife the bravest of them - Antiope (option Hippolyta ). And now the Amazons have set up their camp near Athens. Theseus tried to defeat the army of warlike horsewomen, fought with him and antiope who passionately loved her husband; now the female warriors she had previously commanded were her enemies. In one of the battles, a spear pierced Antiope's chest. Theseus bent over the body of his wife, both armies stopped fighting. Together with the grief-stricken Athenians, the Amazons buried the young queen, and sadly returned to their native shores of distant Meotida.
The Amazons were believed to be descended from a Greek god Ares and Harmonies. Their name allegedly comes from the name of burning out the left chest of girls for more convenient possession of weapons. The Amazons worship Ares and Artemis while spending time in battles. The Amazons have participated in many legendary battles. For example amazon Pensifeleya helped the Trojans in the war and was killed by Akhil. The Amazons were credited with founding the city of Ephesus and building the famous temple there in honor of Artemis. The myths about the Amazons and their struggle with the Olympic heroes reflected elements of matriarchy.Legends of the Amazonswidely known in all parts of the world, being either the birth of local traditions or the spread of Greek ..)

Peter Paul Rubens. Judgment of Paris, 1625

Judgment of Paris

Three Graces

Graces, in Roman mythology (in ancient Greek - Charites) beneficent goddesses, personifying the joyful, kind and eternally young beginning of life, the daughters of Jupiter, nymphs and goddesses. The names of the Graces (charit), their origin and number are different in different myths. In ancient times, the goddesses were depicted in chitons flowing in soft folds, and later - naked, so that nothing could hide their charms.
The Three Graces represent Beauty, Love and Pleasure. The Graces are in the retinue of Venus. In Neoplatonism, they symbolize the three aspects of love. In medieval art, graces are Virtue, Beauty and Love, and their attributes are rose, myrtle and apple, sometimes dice.

"The Graces are either naked when they want to show that there is no deceit in them, or they are dressed in translucent clothes when they want to emphasize their charms and dignity" (Seneca).

Diana and her maids caught by fauns

Diana, in Roman mythology, the goddess of nature and hunting, was considered the personification of the moon, just as her brother Apollo was identified with the sun in late Roman antiquity. Diana was also accompanied by the epithet "goddess of three roads", which was interpreted as a sign of Diana's triple power: in heaven, on earth and underground. The goddess was also known as the patroness of the Latins, plebeians and slaves captured by Rome. The anniversary of the foundation of the temple of Diana on the Aventina, one of the seven Roman hills, was considered their holiday, which ensured the goddess's popularity among the lower classes. A legend about an extraordinary cow is associated with this temple: it was predicted that whoever sacrificed it to the goddess in the sanctuary on the Aventina would provide his city with power over all of Italy.

When King Servius Tullius found out about the prediction, he took possession of the cow by cunning, sacrificed the animal to Diana and decorated the temple with its horns. Diana was identified with the Greek Artemis and the goddess of darkness and sorcery Hekate. The myth of the unfortunate hunter Actaeon is associated with Diana. The young man, who saw the bathing beautiful goddess, Artemis - Diana in anger turned into a deer, which was torn to pieces by her own dogs.

Fauns are mythological creations of ancient times - half people, half goats.

Simon (Tsimon) and Pero

The theme "Simon and Pero", the theme of love for parents, was often addressed by artists of the 16th-18th centuries in Italy and the Netherlands.

A handsome young man fell in love with Aphrodite (Venus), who entrusted him to the queen of the underworld, Persephone. Persephone herself fell in love with Adonis and did not want to return him to Aphrodite. Their dispute was decided by Zeus, who commanded that Adonis lived in the underworld for a third of the year, with Aphrodite for the other third, and the rest of the time he was in charge of himself. Adonis took advantage of this to lengthen his stay with Phrodite. Having matured, he became a hunter and died, mortally wounded by a boar.
According to the accepted interpretation of the myths, Adonis symbolized the awakening of nature in the spring and withering in the fall (leaving for the underworld). A holiday in honor of him was common in ancient times in the Middle East and Egypt. The ancient ritual contained two different rites: on the first day, the return from the underworld to Aphrodite was celebrated, which was accompanied by fun; the second day, when the departure of Adonis to Persephone was celebrated, was mourning. Traces of the ritual are preserved in ancient Greek poetry. The fifteenth idyll of Theocritus sings the first day, the first idyll of Bion ("Epitaph of Adonis") mourns the death of a beautiful young man.

The viewer who first approaches this canvas (it was painted in 1617-1618, Rubens is 40 years old) or sees a reproduction of the painting for the first time, first of all reads the title: “The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus”.
If he (the viewer) is familiar with Greek mythology, he understands who is in front of him: the twin brothers Castor and Pollux and their cousins, the daughters of their uncle Leucippus - Phoebe and Gilayera. These two sisters are at the same time the brides of Idas and Linkei, cousins ​​of Castor and Pollux. (It is difficult to describe the plot in a nutshell, but I'll try: the brothers steal brides from their brothers, and the brides are sisters to both of them at the same time. The relationship is not direct, but cousin.) The scene is Sparta.

Women are more than average fatness. Men of powerful physique, completely different from each other, although they hatched from the same egg that Leda laid down. And Leda laid an egg not from anyone, but from Zeus himself, who fell on her in the form of a swan. Therefore, the brothers have another name - Dioscuri, which in ancient Greek means "sons of Zeus."
One dismounted, the other on horseback. The rider is Castor, he is a horse tamer. Dismounted - fist fighter Pollux (or Pollux, which is the same thing). Apparently, one of the girls, which they are already holding in their arms, the brothers are trying to put on a horse. Pollux puts the other one on its feet. The one that was raised is called Gilajera, and the second, you know, Phoebe.
(A small digression. Ancient sources in no way determine the age of the heroes of this myth. It is possible that men are a little over 30, and girls are 15-16 years old: this, according to Plato, is the marriageable age of those times.)
The place of action is not in the house, not in the estate. Completely open area. The time of the theft (judging by the shadow) is around noon. What the girls were doing in the field at such a time and in such a form is unknown. But they look quite seductive. By the expression on their faces it is difficult to tell what the girls are experiencing. No fear, no fear. Maybe the brothers agreed with them in advance about a date? Maybe the girls on the eve of the wedding decided to take the soul (and at the same time the body)? And here - here you are! - they are loaded onto horses and trying to take away.
Was there anything between them until the moment depicted in the picture or not? On the one hand, Castor is already in full armor. Yes, and Polydeuces in boots and a toga. There must have been something. And only after that (the ladies, apparently, dozed off), having left for a minute, the brothers got dressed, went to the horses and returned for prey. Polydeuces dismounted and began to load the burden. And the girls are still sleepy, they don’t quite understand what else they want from them. It seems that they even screamed (otherwise why would the horse rear up). Maybe they called for help. (Think it over! Previously, you should have thought about the consequences!)
But they seem to be only slightly puzzled, there are no signs of their serious resistance: they do not repel the kidnappers, do not pull them by the hair or other places. Surprise, amazement - yes, but everything is not so scary!
The motif of the theft remained outside the frame of the picture. It was a fight between cousins: brides were stolen not out of love, but out of a desire to avenge an insult. But Rubens decided that it was necessary to give the kidnapping of brides a love coloring: cupids fly over horses.
(It can be confidently asserted that Rubens knew the history of the Ancient World quite well. That is why the girls ended up in an open field. The Greeks do not have a direct indication of the freedom of premarital relations, there is only a hint.
Historians write that “the relationship of married women with men was less free than the relationship of young girls. Women went out into the street only in veils, while the girls went around with their faces uncovered. When one Spartan was asked about the origin of this custom, he replied: “The girl still needs to find a husband, while married woman it remains only to save the one that already exists. In addition, Spartan education involved the communication of children of both sexes. And it must be assumed that not everyone kept themselves until marriage.
The girls in the picture are golden-haired. It would seem that Greek women should be brunettes. But historians write that women at that time actively used special compounds for dyeing their hair golden.
And why did the kidnapping not provoke active resistance? Yes, because kidnapping in those days is marriage. And marriage, like the birth of children, was a religious obligation in ancient Greece. No one asked consent to marriage: they stole, brought into the house - and for the woman began family life. And the groom just had to steal the bride.
Retribution followed soon after. The mortal Castor is dead. Pollux also expected death, but Zeus gave him immortality. And here is the most significant moment in history: the brother asks Zeus to save his brother's life. Zeus tells him that he can give him (mortal) only half of immortal life. That is, half a day can be spent on Olympus, and half a day - in the kingdom of the dead. The same will happen with Castor. Pollux agreed.
It is this - endless brotherly love, the willingness to sacrifice oneself for a brother - that became the reason that the names of the brothers remained in history. Very unusual, very great was the sacrifice in the name of brotherly love!
The brothers themselves are far from a model of piety: thieves, almost bandits, hired soldiers. But the legend idolizes them. Artists create their image throughout the entire existence of the myth. They are in statues, and on coins, and in the paintings of temples, and in the paintings of vases. There is even in the sky (the constellation Gemini). "They were honored not only in Sparta, but also in Greece and Italy as intercessor gods, as helpers in battle and saviors in shipwrecks."
All the previous concerns the heroes of the picture. And now - about the picture itself.
According to historians, Spartan girls should be slim and fit. And what we see: resounding, well-fed, one might say, luxurious girls. Why did Rubens deviate from the legends of Sparta? Didn't find suitable models? Or deliberately left the classic lines? But it may be so: the artist simply could not draw others! These were the ones he liked (By the way, the second wife of Rubens, Elena Fourment, is very similar in complexion to the daughters of Leucippus, but at the time of writing the picture she was only 4 years old).
What touched the great master was this very moment in the life of the brothers: the kidnapping of women. Perhaps Rubens also believed that a woman should be taken by force, stolen? Or is it important that this theft was followed by a tragedy - a mortal battle with cousins?

And, perhaps, the picture hides a deep motive: the conquest of a woman by force leads to tragic consequences?

The famous painting by Peter Powell Rubens “The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus” depicts a plot from ancient Greek mythology: the Dioscuri brothers (Castor and Polydeuces) kidnap Phoebe and Gilaira, the daughters of King Leucippus of Messenia.
Phoebe was the priestess of Athena, while Gilaira was the priestess of Artemis. The Dioscuri brothers - Castor and Polydeuces - were born from the beautiful Leda. In order to seduce her, Zeus once turned into a swan. Castor was the son of Zeus, Polydeuces was the son of the king of Sparta Tyndareus. According to legend, the Dioscuri brothers lived not far from Sparta, in the town of Ferapna. They accomplished many deeds and tricks. Together with their cousins, the sons of King Afarey, Castor and Polydeuces once stole a herd of bulls in Arcadia.

But the Dioscuri were not satisfied with this either: they also kidnapped the brides of their cousins, the daughters of King Leucippus.
The painting The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus (1619-1620) depicts the climax of the legendary abduction. Tanned and strong, real athletes, Castor and Polydeuces, dressed as for battle, sitting on beautiful and strong horses, pick up the beautiful naked daughters of Leucippus.
On the Rubens canvas, the girls look confused. They apparently did not expect such a turn of events. The long red hair of the girls is skillfully braided in the fashion of the Flemish Baroque, intricately decorated with pearls. But the sisters' naked arms are inlaid precious stones Golden bracelets. The beautiful faces of the daughters of Leucippus are full of despair. Phoebe and Gilaira cry out to the sky, praying to the gods to protect them. However, the cupid boy - a playful winged baby - curls next to the daughters of Leucippus. It is not surprising that Cupid patronizes Castor and Pollux. In ancient Greek mythology, he is the recognized deity of frivolous adventures.
How feminine and weak Phoebe and Gilaira are - so masculine are Castor and Polydeuces. This contradiction of male and female - passion and confusion, inexorable strength and weak resistance - comes into harmony with the unity of beauty in the depiction of the bodily and personal beauty of the characters in the picture.
According to legend, the brothers of the daughters of Leucippus - Idas and Linkey - tried to save their sisters from the cruel Castor and Polydeuces. It was not possible to return the girls, but one of the kidnappers, Castor, was killed. Zeus, who was the father of another brother, Polydeuces, promised him that he would be able to visit Castor in the realm of the dead every other day. Here is what the ancient Greek lyric poet Pindar writes about this in his poem Nemean Songs:

Variable succession
The day they stay with Zeus, dear father,
And the day - in the hollow depths of Ferapna.
One is their lot,
For this is dearer to Polide,
Than completely be his god and live in heaven,
And Castor lies dead in battle.

In ancient Greek mythology, the Dioscuri brothers - Castor and Polydeuces - became a symbol of strong fraternal friendship. Their friendship symbolizes life and death, light and darkness, night and day. Castor, who was an excellent horseman during his legendary life, was considered the patron saint of horsemen in ancient Greece. Skillful in fisticuffs, Polideuces patronized those who practiced this art. And besides this, the Dioscuri brothers are credited with the invention of the Pyrrhic military dance, which was once very popular in Sparta. Author's material:

First, the Ancients invented gods for themselves, who actively abducted beautiful maidens, and after that they calmly followed their example.

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The Abduction of Europa

Valentin Serov. The Abduction of Europa. 1910

Europe(from the Assyrian word "ereb" - Sunset) - in ancient Greek mythology, the daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor.

Once the supreme god Zeus fell in love with the beautiful princess Europe. She loved to walk with her friends on the Mediterranean coast. Zeus saw her there. He turned into a beautiful snow-white bull with pearl horns, very affectionate and beautiful. The girls had fun playing with the bull, decorating its horns with flower garlands (a fragment of the garland can also be seen in Serov's painting). Finally, Europe decided to ride it - but as soon as she sat on the broad back of the bull-Zeus, he rushed into the sea and swam. So Zeus with Europa on his back got to Crete. On the island, he took the form of a beautiful youth and took possession of Europe. From this union three sons were born: Minos, Radamanths and Sarpedon. The first became the ruler of Crete, where since then the image of a bull has been sacredly honored.

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The Abduction of Psyche

Adolf William Bouguereau. Psyche and Cupid (left) and the Abduction of Psyche (right). 1889, 1895

Psyche(other Greek Ψυχή, “soul”, “breath”) - in ancient Greek mythology, the personification of the soul, breath; was presented in the form of a butterfly or a young girl with butterfly wings. The myth of Psyche was first developed by Apuleius in his novel Metamorphoses, or the Golden Ass.

One king had three beautiful daughters, of whom the youngest, Psyche, was the most beautiful of all. The fame of her beauty spread throughout the earth. They even began to give her divine honors, forgetting Aphrodite (aka Venus). The latter was offended and decided to destroy her rival. Calling her son Cupid (aka Eros, aka Cupid), she showed him the beauty and ordered him to instill in her love for the most outcast, ugly and miserable of people.

Meanwhile, Psyche felt very unhappy because everyone admired her as a soulless beauty, and no one was looking for her hand. In grief, her father turned to the Milesian oracle, and he replied that Psyche should be taken to the rock for marriage with a terrible monster. Fulfilling the will of the oracle, the unfortunate father brought Psyche to the indicated place and left her alone. Suddenly, a breath of wind carried her to a wonderful palace inhabited by invisible spirits. The whole day she walked around the palace, and in the evening, when she was about to go to bed, a voice was heard near her: “Do not be afraid of anything and no one, dear Psyche, from today I am your husband. Live calmly. You won't need anything. I will take care of you." Psyche was delighted and began to live in this palace. She spent the day alone, only at night her mysterious invisible husband came to her. He was affectionate and kind, assured her of his infinite love for her, but Psyche never managed to see him.

The blissful life of Psyche, however, did not last long: the envious sisters, having learned about her well-being, decided to harass her and by cunning achieved that Psyche broke her promise to her husband - not to inquire who he was. The evil sisters whispered to her that the invisible husband is a dragon who will one day eat her with her fetus (Psyche was already pregnant), and convinced her that she, armed with a sword and a lamp, would lie in wait for him during sleep and kill him. Trusting Psyche obeyed, lit a lamp, and began to examine her husband, who turned out to be a beautiful Cupid. While she, amazed by the beauty of his face, was admiring the sleeping man, a hot drop of oil fell from the lamp on the god’s shoulder and he woke up from pain. Offended by the treachery and frivolity of his wife, he flew away from her, and she, abandoned, went across the earth to look for her lover.

For a long time, Psyche walked all over the lands until she was forced to bow before her "mother-in-law" Aphrodite, who for a long time was looking for an opportunity to take revenge on Psyche. At this time, Amur, sick from a burn, was lying with his mother. Finding herself under the same roof with her husband, but separated from him, Psyche had to endure the endless bullying of Aphrodite, who, wishing her death, came up with various impossible works. Psyche was able to overcome all worries and sorrows, and then the recovered Cupid obtained the consent of the celestials to marry Psyche, who received immortality from Zeus and was attached to the assembly of the gods. From the marriage of Psyche with Cupid, Volupia, the goddess personifying pleasure, was born.

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The abduction of the daughters of Leucippus

Peter Paul Rubens. The abduction of the daughters of Leucippus. 1617-1618

Let's start from afar. The king of Sparta, Tyndareus, had a wife, Leda. Once, on the river Eurotas, Zeus, seduced by the beauty of Leda, appeared before her in the form of a swan and took possession of her. As a result of this, Leda laid three eggs (!), From which they hatched: Castor, Polydeuces and Helen. It should be noted right away that “Leda and the Swan” is an iconographic plot depicting Leda in the process of copulating with Zeus (Jupiter) who has taken the form of a swan or hugging a swan in the presence of their common children. Due to its erotic content, the plot was especially popular in the art of the Italian Renaissance. In most of the paintings I found, it is quite frankly and unambiguously depicted how a swan copulates with a woman in various erotic poses. Supporters of bestiality, I recommend that you contact the appropriate link below.

Dioscuri(ancient Greek Διόσκουροι - young sons of Zeus) - in ancient Greek mythology, Castor and Polideucus, twins, children of Leda and Zeus. Members of the campaign of the Argonauts and the Calydonian hunt.

The Dioscuri had an uncle Leucippus. Leucippus lived in Sparta and had two beautiful daughters: Phoebe and Ghilayera, i.e. they were cousins ​​of the Dioscuri. So these sisters, in turn, were the brides of the cousins ​​​​of the Dioscuri - Idas and Linkey. The Dioscuri brothers (Castor and Polydeuces) were in a quarrel with their cousins, so they decided to take revenge by kidnapping their brides on the eve of the wedding. It was like this: the Dioscuri invited their sisters Phoebe and Gilajera to take a walk in the evening. A walk under the moon gradually grew into intercourse between relatives. If you return to the painting by Rubens, then you will be presented with the scene of the awakening of the sisters. Castor and Polydeuces have already dressed, fetched horses and are beginning to load their burden. Naked sleepy girls still do not quite understand what is happening and that they are being kidnapped. However, the sisters do not show serious signs of resistance - a little puzzled, they allow themselves to be quietly kidnapped, especially since in those days the theft of a woman was equated with marrying her.

Insulted, Idas and Linkei went to war against the Dioscuri. As a result of their civil strife, Castor killed Linkey, Idas killed Castor, and Idas was killed by Polydeuces. Zeus decided to give his only surviving son immortality, but Polydeuces asked him to give him the opportunity to die with his brother. Then Zeus offered him a choice: either to stay forever on Olympus alone, or together with Castor to spend one day on Olympus, the other in the underworld. True to his brother, Polydeuces chose the latter, and since then the Dioscuri began to spend one day on Olympus, and the other in the realm of the dead.

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Elena's kidnapping

Guido Reni. Elena's kidnapping. 1626-1630

Elena the beautiful (Trojan, Spartan; Greek Ἑλένα) - in ancient Greek mythology, the most beautiful of women. Daughter of Leda and Zeus Native sister Dioscuri. She has been kidnapped multiple times in her life.

As we remember, Elena was born from the third egg laid by Leda. Formally, Leda was married to Tyndareus, so Helen is considered the daughter of the king of Sparta. She was the most beautiful of women, and even the goddesses envied her (I've heard it all somewhere before...). Once, while enjoying wine in Athens, Theseus and his widower friend Pirithous decided to kidnap the beautiful Helen. Then she was still a very young girl (12 years old), but the fame of her beauty thundered far throughout Greece. Arriving secretly in Laconia, the friends seized Helen in the temple as she danced merrily with her friends during the Artemis festival, and quickly transported her to the fortress of Athens. Hiding in Attica, Theseus and Pirithous cast lots to see which of them should own the marvelous beauty. The lot fell to Theseus, but even earlier the friends swore an oath to each other that the one who gets the beautifully curly Elena should help the other get a wife. Pirithous demanded from his friend to help him get Persephone, the wife of the terrible god Hades, as his wife, but, having descended into the kingdom of the dead, the friends fell into a trap. While Theseus and Pirithous, immobilized, remained underground, the brothers of the beautiful Helen, Castor and Polydeuces, were looking everywhere for their sister. Finally, they found out where Theseus hid Elena. They immediately laid siege to Athens, and the impregnable fortress could not resist. The Dioscuri freed the sister. When Theseus was able to escape from the bonds of Hades, Athens had already been destroyed, Theseus' power was overthrown, and Helen was returned to Sparta.

Houses of Tyndareus for a long time he did not dare to give Elena to any of the heroes who came to him as his wife. He was afraid that other heroes, out of envy of the lucky one, would start a fight with him and a great strife would arise. On the advice of Odysseus, it was decided that Elena herself would choose her husband, and all the suitors would swear that no one would touch her chosen one. The beautifully curly woman chose Menelaus. He married the beautiful Helen and after the death of Tyndareus became the king of Sparta. Menelaus was the happiest of mortals, and did not even suspect how much trouble marriage with the daughter of Zeus promised him.

One day, the beautiful prince Paris came to visit Menelaus from Troy. Menelaus received him cordially. A rich meal was prepared in honor of the guests. During this meal, Paris first saw the beautiful Helen. Full of delight, he looked at her, admiring her unearthly beauty. At the same time, Elena was captivated by the beauty of Paris. Several days have passed. Menelaus had to go to Crete. Leaving, he asked Elena to take care of the guests, so that they would not lack anything. When Menelaus left, Paris immediately, with the help of Aphrodite, with gentle speeches, persuaded the beautiful Helen to leave her husband's house and flee with him to Troy. Paris secretly took Helen to his ship, stealing from Menelaus his wife, and with her his treasures. Elena forgot everything - her husband, her native Sparta, and she forgot her daughter Hermione for the sake of love for Paris. Menelaus fell into a terrible rage when he learned that Elena had deceived him and that his treasures had been stolen. With his brother Agamemnon, he enlisted the support of the Greek kings and started a war with Troy, which lasted 10 years. When the Greeks finally took Troy, and Paris was killed, Menelaus looked everywhere for his wife with a sword in his hands: according to the customs of the time, only her death could restore her husband's desecrated honor. His comrades-in-arms, in turn, were also going to betray her cruel execution - stoning, but when they saw Elena naked, Menelaus, blinded by her beauty, dropped his sword and with tears in his eyes forgave her, and after him the whole Greek army forgave her. After long wanderings, Menelaus and his wife returned to Sparta.

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