Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was an infamous（声名狼藉的） lady. She lighted the flames of the Trojan war and brought extreme destruction on the city of Troy. Helen was the daughter of Zeus. Helen's matchless beauty and charms drew towards her many heroes from all parts of Greece.

 

When still small she was carried off by Theseus, who wished to have a divine（神圣的） wife . But she was rescued later by her brother Castor, and brought back to her native land. Her stepfather married her to Menelaus, king of Sparta. 

 

Nothing of importance had happened to her married life until Paris came to visit Sparta. Helen was attracted by Paris' lovely face. They stole one another's love in the absence of Menelausand then eloped on board a ship to Troy. Helen left her young daughter behind. To get Helen back, the Greek army sailed across and laid a long siege（围攻） to the city of Troy . 

 

Helen was quietly weaving her story into a web of golden carpet one day when she was called up the city walls of Troy to look at the fighting between Menelaus and Paris. Menelaus was determined¹ to kill Paris in the battle. Sitting by the side of King Priam, she told the chiefs of the Greek side to him. Tears of love filled up her eyes when she saw her first husband down below. After Paris fled the field she had the feelings of love and scorn. She encouraged Hector and Paris to take the field again and sincerely mourned the death of the true hero Hector. But when Odysseus and Diomedes came in disguise to steal the Palladium, she helped them to do so as much as she could. After Paris died in battle she became the wife of another son of Priam. 

 

In the meantime Menelaus was anxiously searching for Helen in the ruined palaces of Troy. Aphrodite had made Helen more beautiful, so that, when he finally found her trembling in a corner, Menelaus was most unwilling² to bring his sword down on her charming face. Menelaus felt secretly overjoyed to have his wife back again. Following Menelaus through the ruins of the city, Helen felt ashamed of her impure³ behaviour. And she was truly scared at the terrible fate she was to have in the Greek Camp. 

 

Once more her beauty saved her. No one could bring him self to thrust his sword into such a charming and graceful⁴ lady. In the tent of Menelaus she threw herself at the feet of the Spartan⁵ king, asking for forgiveness . Moved by the scene, Menelaus helped her up and let her forget the past. He held her in his arms while she had tears of grief and happiness. The pair loved each other like before and vanished in the far west. 

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