19th century grand tour bust of King Menelaus of Sparta

19th Century bronzed spelter bust of Menelaus the mythological king of Sparta. A fine casting with rich patina. In Greek mythology, Menelaus (Greek: Menelaos, from “vigor, rage, power” and “people,” “wrath of the people”) was a king of Mycenaean (pre-Dorian) Sparta, the husband of Helen of Troy, and the son of Atreus and Aerope. According to the Iliad, Menelaus was a central figure in the Trojan War, leading the Spartan contingent of the Greek army, under his elder brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Prominent in both the Iliad and Odyssey, Menelaus was also popular in Greek vase painting and Greek tragedy, the latter more as a hero of the Trojan War than as a member of the doomed House of Atreus. Dimensions: W: 10.4cm (4.1″)H: 20.4cm (8″)D: 7cm (2.8″) £460.00  Approx $627.56, €532.41, Euro and Dollar Prices above can change subject to exchange rates.   Read more