Encomium on Helen
The glory of a city lies in its courage; the glory of the body, in beauty; of the soul, in wisdom; of action, in virtue; and of speech, in truth. It is always just to praise what deserves praise and to condemn what deserves blame.
It falls to the same person to both speak the truth and expose falsehood. Helen has long been universally condemned, cast as the symbol of misfortune. I seek to critically examine her story and free her from undeserved slander.
Helen was of noble lineage. Her supposed father, Tyndareus, was a powerful king; her true father, Zeus, was the king of the gods. From such divine origins, Helen inherited her extraordinary beauty—a beauty that inspired desire in countless men. She drew suitors of wealth, noble heritage, valor, and wisdom.
I will not dwell on who ultimately won her hand or how. Telling familiar stories gains agreement but not enjoyment. Instead, I will begin my defense by offering possible explanations for her departure to Troy.
Helen’s actions may have been caused by one of four things: fate and divine will; abduction by force; deception through speech; or compulsion by love.
Divine Will or Fate If her journey resulted from the will of the gods or the necessity of fate, then the fault lies not with her but with those divine forces. Human will cannot oppose the gods—what is weaker cannot overrule what is stronger. Therefore, if Helen’s fate was sealed by the gods, she is blameless.
Force If Helen was taken by force, then she was a victim, not a wrongdoer. The man who abducted her, a foreigner, committed an act of violence and should be blamed. She, torn from her homeland and loved ones, deserves compassion, not condemnation.
Persuasion through Speech If speech deceived her and changed her mind, she too deserves no blame. Speech is powerful—it can calm fear, dispel sorrow, spark joy, and stir pity. Poets use it to move listeners to fear, tears, or longing. Words, like magic spells, can charm the soul, persuade, and even deceive. There are two forms of enchantment: delusions of the soul and deceptions of the mind.
Speech draws its power from human limitations. We cannot remember all the past, observe the present fully, or foresee the future. This vulnerability makes us easily misled, relying on opinion rather than knowledge—and opinion is fickle. Thus, persuasion can override reason and coerce agreement just as force does. In this case, the speaker, not Helen, is at fault.
This is evident in various fields. Meteorologists convince us of invisible phenomena through argument. Lawyers sway juries not with truth but with rhetorical skill. Philosophers change minds quickly through clever debate. Speech can alter the soul, just as drugs alter the body—curing or harming, depending on use. Words, like potions, can bring joy, fear, or grief; they can enchant the soul with harmful persuasion.
Love If Helen acted under the influence of love, the argument is the same. Sight is not chosen; it imposes itself on the soul. Just as the sight of an advancing army strikes fear and causes men to flee, overriding custom and reason, so too can beauty stir overwhelming emotion.
Vision has driven people mad, caused grief and longing, even ruined health. Art can captivate through color and form, and the sight of beauty—such as Paris’s appearance—might well have overwhelmed Helen. If divine power was at work, how could she resist? And if it was human weakness, it was a misfortune of ignorance, not a calculated crime.
In all four cases—fate, force, persuasion, or love—Helen cannot rightly be blamed.
Thus, I have attempted through reasoned argument to erase the unfair reputation Helen bears. My goal was to remove unjust condemnation and challenge ignorant opinion. I composed this speech both as a tribute to Helen and for my own intellectual satisfaction. |
