Black Ships Before Troy

The novel “Black Ships Before Troy,” by Rosemary Sutcliff is a retelling of the Iliad by Homer, a poem about an epic war. It all started with a god named Thetis, who did not invite Eris to her wedding. Because of this, she dropped a golden apple with the words “To the fairest.” Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite fought for the apple, until Paris chose Aphrodite, with the promise of a fair wife. Paris had heard about Helen, who was supposed to be the most beautiful maiden in the world. He had to see her with his own eyes, so he traveled to Greek to meet the beautiful wife of Menelaus. After they met, they quickly fell in love, and Helen left with him back to Troy, where Paris was from. Menelaus and his friends, who promised to help her regardless who she married, went to fight Paris and the Trojans to win back Helen. After the war, Helen

The text states, “‘You should not have told me this,’ said Helen. ‘For I am another man’s wife…’”(Sutcliff 9). Helen realizes that it would be a mistake to even leave Greece, because she was already married to King Menelaus. Helen only left because she was under a spell, which she was under because Paris was promised a fair and beautiful wife by Aphrodite. The text states, “So Paris had the bride that Aphrodite had promised him…” (Sutcliff 10). Her fate was already decided by Aphrodite, which was why she left. She still loved Menelaus, and he felt the same about her. Helen deserves to be returned back to Greece after the long war, because her true love and husband was there. The text also states, “... and the little daughter she had left behind her” (Sutcliff 101). This shows that she not only has a King and husband waiting for her, but also her daughter. She has family back home, and loves them. They missed her, and she was lonely. She should have been allowed to return to Greece because she has a caring family back