The Deception of Helen: Reading Colluthus against Homer

This paper examines the ways in which the relationship between Helen and Paris is represented at different stages of the myth by two different epic texts – and how these representations interact. The first representation is found in Book 3 of the Iliad where Helen voices shame and disappointment with Paris after he has been defeated in combat by Menelaus. The second is a scene from Colluthus’ Abduction of Helen which shows the very first meeting of the couple. The paper demonstrates how Colluthus’ passage clearly echoes the Homeric one, functioning as a prequel, but at the same time building on it as well. On the one hand, Colluthus answers questions which had been left open by Homer, while on the other hand he challenges his readers to read the scene through the lens of the Iliad. The perceptive reader will observe how the two texts can ultimately influence each other’s meanings.