Book III

.

Ulysses had himself been one of the suitors for Helen, but he saw that among so many competitors he had little chance of success. Besides, he had fallen in love with Pe-nelʹo-pe, the niece of Tyndarus. He therefore withdrew from the contest, and he offered to suggest a plan for settling the difficulty about Helen, if Tyndarus would give him Penelope to be his wife. Tyndarus consented. Ulysses then advised that Helen should choose for herself which of the princes she would have for her husband, but that before she did so, all the suitors should pledge themselves by oath to submit to her decision, and engage that if any one should take her away from the husband of her choice, they would all join in punishing the offender.

If any dared to seize and bear her off, All would unite in arms, and lay his town Level with the ground.

EURIPIDES (Potter's tr.).

The Grecian princes consented to this proposal. They all, including Ulysses himself, took the required oath. Helen then made choice of Menelaus, to whom she was immediately married with great pomp and popular rejoicing. On the death of Tyndarus, Menelaus became king of Sparta, and he and his beautiful queen lived and reigned together in prosperity and happiness until the ill-fated visit of Paris.

Menelaus was the brother of Ag-a-memʹnon, king of My-ceʹnæ, one of the most powerful and wealthy of the kings of Helʹlas, as Greece was anciently called. Their father, Aʹtreus, was a son of the hero Peʹlops, who conquered the greater part of the peninsula named from him the Pel-oponneʹsus, and who was the grandson of Jupiter. Agamemnon, or A-triʹdes (son of Atreus), as he is often called, was commander in chief of all the Greek armies during the siege of Troy. From his high rank and authority Homer calls him the "king of men" and the "king of kings." He is sometimes also called "king of all Arʹgos," a powerful kingdom near Mycenæ, and from this name the Greeks are sometimes called "Arʹgives." The royal scepter which Agamemnon bore in his hands when addressing his soldiers was made by Vulcan for Jupiter.

The king of kings his awful figure raised; High in his hand the golden sceptre blazed; The golden sceptre, of celestial flame, By Vulcan formed, from Jove to Hermes came: To Pelops he the immortal gift resign'd; The immortal gift great Pelops left behind.

POPE, _Iliad_,