Helen's Motives
What were Helen's motives for running off with Paris to Troy? This has been discussed before, both on this board and the Troy board, but it's such a fascinating subject that it's worth revisiting.
Of course, we will never know the truth, or if Helen even existed, but if she did and the story is largely true, then IMO she had several possible motives, or any combination of them:
1. Boredom with her life after nine years with Menelaus and the belief that she needed some adventure and romance in her life.
2. Tremendous sexual attraction to Paris.
3. Thinking she was actually in love with Paris.
4. A belief that Troy was a glamorous city with opportunities which she could never have in Sparta. She may have even believed there was a chance to become the Queen of Troy eventually if she married Paris.
5. Did she believe herself to be the daughter of Zeus as some legends claim? If so, she may have believed that the gods would favor and protect her, no matter what she did.
6. She may have genuinely disliked Menelaus, although this seems unlikely, given that Homer shows her later missing him and her old life with him.
7. Helen already knew that at least in Greek circles, she was considered the most beautiful and desirable woman in the world. As such, could she have been Machiavellian and ambitious enough to think that maybe she could seduce Hector, get rid of Andromache somehow and thus marry Hector herself, becoming the queen in waiting? We shall never know, but we can't rule it out.
just me,
Ishiagara
As Hector said, honor your gods, love your women, defend your country.