A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

HELENA,

Helen, the Daughter of Ju∣piter and Tyndarus King of Lacedemonia and Leda, and Sister to Castor and Pollux. Lucian speaks thus of her in the judgment of Paris.

Venus.

She is the Daughter of that fair one, of whom Jupiter being enamour'd, turned himself into a Swan to enjoy her. You may well imagine that she is not black, be∣ing come of a Swan, not fat or bulky, be∣ing produced out of an Egg-shell. If you had seen her dance stark naked, after the manner of her Country, you had been charmed with her agreeable motion, and the gracefulness of her person. Wars have already been made for the love of her; for she was stole by Theseus, when but ten years old. Since, she is augmented in Beauty, as well as in Age, and has attracted to her the eyes of all Greece. She has been courted by a thousand Lovers; but Meni∣laus was preferred before all his Rivals: Nevertheless I will give her you, if you are so inclined. For thou shalt go into Greece, under pretence of seeing the Country, and as soon as thou art arrived at Lacedemon, He∣lena will see thee; leave the rest to my care and management

And the same Lucian in the praise of Beau∣ty, speaks thus of her:

Men hold it in such great esteem, that Theseus, who was one of the greatest Heroes, did not think he could be happy with all his Virtue, unless he possessed Hellen, and stole her away, be∣fore she was at an Age fit for Marriage, without having regard to the puissance of her Father, or the danger he ran by this at∣tempt. That same Hellen being since re∣turned to her Father's House in Theseus's ab∣sence, all the Grecian Princes fell in love with her; and for fear this Love might be fatal to their Country, they all vowed to∣gether, to serve him who should be prefer∣red, and hence employed all their Forces, to put that fair one into Menelaus's hands. Paris himself preferred her before all the Grandeurs, and Advantages promised him by Pallas and Juno: And the Trojaus seeing all Greece pouring upon their backs, and at liberty of avoiding of that War, by restoring Hellen, yet resolved to keep her, at the very peril of their lives, and the ruine of their Country.

Dion Prusianus says, that he was told by the Egyptian Priests, that Helena the Daughter of Tyndarus, the fairest young Lady of all Greece, was courted by the young Grecian Princes, and that the fame of her Beauty went as far as Phrygia; but Paris Alexander Son to King Priamus, one of her Lovers, having been pre∣ferred to all the other Princes, for the sake of his Beauty, and the magnificence of his Equipage, married her, and presently brought her to Troy. Menelaus and the other Grecian Princes provoked by this choice, raised a powerful Army under the command of Aga∣memnon, and sat down before Troy. But Achil∣les was killed in this War, and the Greeks forc'd to make a Peace with the Trojans, by the mediation of Ulysses; and to repair the damage they had done before Troy, they of∣fer'd a wooden Horse gilt over to Minerva, and returned into Greece without Hellen, whom Hector, after the death of Paris gave in marriage to Deiphobus; but a while after she was murthered by Orestes the Son of Aga∣memnon.

Herodatus reports, that after Menelaus was deceased, Nicostratus and Megapenthus, two La∣cedemonian

Lords drove Helena out of the City, and the Kingdom of Sparta; and she retired to Rhodes, where she was kindly receiv'd by Poypbo, then Widow of Tlepolemus King of that Island, who was kill'd by Sarpedon at the siege of Troy. As first Polypo entertain'd her very honourably; but in her absence her Maid of Honour hanged her upon a Tree. Pausanias calls this Queen Poliho native of Argos, and says, that her Maids being dressed like Furies hanged Helena by the order of their Mistriss, while she was bathing herself.

Menesius speaking of the Island of Spatara re∣lates, that Helena there granted her first fa∣vours to Paris, and that on the banks of the firm Land opposite to it, this fortunate Lover after this agreeable conquest, built a Temple to Venus, for a Monument of the transports of his Joy, and in acknowledgement of Venus's kindness, to whom he gave the attribute of Migonitis, and called his Territory Migonion, from a word that signified the Amorous My∣stery that passed between them; and that Menelaus the unfortunate Husband of this Princess, eighteen years after she was stoln away, came to visit this Temple, the Territory whereof had been witness of his Misfortune, and the infidelity of his Wife; but he did not destroy it, but only set upon both sides thereof the Statue of Venus, and the Images of two other Goddesses, viz. Thetis and the God∣dess Praxidica, i. e. the Goddess of Punish∣ments, to shew that he would not pass by that Affront unpunished. But, says the same Author, he had not the good fortune to see himself revenged of Helena, for she out-lived him; however, Menelaus revenged himself on Priamus the Father of the Ravisher, and ut∣terly destroyed his Kingdom. As for Helena, she made a very tragical end of her life, for having retired herself to Rhodes, near Prolixo her Kinswoman, there she was hanged to a Tree by her orders.