Husband of Helen, King of Sparta
King of Sparta and, in name, the wronged party of the Trojan War: his wife Helen was taken by Paris, and all Greece went to war over his marriage. On the field he was solid but unremarkable — he had all but won his duel with Paris when the love goddess spoiled it. After the war he returned home calmly with Helen: ten years of war, back to the start.
On the night the city fell, he searched for his wife with drawn sword, sworn to execute the traitor with his own hand. When he found Helen, she stood before him with lowered eyes in the candlelight. The sword, half-raised, dropped to the ground. The epic’s explanation is honest: because she was too beautiful.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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