Menelaus

As a child, Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon had to flee their native Mycenae because their uncle Thyestes had murdered their father, the king of Mycenae, and both brothers were to meet the same fate. The brothers found refuge with the Spartan king Tyndareus. Menelaus then became one of the many suitors of the beautiful Helen, whom he wanted as his wife. Odysseus suggested to her father, King Tyndareus, that he let her choose a man of her liking and affection. After his further proposal, it was agreed that to the one whom Helena chose, all other suitors would be faithful.

Helena chose Menelaus. Together they had a daughter, Hermione. After the death of King Tyndareus, Menelaus became his successor on the Spartan throne.

At that time, a dispute between the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite and Athena over which of them was the most beautiful. This conflict arose over a golden apple, which the goddess of strife, Eris, created and gave to "the fairest of them all". Their dispute was to be decided by Paris. Each of the goddesses offered him great gifts, but only Aphrodite offered him the most precious gift, namely love. She promised him the heart of the beautiful Helen. Paris therefore chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful and soon afterwards met Helen, who fell in love with him and fled with him to Troy. This act greatly angered Menelaus and he, along with Agamemnon, decided to march an army against Troy and reclaim Helen.

The war between Greece and Troy lasted a full ten years, and the war itself was riddled with the intrigues of the gods. One day, Zeus summoned Agamemnon in a dream, urging him to attack. The Greeks went on the run, but Paris decided to settle the dispute with a duel to the death between himself and Menelaus. Thus a truce was made and their duel ensued. But Paris was losing, and he was saved by Aphrodite. The warrior Pandaros disobeyed the peace and wounded Meneláa with an arrow, resulting in a great battle that ultimately had no victor. In fact, both sides agreed to a truce until the dead of both sides were buried. In the days that followed, the fighting continued and eventually Troy was destroyed by trickery using a wooden horse full of soldiers (the "Trojan Horse").

After the victory, Menelaus did not for a moment consider punishing Helen and was convinced that only Paris was behind everything. Helena then willingly returned to Sparta with him.