# Suitors of Helen

In Greek mythology, the Suitors of Helen of Troy came from many kingdoms of Greece to compete for the hand of the Spartan princess Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda.

## Mythology
### Selection of the husband

When it was time for Helen of Troy to marry, many kings and princes from around the world came to seek her hand, bringing rich gifts with them, or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf. During the contest, Castor and Pollux had a prominent role in dealing with the suitors, although the final decision was in the hands of Tyndareus. Her future husband Menelaus did not attend but sent his brother Agamemnon to represent him. Menelaus was chosen because he had the most wealth and offered the most bride-gifts.
There are three available and not entirely consistent lists of suitors, compiled by Pseudo-Apollodorus (31 suitors), Hesiod (12 suitors), and Hyginus (36 suitors), for a total of 45 distinct names. There are only fragments from Hesiod's poem, so his list would have contained more. Achilles' absence from the lists is conspicuous, but Hesiod explains that he was too young to take part in the contest. Taken together, the list of suitors matches well with the captains in the Catalog of Ships from the Iliad; however, some of the names may have been placed in the list of Helen's suitors simply because they went to Troy. It is not unlikely that relatives of a suitor may have joined the war.

### Name of suitors

List of Suitors of Helen :
| Name | Sources | Sources | Sources | Parentage | Abode |
| Name | Hesiod | Apollodorus | Hyginus | Parentage | Abode |
| Agapenor | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Ancaeus | Arcadia |
| Ajax | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Telamon | Salamis |
| Ajax | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Oileus | Locris |
| Alcmaeon | ✓ | | | son of Amphiaraus | Argos |
| Amphilochus | ✓ | ✓ | | son of Amphiaraus | Argos |
| Amphimachus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Cteatus | Elis |
| Ancaeus | | | ✓ | son of Poseidon | Samos |
| Antilochus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Nestor | Pylos |
| Ascalaphus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Ares | Orchomenus |
| Blanirus | | | ✓ | | |
| Clytius | | | ✓ | | Cyane |
| Diomedes | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Tydeus | Argos |
| Elephenor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Chalcodon | Euboea |
| Epistrophus | | ✓ | | son of Iphitus | Phocis |
| Eumelus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Admetus | Pherae |
| Eurypylus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Euaemon | Ormenius |
| Ialmenus | | ✓ | | son of Ares | Orchomenus |
| Idomeneus | ✓ | | ✓ | son of Deucalion | Crete |
| Leitus | | ✓ | | son of Alector | Boeotia |
| Leonteus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Coronus | Lapiths |
| Lycomedes | ✓ | | | | Crete |
| Machaon | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Asclepius | Tricca |
| Meges | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Phyleus | Dulichium |
| Menelaus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Atreus | Sparta |
| Menestheus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Peteos | Athens |
| Meriones | | | ✓ | son of Molus | Crete |
| Nireus | | | ✓ | son of Charopus | Syme |
| Odysseus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Laertes | Cephallenia (Ithaca) |
| Patroclus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Menoetius | Opus |
| Peneleos | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Hippalcimus | Boeotia (Thebes) |
| Phemius | | | ✓ | | |
| Phidippus | | | ✓ | son of Thessalus | Cos |
| Philoctetes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Poeas | Meliboea |
| Podalirius | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Asclepius | Tricca |
| Podarces | ✓ | | | son of Iphicles | Phylace |
| Polypoetes | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Pirithous | Lapiths |
| Polyxenus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Agasthenes | Elis |
| Protesilaus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | son of Iphicles | Phylace |
| Prothous | | | ✓ | son of Tenthredon | Magnesia |
| Schedius | | ✓ | | son of Iphitus | Phocis |
| Sthenelus | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Capaneus | Argos |
| Teucer | | ✓ | | son of Telamon | Salamis |
| Thalpius | | ✓ | ✓ | son of Eurytus | Elis |
| Thoas | | | ✓ | son of Andraemon | Aetolia |
| Tlepolemus | | | ✓ | son of Hercules | Rhodes |
| Number | 12 | 31 | 36 | | |

### Oath of Tyndareus

Tyndareus was afraid to select a husband for his daughter, or send any of the suitors away, for fear of offending them and giving grounds for a quarrel. Odysseus was one of the suitors, but had brought no gifts because he believed he had little chance to win the contest. He thus promised to solve the problem, if Tyndareus in turn would support him in his courting of Penelope, the daughter of Icarius. Tyndareus readily agreed, and Odysseus proposed that, before the decision was made, all the suitors should swear a most solemn oath to defend the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him. After the suitors had sworn not to retaliate, Menelaus was chosen to be Helen's husband. As a sign of the importance of the pact, Tyndareus sacrificed a horse.