Hel ‧ en of Troy /ˌhelən əv ˈtrɔɪ, ˌhelɪn əv ˈtrɔɪ/ BrE AmE
in ancient Greek stories, the wife of ↑ Menelaus , the king of ↑ Sparta . Helen was famous for her great beauty, and she is often mentioned in literature as a typical example of a very beautiful woman. When Helen’s lover ↑ Paris took her away to Troy with him, he caused the ↑ Trojan War . The phrase ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’ is often used about her, since the Greeks sailed to Troy to bring her back. ⇨ ↑ Iliad