Helen and Trauma Narrative in the Iliad

This paper uses research in trauma studies to offer a new analysis of Helen in the Iliad . Psychological studies in posttraumatic stress disorder, continuous traumatic stress, and trauma following a sexual assault point to self-blame and suicidal ideation as elements of trauma. These components feature in the three Iliadic speeches where Helen blames herself for the Trojan War and fantasizes about having died before she came to Troy. The interpretation of Helen as traumatized builds on past examinations of her character and offers an alternative to scholarship that views her as sexually motivated, manipulative, and responsible for the Trojan War.