Who was the Greek king whose wife Helen was?

Who was the Greek king whose wife Helen was? The answer is Menelaus. He was the king of Sparta and the husband of Helen, whose departure for Troy with Paris became the immediate cause of the Trojan War in the usual mythological tradition.

Menelaus was the younger brother of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. After Helen’s many suitors swore the Oath of Tyndareus, Menelaus was selected as her husband. The oath required the former suitors to defend the marriage if Helen were ever taken away, helping explain why Greek leaders gathered an army against Troy.

Menelaus led the Spartan contingent among the Achaeans. In the Iliad, he fights Paris in single combat, but Aphrodite rescues the Trojan prince before the duel can settle the war. After Troy falls, Menelaus recovers Helen and eventually returns with her to Sparta. Homer’s Odyssey presents them living together again after a difficult journey home.