Page 22 - GALIET BEAUTY´S LURE: WAR Helen of Troy and Margareta of Germany IV

but why should he cede? Helen is his legitimate wife, and Paris’ abduction of, or elopement with Helen is shameful to both Argives and Trojans. Hektor not only explicitly blames his brother Paris, “evil Paris, beautiful, woman-crazy, cajoling/better had you never been born, or killed unwedded,”33 but also accuses him for the shame he has brought to Troy by
“...carrying away a fair woman [Helen]
from a remote land, whose lord’s kin were spearmen and fighters
to your father a big sorrow, and your city, and all your people
to yourself a thing shameful but bringing joy to the enemy.”34
Paris, in the fabled and terse Judgment of Paris, is captivated by Aphrodite’s promise to reward him with the love of Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful woman in the world. When he chooses Aphrodite’s precious gift over Athena’s and Hera’s, he journeys to Argos, visits the Atreids’ Palace, elopes or abducts King Menelaus’ beautiful wife with all her possessions, sails with them to Troy, and shatters the honorable host-guest relationship with King Menelaus. Xenia always symbolizes genuine, overflowing kindness and generosity in honor and shame societies. It expects reciprocity: for kindness given, kindness returned. Paris shamefully disregards heroic host- guest ethics; therefore, he dishonors Troy. Moreover, in his dumbfounded obstinacy to keep Helen, and not give her back when King Menelaus reclaims her, or when he wins her in their
33 Il.,3.39-40. 34 Il.,3.48-51.
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