Suitors of Helen

In Greek mythology, the Suitors of Helen are those who 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 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.[1] Her future husband Menelaus did not attend but sent his brother Agamemnon to represent him.

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.[2] 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 Parentage Abode
Hesiod Apollodorus Hyginus
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.

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See also

References
  1. In the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women fr. 198.7–8, and 199.0–1, they are the recipients of the bridal presents. For further details, see A Catalog within a Catalog, 133–135
  2. Hesiod, Catalogs of Women and Eoiae, fr. 196–204; Hyginus, Fables, 81; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca II, 10.8 * Cingano, A Catalog within a Catalog, 124; Clader, Helen, 10
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