Bell Krater with Helen Fleeing Menelaos

This vase depicts a pivotal moment in the story of Helen and Menelaos during the fall of Troy. After a ten-year war, Menelaos finds his wife Helen, whose departure to Troy with Paris is often blamed for the conflict. Here, she is shown fleeing toward the altar of Aphrodite, goddess of love, her hair and clothing in disarray.

Ancient accounts frame this moment as one of male astonishment at female beauty, implying that Menelaos drops his sword and forgives Helen because of her irresistible allure. Yet, this interpretation diminishes Helen’s complexity, reducing her to an object of desire rather than recognizing her as a figure caught in the machinations of gods and men.