Summary

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In a land far from home, Helen finds herself embroiled in a complex web of divine machinations and human emotions. While her husband Menelaus battles at Troy, believing her to be among the spoils of war, she is instead safeguarded in Egypt. As the chaos of war unfolds, Helen navigates threats and misunderstandings while yearning for reunion with Menelaus.

A Divine Deception

Helen stands at the tomb of Proteus, the late Egyptian king, her heart heavy with prayer and hope. This sanctuary amidst the turmoil is her only shield against dishonor while the siege of Troy rages on. Unbeknownst to Menelaus, Helen's husband, the Helen who resides with Paris in Troy is merely a phantom concocted by a vengeful Hera. The real Helen remains in Egypt, tormented by the falsehoods spun by the whims of gods and goddesses.

Encounters with Despair

Her solitude is interrupted by Teucer, a fellow Greek, who brings with him grim tidings of the war’s outcome. The Greek armies have crumbled, her husband is missing, and her mother Leda has taken her own life out of grief and shame. These revelations shatter Helen, leaving her in a state of deep despair, contemplating the bleakness of her fate and considering her own end.

Fearing for his own safety, Helen cautions Teucer against seeking the counsel of the prophet Theonoe, as Egyptians harbor no mercy for Greeks. The chorus, empathetic to her plight, joins in mourning her misfortunes, urging her to seek out Theonoe herself, in the hope of finding a sliver of guidance.

A Chance Encounter

As fate would have it, Menelaus, believed lost, washes ashore at the Egyptian palace, destitute and in search of aid. His reception is harsh; the palace portress, wary of Theoclymenus’s designs on Helen, admonishes him and turns him away. Menelaus is perplexed, having just left a vision of his wife in a nearby cave.

Their paths cross unexpectedly when Helen steps out from her meeting with Theonoe. Initially, Menelaus is skeptical, confusing the real Helen for her doppelgänger. It isn't until a messenger corroborates her story by reporting the disappearance of the phantom Helen, that Menelaus embraces the truth. Their heartfelt reunion is marred by the constant shadow of Theoclymenus's threat.

Theon's Dilemma

Meanwhile, Theonoe, aware of the divine politics at play, approaches Menelaus with a grave warning. Although Hera has softened her stance, Cypris (Aphrodite) remains adamant to keep her past manipulations hidden—leaving Theonoe in a difficult position, bound by allegiance to Cypris. Helen’s pleading and Menelaus’s defiance sway Theonoe, who ultimately decides to keep their secret and urges them to craft an escape plan.

A Cunning Ruse

With Theoclymenus absent on a hunt, Helen devises a daring plan. Donning mourning attire, she approaches him with feigned grief, claiming Menelaus has perished at sea. She consents to marry Theoclymenus, on the condition of bestowing Menelaus with a proper Greek burial at sea.

Theoclymenus, eager to accommodate her, consults Menelaus, now posing as a messenger, for burial arrangements. Menelaus details an elaborate ceremony requiring a ship, an offering of a bull, and a sea-bound procession. Unwittingly, Theoclymenus grants them the means to their escape, blinded by his desire to appear magnanimous.

Escape and Retribution

The ruse unfolds flawlessly; Helen and Menelaus exploit the funeral preparations to make their escape. A breathless messenger soon delivers the news to Theoclymenus—their ship has set sail, carrying not the dead, but the living, bound for Sparta. In disbelief and anger, Theoclymenus swears vengeance on Theonoe for her betrayal.

A palace servant attempts to pacify him, suggesting resignation to the hand of fate. The scene is interrupted by the divine intervention of the Dioscuri, who descend to thwart Theoclymenus's wrath and decree that Helen and Menelaus's return is ordained by the heavens. Chastened by the divine will, Theoclymenus must accept the fate that has unfolded, as the chorus reflects on the unpredictable nature of destiny.

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