Menelaus: A Greek Hero
A hero is one who takes risks and earns respect from others around him. In Greek mythology, heroes came and gone; they fought with bravery and were respected. In the Trojan War, Menelaus was one of the most significant Greek heroes. Menelaus clearly exemplifies the qualities of the courage and respect in a hero. As the King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy, he played an important role in the duel with Paris, the Prince of Troy, to win back his wife from her abduction to Troy. His bravery to fight the man who kidnapped Helen gave him the benefits of the duel and he happily reunited with his wife. There are several different versions of Menelaus and Helen’s reunion, but most say the same—they end up together in the end. According to several …show more content…
Menelaus exemplifies the qualities of a courageous hero based on his actions in the Trojan War. To begin with, the Trojan War began when Paris abducted Helen, Menelaus’ wife. Menelaus commanded for her back, but the Trojan side had refused to return her (Megas). The Greeks assembled …show more content…
According to the acclaimed class epic, The Iliad, by ancient Greek poet, Homer, Paris and Menelaus agreed to a single combat duel for the return of Helen. Menelaus’ bravery is clearly shown, as he wanted to fight for his wife and was willing to sacrifice his life for her. It is logical that Menelaus wanted to kill Paris; after all, he did capture his wife and made the situation more difficult by challenging Menelaus for a duel. With one last hit, Menelaus could have killed him, but Paris was saved and swept away into Troy by Aphrodite. Since, Aphrodite “veiled Paris in sheltering mist,” Menelaus was declared the victor of the duel (Schwab 366). It is safe to say Menelaus deserved this because he genuinely wanted Helen back, so he gave his all for his beautiful wife. His victory won “shouts of approval” which indicate that the citizens were supportive of him and felt pleased with the outcome; therefore, the citizens respect him and his actions (367). Another example of Menelaus’ heroic traits is during the attacks between Poseidon and the Achaeans. There were several
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