Parian ~ Menelaus

England
Circa 1860

In Greek mythology, Menelaus, king of Sparta, was the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and the brother of the great warrior Agamemnon. Menelaus’s beautiful wife, Helen, the daughter of Zeus and a woman called Leda, was at the center of the events that led to the Trojan War.

The conflict with the Trojans was set in motion when Aphrodite, the goddess of love, took steps to win a beauty contest judged by Paris, a prince of Troy. If declared the most beautiful goddess, Aphrodite promised to give Paris the most beautiful woman in the world – Helen.

Aphrodite won the contest so Paris went to Sparta and took Helen away with him to Troy. The Trojans refused to send her back. Agamemnon raised an army of Greek warriors to retrieve Helen, reminding them of their oath to her husband.

Porcelain
Height: 10 ½”
P1016