Ephemeris Volume 4 Article 16 2003 Helen of Troy: Senior Research Prospectus Melanie Vanderkolk Denison University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/ephemeris Part of the Ancient Philosophy Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the History of Religions of Western Origin Commons Recommended Citation Vanderkolk, Melanie (2003) "Helen of Troy: Senior Research Prospectus," Ephemeris: Vol. 4 , Article 16. Available at: https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/ephemeris/vol4/iss1/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classical Studies at Denison Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ephemeris by an authorized editor of Denison Digital Commons. The Future of Classics Helen of Troy: Senior Research Prospectus By Melanie Vanderkolk The infamous Helen of Troy makes Augustus, and we must ask why this is the one of her first appearances in Greek case. One reason is probably that Augustus literature in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey in claimed to be descended from Aeneas, a the late 8th century B.C., yet her depiction is hero from the Trojan War, started by Helen. anything but coherent. In the Iliad, Homer With this in mind, I will focus my research describes her as a beautiful woman who is more succinctly on the question, how did full of worth but acts as a child, knowing the Augustan poets portray Helen? that she was wrong in having succumbed to This question raises further inquiry. Paris, who has stolen her from her husband, For instance, what connotations does Helen Menelaus. The Odyssey, however, shows bring with her? How do the individual Helen as a devoted wife of Menelaus, Latin words used to create the portrayal almost laughing at the "shameless whore contribute to her connotations? What are that I was."1 Instead of being the the patterns found in the language and "wretched, headstrong girl" of the Iliad, images? What are the differences between Helen is now the "pearl of women."2 In the the authors, and how do these differences Greek literature that follows, Aeschylus, affect the portrayals? How do these images Herodotus, Euripides, and Aristophanes contribute to the poem or work as a whole? provide various interpretations and To begin answering these questions, I will portrayals of Helen and her character. The translate from the Latin excerpts from sources debate most over whether or not Ovid's Heroides and Metamorphoses, Virgil's Helen went with Paris willingly. Aeschylus Aeneid, Horace's Odes and Epodes, Livy's Ab and Euripides show a Helen guilty of Urbe Condita, and Propertius' Elegies. Each adultery and leaving her husband, while of these authors provides different versions Aristophanes shows Helen as pure, and and ways of approaching Helen as an Herodotus claims she was in Egypt for the individual. Ovid writes the longest of all duration of the Trojan War and was not to the images, with his Paris Helenas and blame for the destruction of Troy.3 These Helene Paridi, in which we read two letters inconsistencies in Helen's character have written in the voice of Paris and Helen not gone unnoticed by modern scholars. regarding their relationship.4 His works are Authors such as Norman Austin, Mihoko particularly useful in my research simply Suzuki, Ingrid Holmberg, Matthew because they are using this direct address Gumpert, and Robert Meagher have tried to between Helen and Paris and will show make sense of the images by suggesting that their feelings towards one another. Helen is a metaphor for cultural Propertius, on the other hand, uses brief appropriation, and that Helen is dualistic in images of Helen to make comparisons to his nature. These scholars, though, only focus own lover and his own relationship, their research on the portrayals of Greek suggesting that Helen's influence was still authors. well-known and common when he wrote In order to gain more understanding the elegies between 28 and 22 B.C. Livy of the various images of Helen of Troy, I was not a client of Augustus', as the other propose a study of her Roman portrayals. authors were, but he was a contemporary of In essence, who was the Roman Helen? theirs. He, though only briefly, uses Helen Primary sources including images of Helen and the Trojan War as a beginning point in are most prominent during the reign of his history of Rome. Despite these differences in her types of portrayals, though, I predict 1 Odys., Bk. IV, line 162. patterns regarding the type of woman 2 Iliad., Bk. Ill, line 480. and Odys., Bk. IV, line 342. Helen was and her guilt or innocence will 3 As seen in Aeschylus' Oresteia, Euripides' Trojan Women. Aristophanes' Lysistrata, and Herodotus' The Histories. 1 Heroides, letters XVI and XVII. The Future of Classics arise. For instance, she is known most "Ovid and the Augustans," Brooks Otis commonly as the daughter of Tyndareus: debates whether or not Ovid could even be "Tyndaridi," "Tyndaris...bis rapta," considered an Augustan poet because of his "Tyndarida," "Tyndaridis facies invisa seemingly defiant nature. If the college of Lacaenae," "Lacaenae...adulterae," and as a poets acted as a mouthpiece for the Lacaenean woman, both titles defining emperor, the uses of Helen would be very Helen as an outsider.3 Helen's beauty is different than if, as R.Y. Tyrell suggests, the also a prominent feature of her portrayals; elegists were only writing about what they she has a "digna quidem facies" and is were passionate. For my research, I will "pulcherrima" with her also look at more current scholars such as "laudatam...formam."6 It is this beauty that Jasper Griffin, W.R. Nethercut, Joseph causes her to be a prize, "praemia magna Farrell, Kurt Raaflaub and Mark Toher, and quidem."' I will use Latin epitaphs and Thomas Habinek. Like Habinek, Raaflaub general descriptions such as these to and Toher believe a combination of the decipher what each author wants his reader extreme theories of Augustan patronage. to remember or know about Helen. They believe that Augustus and Maecenas It is from this literal knowledge of influenced the poets but allowed them to Helen in the primary texts that leads us to work in the propagandist^ society with ask why each author would choose each their own perspectives. These books and word and image, as every author has the articles will further my knowledge of the power to include or leave out any aspect of lives of the authors and different views of a character he wishes. In the Aeneid, for how the authors would see their own work. example, Helen seems to first be used to There can be no denial that being a show that the gods are truly to blame for member of Augustus' college of poets Aeneas and other soldiers fighting the would have some effect on each work as a Trojan War, and then later used in whole, and I will use the same sources Deiphobus' story to show the destruction mentioned above to define the history of and maliciousness of the war.8 Obviously, Augustus' relationships with his poets. We Virgil is choosing what attributes of hers to can see some influence of Augustus if we include at particular points in his epic, and consider his goals for his reign. The ideals which to use at other points. Augustus wanted to spread at the time Why an author would choose a were ideals for "the land, the soldier, specific image during the reign of religion and morality, the heroic past, and Augustus, though, becomes more the glorious present."10 With the use of complicated because of the patron-client Helen in any poem, the author would be relationship and the college of poets under reminding the reader of the Trojan War and Maecenas, a chief of Augustus'. This of Aeneas' piety in leaving Troy to found relationship would involve a give-and-take Rome. This story, known to all Romans, atmosphere to make both individuals could possibly be the heroic past that happy. Over the years, scholars have Augustus, who claims to be a descendent of disagreed with the way in which this Aeneas, wants to be in the mind of the patron-client relationship affected the poets, Romans. Questions that need to be though. With regards to Virgil, scholars considered when looking to the primary such as Elizabeth Haight, Ronald Syme, and texts for answers regarding the poets' J.P. Sullivan suggest that Virgil wrote the meanings and to these secondary sources Aeneid as a tribute to Augustus, while in for additional knowledge about the lives of these poets include: How seriously can 5 Propertius, II.8, line 32., Ovid Metamorphoses Bk. scholars take these poets? What role did XV, line 233., Virgil Bk. II, line 601., and Horace Augustus play in creating or forcing these Odes 111.3, line 25. 6 Propertius II.3, line 39, Heroides, Letter VIII, line 99, and Heroides Letter XVI, line 132. 9 Tyrell discusses the purpose and goals of each Heroides, Letter XVI, line 19. Augustan poet in his article, "Latin Poetry." 8 Virgil, Bks. II and VI. 10 Syme, Ronald. The Roman Revolution, pg. 460. 51 The Future of Classics images upon the poets? Who would read scholars look at the way American ideals these works, and, therefore, what influence are portrayed in these movies, as well as would these portrayals of Helen really explain where certain movies could have have? been made closer to the original literature. The strength and influence of I, however, will continue to look only at the Helen's Roman images, I believe, cannot way in which the Roman Helen is truly be tested until we look to the modern influential to these modern movies in terms images of Helen and their similarities and of her portrayal.