domestic
In Greek mythology, Menelaus was the son of Atreus, king of Mycenae, and the younger brother of Agamemnon. In some traditions, these two brothers are Atreus's grandchildren, but when his son and their father Prestignes died prematurely, they were taken care of by him. Their mother, the daughter of King catrice of Crete, eloped. The family ties between Greece and Crete may reflect the desire of the Mycenaean Greeks in the Bronze Age to obtain some cultural heritage from the early Minoan civilization on the island.
In Mycenae, Greece and Anatolia, Hittites may often confront each other to control trade routes.
Menelaus and Agamemnon were forced to flee their homes after an argument between Atreus and his brother Thaus ·Thes, which resulted in the murder of the latter's child. The quarrel led to the curse of Atreus and his descendants. Aegisthus, another son of Tyus, was born because he had a * * * relationship with Pelopia, the daughter of Tyus. Then he retaliated and killed his uncle Atreus, and forced Agamemnon and Menelaus to seek asylum from King Tindario of Sparta.
Tindarius was a perfect master and adopted the two boys. The Spartan king even arranged for Agamemnon to marry his daughter Clytaemestra, while Menelaus married his other daughter Helen. Tindarius made all Greek leaders swear to recognize Helen as the lawful wife of Menelaus and to protect his daughter from harm. Agamemnon and Menelaus then returned to Mycenae to deal with theseus and Egers Toth. Agamemnon thus became the king of Mycenae, and Menelaus became the heir of Tindarius. Therefore, in most mythological sources, Menelaus eventually became the king of Sparta, but Aeschylus (about 525 BC-456 BC), the author of Greek tragedy, did let him live in Argos. Menelaus and Helen have a daughter Hermione. However, the curse on the Atreus family was not completely over, so the Trojan War began.
Trojan War
Menelaus, as one of the heroes in Troy war stories, appeared in Greek literature, oral legends and all artistic forms from sculpture to pottery. Legend has it that Menelaus was hospitable, but it was also one of the main reasons for the war. It is true that when his wife Helen (said to be the most beautiful woman in Greece) was kidnapped by the Trojan Prince Paris and sent to Troy, he was the victim. Paris is on a friendly diplomatic visit to Sparta. After choosing a goddess in a beauty contest with other goddesses Hera and Athena, he claimed that Helen was a trophy of Aphrodite. Peleus and thetis's wedding. Menelaus was anxious to get his wife back, so he turned to his brother Agamemnon for help. Agamemnon is now the king of Mycenae and the most powerful ruler in the Greek world. Eager for war, booty and revenge, Agamemnon reminded Greek leaders that they vowed to protect Helen and inspired Greek city-states such as Athens, Corinth, Rhode Island and Argos to take action. A huge army sailed for Troy with a powerful fleet.
The Greeks themselves believed that the Trojan War took place in13rd century BC. This date was actually confirmed by the excavation of the site of Troy (also known as Ilion) in Turkey, especially the stratum known as Troy VI (1750- 1300 BC), which shows that the city at that time had the Great Wall and towers. In addition, there is evidence that there is a conflict in the form of a bronze arrow destroyed by fire and embedded in the wall. The Mycenaean civilization in Greece and the Hittite civilization in Anatolia may often conflict because of the control of trade routes and colonial attempts in this area, although it is unlikely that a decade-long war like the Trojan War will happen.
The real conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean probably inspired the legend of the Trojan War, which is the most famous in Homer's Iliad. This epic was written sometime in the 8th century BC, and it only covered the last 52 days of the Trojan War in 10. Among the combatants are heroes such as Achilles, Odysseus and Ajax. The Trojan side is a great warrior, such as hector, Paris' brother. Even the gods were involved in the greatest war, supporting the Greeks with Athena, Poseidon and hephaestus. Trojans can ask Apollo, Aphrodite, Aphrodite and other gods for support and occasional intervention. God of war.
Menelius versus Paris
When Menelaus and Agamemnon arrived with their troops, the first and most disappointing sight was the majestic walls of Troy. When the Trojans ventured to attack once or twice, these powerful defensive measures turned the conflict into an siege war, interspersed with some actions on the plains in front of the city. In the Iliad, Menelaus is portrayed as a brave warrior and an honorary figure, but he is not entirely the top figure of the warrior. People think that he is a little too tolerant. For example, in this episode, he tries to forgive Adriste's life, but Agamemnon disagrees and kills Trojan horse.
Menelaus gave Paris a terrible blow to his helmet and smashed his sword to ashes.
One of the wonderful battles was the singles between Menelaus and Paris (the third volume of the Iliad). The king of Sparta declared war there and then decided who would keep Helen. Menelaus, whom Homer called "the master of war cry", faced Paris, wearing a slightly flashy armor, while Helen watched by the walls of Troy. The two warriors drew lots to decide who would throw the spear first. Paris won and threw the first place, but his spear fell harmlessly into Menelius' shield. The Greek king then threw a weapon hard, and the spear went straight through Paris' shield and continued to pierce his armor. Fortunately, Paris stumbled at the last minute and avoided death. However, Menelaus did not end. He gave a terrible blow to Prince Troy's helmet with his sword. The sword broke into pieces and fell into the dust. Menelaus grabbed Paris' helmet with his bare hands and dragged him out of the battlefield. When his helmet strap was wrapped around his neck, Paris suffocated and could only be saved with the intervention of Aphrodite. Aphrodite broke the strap, enveloped the prince in thick fog and brought her beloved soul back to his fragrant bedroom.
Menelaus then appeared in the battle, when hector, the "horse trainer", the son of King Priam, the greatest Trojan warrior, challenged any Greek. Menelaus wanted to take it, but Agamemnon advised him not to take it. Instead, Ajax drew lots for honor, and then set out to meet the prince. The two men clashed, but there was no decisive blow. Ajax proved the master. Darkness then stopped fighting and they parted peacefully. Later, when they quarreled over the body of the fallen Everpos, Menelaus did fight with Hecktor.
See Helen again
Then the war rumbled, and Achilles finally took action and killed Hecktor in a duel. The Iliad ends here, but the story continues in the epic cycle (7th-6th century BC) and other materials. Achilles was shot in the heel by an arrow from Paris and died. The famous archer philoctetes shot Paris with the legendary Hercules bow and avenged Achilles. The Greeks finally managed to enter Troy by building a huge Trojan horse, which the Trojans thought was a gift from their seemingly dead enemy. In fact, this Mali is where all Greek warriors-including Menelaus-opened their doors to their followers, and then Troy was defeated. The Greeks won the war. Menelaus and Helen reunited, but according to some versions of the story, the Spartan king first drew his sword and intended to defeat his wife, then reconsidered and hugged her. In this scene, Menelaus stands beside Helen with a sword, sometimes appearing on Greek painted pottery; There is even an example where he put down his sword, which clearly shows that he changed his mind. A reconciled couple and then go home. -Finally.
Odyssey house
In the fourth volume of Homer's Odyssey (also written in the 8th century BC), Menelaus met Telemarcos, the son of Odysseus, after the Trojan War. Telemachus came to Sparta to look for his missing father, and no one saw him again after the war. The king once again played the role of a good host and invited him to dinner. Menelaus did not know the fate of Odysseus, but he told the story of the great Trojan horse that the Greeks used to enter Troy and win the war. After leaving Troy, Menelaus told his mini-Odyssey, which may be the myth of the real behavior of Mycenae pirates and colonists in the Mediterranean in the late Bronze Age.
First, Menelaus landed in Crete after his ship hit a rocky coast in a storm. Then he arrived in Egypt, where the king spent many years. Unable to get home with the wind, Menelaus went to Cyprus, and then to Sidon, Phoenicia, where exquisite textiles and silverware were produced, and some Spartans got land as souvenirs. Then there was North Africa (Libya), which he described as a fertile land. Sheep give birth three times a year and never lack milk, cheese and meat. During this period, I also visited Ethiopia, and the king's treasure house is also expanding.
Finally, Menelaus met Proteus, a sea god who lived near fallows, also known as "the old man in the sea". Menelaus wanted to ask Proteus some questions, such as how to take him home in the wind. Unfortunately, God has been changing shape to avoid the Spartan king. Therefore, Menelaus and his men disguised as seals and mingled with Proteus's fauna. The Spartans then jumped out and caught Proteus, but Poseidon turned himself into many different creatures to escape capture, first lions, then snakes, panthers and wild boars. Proteus, who was still captured, turned himself into water and finally into a tree.
Proteus gave up his behavior and finally told Menelaus that he had to sacrifice to the Egyptian gods to get these favorable winds. He was also told that Odysseus was controlled by the mythical goddess Calypso on her remote island. When he returned to dinner in Sparta, Taylor Marcos thanked his master and continued to look for his father.
Proteus predicted that Menelaus would not die, but one day he would arrive in Elysium, a Greek version of paradise at the end of the earth, reserved only for the virtuous and valuable. Before realizing this peaceful land, Menelaus did make the necessary sacrifices and finally returned to Sparta's home. Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, later married Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus, so Mycenae and Sparta were unified under the rule of one king. After Sparta Wang Mo Nereus left the earth, Orestes succeeded him to the throne.
The history of Herodotus
Menelaus was mentioned in the history of Herodotus in 4 15 BC (484-425 BC/4 13 BC). In book 2:118-119 of this work, the Greek historian described a story slightly different from Homer, which he claimed was first-hand information from Egyptian priests. Paris (called alexandros by Herodotus) did kidnap Helen, but the ship carrying the escaped prisoner was blown off course, landed in Egypt and never reached Troy. Egyptian King Proteus (not the sea god of Herodotus), and then locked them up until Menelaus arrived. Although the Trojans insisted that Helen was not there but in Egypt, the Greek army besieged the city of Troy. When Troy fell and Helen's whereabouts were unknown, Menelaus sailed to Egypt to see if the Trojans were telling the truth. After arriving in Memphis, Helen was reunited with her husband. Menelaus wanted to go home, but the bad weather stopped his boat at the port. In order to change the weather and appease the gods, the king of Sparta shocked his master by sacrificing two Egyptian children. Then they chased Menelaus to Libya, but eventually they lost him.
Other works, arts and cults
Menelaus appeared in 4 15 BC and played with trojan women in euripides (about 484-407 BC). His character was weaker than that in Homer's works. In the play, Helen defends herself in the trial and accuses the gods of interfering in human affairs. Menelaus gives the impression that he is a simple man, only eager to find his beautiful wife. Wang is a more annoying character in euripides (425 BC) and (408 BC). ), and Sophocles' tragedy Ajax (496 BC-406 BC).
In visual arts, Menelaus appeared on the northern wall of the Parthenon (447-432 BC) and other scenes of the Trojan War. Spartan king and Helen (usually confrontation) or take her away or reconcile, and duel with Paris is a hot topic for red and black pottery painters.
Finally, in Thupani near Sparta, the king and Helen became part of a cult, and people thought that he and Helen shared a grave. This mausoleum was built in 700 BC, near Mycenae's "Palace" in15th century BC. It consists of a rectangular square stone and a small temple, both located on the mound, near the ramp. The excavation shows that the site received the offerings from the couple and was used until BC 1 century.