Leah Weaver

The Encomium of Helen

(1) The order proper to a city is being well-manned; to a body, beauty; to a soul, wisdom; to a deed, excellence; and to a discourse, truth--and the opposites of these are disorder. And the praiseworthy man and woman and discourse and work and city-state and deed one must honor with praise, while one must assign blame to the unworthy--for it is equal error and ignorance to blame the praiseworthy and to praise the blameworthy.

(2) It being required of the same man both to speak straight and to refute [crooked speech, one should refute] those blaming Helen, a woman concerning whom the testimony of those who are called poets has become univocal and unanimous--likewise the repute of her name, which has become a byword for calamities. And by bestowing some rationality on the discourse, I myself wish to absolve this ill-reputed woman from responsibility, and to show that those who blame her are lying--and, having shown the truth, to put an end to ignorance.

(3) It is not unclear, not even to a few, that the woman who is the subject of this discourse was the foremost of the foremost men and women, by nature and by birth. For it is clear that her mother was Leda and her father was in fact the god, but said to be mortal, Tyndareus and Zeus--of whom the one, by being, seemed, while the other, by speech, was disproved--and the one was the mightiest of men while the other was tyrant over all.

(4) Born of such parentage, she had godlike beauty, which having received she not inconspicuously retained. She produced the greatest erotic desires in most men. For one body many bodies of men came together, men greatly purposing great things, of whom some possessed great wealth, some the glory of ancient and noble lineage, some the vigor of personal strength, and others the power of acquired cleverness. And they were all there together out of contentious love and unconquerable ambition.

Gorgias’ “Encomium of Helen” is a piece in which he successfully and effortlessly accomplishes multiple task. Gorgias performed the “Encomium of Helen” during a period of time in which a variety of pedagogical schools were being created. In addition to advertising his school of sophistry, self-promoting, and demonstrating the unrestrained capabilities of rhetoric, Gorgias also confronts the large feat of exonerating Helen. The encomium begins with Gorgias clearly discerning the need for Helen’s exoneration, justifying his efforts to do, and demonstrating multiple aspects of rhetoric.

Gorgias begins section one of the encomium with a Homeric-like, abstract assertion. In an epic statement Gorgias expresses, “The order proper to a city is being well-manned; to a body, beauty; to a soul, wisdom; to a deed, excellence; and to a discourse, truth — and the opposites of these are disorder.” Gorgias asserts quite clearly here what is the correct state of being for the specific objects of his queries. By imposing these analogies at the onset of his piece, Gorgias effectively constructs an indispensable element of a rhetorical worldview; a view in which all things possess an opposite, one of which encourages disorder. Gorgias follows this statement with an assertion that deserving men, women, work, and governments deserves praise, in contrast to the unworthy which is to be dismayed and subject to blame. Gorgias’ mention of both men and women supposes a gendered construction of humanity, in which both assume subject position. Gorgias’ conjured sense of humanity in which men and women are subjects, is reinforced at the conclusion of the encomium, during which Gorgias identifies Helen as his “plaything.” Gorgias’ final assertion in the first section is that it is just as wrong and ignorant to defend the “blameworthy” or bad, as it is to undermine or “blame” the which is good, or “praiseworthy.” Concluding the first section with this notion acts as a defense of not only Helen but rhetoric, which is subject to the Socratic view which argues that rhetoricians subvert what is considered good and evil.

In the second section of the “Encomium of Helen,” Gorgias states that the men he spoke of earlier, being those who are praiseworthy, must defend Helen. Gorgias argues that Helen must be defended against those, particularly poets, who unanimously recognize her presence in Troy as the fault of her actions. Gorgias furthers this position, essentially stating that her honor must be redeemed given the ill-repute now attached her name. Gorgias’ final thought is that he will subject the theories surrounding Helen to reason. Gorgias asserts that implementing this sort of rationality will force those who blame Helen to be identified as dishonest, and prevent the further perpetuation of ignorance.

Gorgias begins the encomium in the third and fourth sections. In the third section Gorgias describes Helen as a prominent and divine figure amongst men and women, reinforcing the gendered humanity he constructed earlier. Gorgias supports this position by defining her parentage; her mother being Leda and her father Zeus. In section four, Gorgias continues stating that Helen’s divine birth has provided her beauty. In an effort to illustrate Helen’s beauty, Gorgias demonstrates the affect it had upon men. Gorgias states that Helen’s beauty attracted most men, and implies that assemblies of men gathered in efforts to pursue her when he states, “for one body many bodies of men came together.”

It is in the beginning of the "Encomium of Helen" in which Gorgias states his purposes for pursuing Helen’s vindication. However, in the first four sections Gorgias also constructs and conveys concepts associated with the rhetorical worldview. In doing so, Gorgias indirectly challenges Socratic claims but also lays the groundwork for a “rational” argument he will pursue in order to exonerate Helen.  Further, when defining the divinity of Helen, Gorgias supplements many of the arguments he will make later in her defense. As a result the beginning of the "Encomium of Helen" is crucial in Gorgias' self-promotion, promotion of rhetoric, and efforts to redeem Helen.