Myra Buehr, age 13, of Quincy, I11., for her question:

WHO WAS HELEN OF TROY?

Helen of Troy in Greek mythology was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the major cause of the Trojan War, in which Greece defeated the city of Troy.

According to the legend, Helen was the daughter of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Leda, a human being. According to one myth, Zeus appeared in the form of a swan when he visited Leda and Helen was hatched from a swan's egg. Another myth says that Zeus was married to Nemesis, the goddess of fate, and she was the one who gave Leda the egg from which Helen was born.

Helen's personality has fascinated writers for centuries. Some authors have portrayed her as a deceitful woman driven by passion to betray her country and family.

Others have regarded Helen as an innocent victim of her own great beauty.

Many Greek heroes courted Helen, but she married Menelaus, king of Sparta.