Menelaus, the king of Sparta, was eager to help in the retrieval of Helen after she was taken to Troy primarily because of his strong emotional attachment to her, as she was his wife. The abduction of Helen, often attributed to Paris, a prince of Troy, not only represented a personal loss for Menelaus but also a severe affront to his honor and status as a king.
In the context of Greek culture, the concepts of honor, reputation, and loyalty were