Tyndareus and the Suitors of Helen
Faced with many powerful suitors for Helen, Tyndareus uses an oath to prevent conflict — an oath that later helps draw Greece into the Trojan War.
The Story
Helen attracted suitors from many of the most powerful families of Greece.
Her mortal father or guardian Tyndareus faced a dangerous problem.
Choosing one husband could provoke all the rejected suitors.
A solution was needed before the marriage itself created a war.
In a famous later tradition, Odysseus proposed that the suitors should swear an oath.
Each man would accept Helen's eventual husband and defend the marriage against anyone who tried to violate it.
The suitors agreed.
Menelaus became Helen's husband and later king of Sparta.
Years afterward Paris carried Helen away to Troy.
Menelaus called upon the oath.
The promise made during the courtship of Helen therefore became one traditional explanation for why so many Greek kings and heroes joined the expedition against Troy.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The oath of Helen's suitors provides an important narrative bridge between Helen's marriage and the later formation of the Greek coalition against Troy.
Traditions & Variations
The oath and Odysseus' role are particularly important in later mythographic traditions; the surviving ancient accounts differ in their details.