In the *Iliad*, Homer describes Helen as a catalyst for war, not a warrior herself. Her presence in Troy was seen as a prize worth fighting for, and her beauty was considered a powerful weapon in its own right.
While her beauty was the cause of the war, Helen's character is more complex. She is depicted as a victim of circumstance, forced to leave her husband Menelaus for Paris. She is also shown as a compassionate figure, mourning the deaths of soldiers on both sides of the conflict.