Mythological Role:

Helen is the daughter of Zeus (in the form of a swan) and Leda, and she is renowned for being the most beautiful woman in the world. Several Greek heroes asked for her hand, but it was Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, who married her, after the suitors had sworn to defend the chosen marriage (the Oath of Tyndareus). Helen is abducted or seduced by Paris, a Trojan prince, during a diplomatic visit to Sparta. This act, seen as a profanation of hospitality, provokes the union of the Greek kings against Troy. This is the beginning of the Trojan War, as narrated in The Iliad. This myth speaks to us of reputation management, conflicts surrounding representation, and responsibilities projected onto visible figures.