Helena (1924)

Part One: The Abduction of Helen The young, proud Paris does not know that he is the son of the mighty Priam, King of Troy. When Paris was a small child, his royal father once abandoned him in order to please the gods. As a young man, Paris travels to Greece on behalf of the aged king. There he meets Helen, who is as beautiful as she is captivating to men, and is married to Menelaus, King of Sparta. Paris and Helen soon fall in love. To escape her husband’s wrath, they both flee to Troy, where Paris is recognized as King Priam’s son. Seized by immense fury, Menelaus is determined to bring his wife back at any cost, no matter how high. When this leads to war between Sparta and Troy, the Trojans initially drive back Menelaus’s army. But Helen is far from safe, even though Paris makes heaven on earth for her. Part Two: The Fall of Troy The Spartans do not give up; they besiege distant Troy for years. In a duel between Menelaus and Paris that is meant to decide the war, Paris is wounded. Helen saves him from worse. In the battle that follows, the brave warrior Achilles kills Hector, Paris’s brother. Priam then urges Paris to repay blood with blood and kill Achilles. Paris strikes the unarmed Achilles in the heel with a poisoned arrow. Achilles dies. The Greeks are no closer to their goal of conquering Troy and bringing Helen back. Then the cunning Odysseus comes up with an idea for a trick. The Spartans build a gigantic wooden horse, hide their heroes and leaders inside it, leave it in front of the city gate, and pretend to withdraw. When the Trojans discover the horse, they believe it is a gift from the gods. Deceived, the Trojans pull the wooden horse inside their protective city walls. Since the horse sculpture will not fit through the gate, the Trojans tear down their city gate, thereby sealing their own destruction. Menelaus’s warriors climb out of the horse in the night, ravage Troy, and set it on fire. Menelaus wounds Paris with an arrow and then finishes him off with his sword. Priam drinks a cup of poison. Instead of punishing Helen for her betrayal, Menelaus takes her back home with him.