The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-11-04
GREAT LOVE
'----- STORIES'
of HISTORY
PARIS AND HELEN and
THE SIEGE OF TROY
By Albert Payson Terhune


" ShoOSe d HVSDdHu. oIe WAS Ine lair-
est woman in all Greece Nearly every
Greek king and nobleman was sutton
for her hand
Greece in those days was cut up
into many small safes, each with q
king of its own. 1t needed little to
set these states at war with one an
other. So Ulysses, wisest of all the
petty monarchs, suggested that each
sutton not only pledge himself to sub
NIT to Helen's choice, but vow also
to defend her land the husband she
might choose against any foes. This
plan was meant to ward off war. 1t
had just the opposite effect.
Helen's choice fell upon Menelaus,
king of Sparta. The other suitors
went back to their homes in anger;
but kept their oath not to modest the
lucky man. A short time later a royal
visitor came to the court of Meme
laus. This was Paris, one of the 90
sons of old King Priam of Troy. Meme
laus was a rough soldier. Paris was
handsome. graceful and what would
now be called "womans man" He
and Helen fell in love with each other
at sight. In those days there were
several ways in which a man might
legally win wife. He might ask the
hand of an unmarried girl; he might
marry another mans wife by chal.
longing her husband and killing him
The Stealing of IL laiI hsnt' vi
u.,., he might carry off
such wife, mar.
ry her and defend her and himself
against her pursuing husband Paris
chose the last named course. Fight
ing was not his strong point
He kidnapped Helen and took her
by sea to his fathers great walled
city of Troy, in northwestern Asia
Minor, at the mouth of the Hellesront.
He knew that the warlike Troja23
could easily protect him from any
Spartan army. But he did not reckon
upon the oath sworn by Helens suit
ors. By the terms of this oath nearly
every monarch in Greece joined Meme
laus in avenging the theft Of the lat
ter's wife. The combined Grecian
armies, under command of Menelaus'
brother Agamemnon, Kirg of Myce-
nae, sailed for Asia Minor and laid
siege to Troy. The debt incurred by
Paris in stealing Helen was destined
to be paid in the blood of thousands
of innocent men.
Helen, meanwhile, had been cor
Ua1nnmnd OF
Paris were married there with splen-
did ceremonies. They embarked on a
life of Oriental luxury that delighted
the frivolous girl, who had hitherto
known nothing more gay than the
meagre, rigorous plainness of the
bliss was short lived. An army Of
10000 Greeks encamped outside the
Trojan walls about 1854 D, c., and
laid siege to the city The Trojans'
admiration for their princes pretty
Greek bride suddenly changed to
wrath. For they saw she had brought
upon them a deadly war. Neverthe-
less, they Loyalty refused to give up
Helen at Menelaus' demand, and pre-
pared to defend their city against the
invaders.
For ten long years the war dragged
on with varying fortunes. Ito while
away the time between conflicts the
game of checkers is said to have been
invented during the siege by one Pal
amedes. q Creek Menelaus more
than once urged Paris to end the use.
less bloodshed by coming forth and
pleasanter to stay at home with his
beautiful wife than face the man he
had wronged. At last. urged by his
elder brother, Hector, Paris consented
to the duel. He and Menelaus fought
in the presence of both armies, Helen
looking on from the city wall. Paris
was overcome and barely escaped
death at the hands of his foe.
Not long afterward while lowering
in the rear ranks of battle Paris was
struck and slain by an arrow His
brother Deiphobus then married Helen,
who does not seem to have grieved
greatly over Paris death. The Greeks.
failing to carry Troy by assault, re-
sorted to tragedy. They pretended to
sail away, leaving on the seashore a
huge wooden horse. The Trojans,
thinking this horse an idol bore It in
to the town. Whiting the wooden an.
r.. Cab -. i'm al sever al
Greeks were hid
den. That night
they crept out and opened the gates
of Troy to their returning comrades.
The city was sacked and utterly de.
stroyed by fire. The inhabitants were
massacred, men, women and children
alike.
Helen was rescued and carried back
to Sparta by Menelaus, who freely for
gave her desertion. But the other
Spartas were less merciful to the WON.
an who had brought such misfortunes
to their country. When Menelaus died
they drove her away. She fed to
Rhodes for refuge. The queen of that
island, jealous Of Helen's loneliness
and fame, murdered her.
Thus ended the strange career of a
woman whose beauty had DESTROYED
one nation and nearly ruined another