King Menelaus Of Sparta: Husband Of Helen Of Troy And Key Figure In The Trojan War

David Tee – AncientPages.com – While the story of King Menelaus is found in Greek mythology it may be based on true events. The details have merely been altered to meet the demand of the time.

Who Was King Menelaus?

Menelaus was born roughly around 1200 BC give or take a century or two. He was born to royal parents, King Atreus and his mother, Aerope, the granddaughter of King Minos. It is said that his family was cursed and that every member would suffer some calamity at some point in their lives.

Marble bust of King Menelaus. Giacomo Brogi (1822-1881) – Rome (Vatican Museums). Credit: Public Domain

For Atreus it was his murder at the hand of his nephew. For Aerope – a daughter of Catreus, the king of Crete, the wife of Atreus, and the mother of Agamemnon and Menelaus – it was the loss of her husband and royal position. Then for Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon it was the loss of their father and exile.

The feud between Atreus and his brother Thyestes led the former to his murder by Aegisthus the son of the latter. This act allowed Thyestes to gain the throne of Mycenae. Atreus’ two sons were banished and they took refuge first with King Polypheides  (Polyphides) of Sicyon and later, Polypheides sent them for a time to King Oeneus of Calydon.

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