Paris and Helen is a 1788 painting by French Neoclassical artist Jacques Louis David. This work is located in the Louvre in Paris, France.
The story of Paris and Helen is a pivotal myth from ancient Greek literature, famously recounted in Homer’s Iliad and various other classical sources. The tale is central to the events that lead up to the Trojan War.
Paris, also known as Alexander, is a prince of Troy, the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Helen, often referred to as Helen of Troy, is renowned for her extraordinary beauty and is the daughter of Zeus and Leda. Her beauty is a significant element in the myth, as it becomes the catalyst for the war.
According to the myth, Paris was chosen by Zeus to judge a beauty contest among three goddesses: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Each goddess promised him a great reward to win his favor. Hera promised power, Athena promised wisdom, and Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful mortal woman—Helen of Sparta. Paris chose Aphrodite, thereby winning Helen’s love.
At this time, Helen was married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Paris traveled to Sparta under the pretense of a diplomatic visit and, with Aphrodite’s assistance, seduced Helen. The two lovers then fled to Troy, taking with them a wealth of treasures.
Helen’s abduction, or elopement, enraged Menelaus, who sought the help of his brother Agamemnon and other Greek leaders to retrieve her. This act of betrayal set off a chain reaction of events that led to the Greek coalition besieging Troy, marking the beginning of the Trojan War.