the duel between Paris and Menelaus

 

Describe the duel between Paris and Menelaus. How does Helen identify the Achaean heroes for the king visible from the wall?

 

Ans. Paris and Menelaus challenge each other in a duel. Whoever wins is to have Helen and a great treasure. Helen leaves her chamber and goes to the wall of Troy in order to observe the contest. Priam asks her to sit by him and she identifies to the king Achaean heroes visible from there. Helen first identifies Agamemnon who is shorter than most of heroes. Next she points at Odysseus who is even shorter than Agamemnon, though broader in chest and shoulders.

 

He is the shrewdest of all. Next she points at Telamonian and Idomeneus and Aias. Meantime Menelaus defeats Paris. Aphrodite appears and conceals Paris in a mist and transports him to his bedroom. Paris weakly defends himself against the admonition of Helen and then they go to bed, Longfellow has justly writes:

 

"Better like Hector in the field to die

Than like a perfumed Paris turn and fly".