Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy was the Spartan queen whose departure with Paris becomes the legendary cause of the Trojan War. Ancient traditions disagree over her agency and blame, making Helen both a political prize and a figure through whom poets examined beauty, desire, reputation and responsibility.

David Gemmel’s Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow places Helen of Troy within a narrative shaped by family, marriage and personal loyalty, exploration, travel and cultural encounter, and court politics and dynastic power. Susan C Wilson’s Clytemnestra’s Bind is set against before Clytemnestra becomes queen of Mycenae, Agamemnon seizes her home, kills her first husband Tantalus and their infant son, and forces her into marriage. Other novels featuring Helen of Troy include Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Firebrand, David Gemmel’s Troy: Shield of Thunder, David Gemmel’s Troy: Fall of Kings, Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra, and Susan C Wilson’s Helen’s Judgement.