I will take as the beginning of my discourse the beginning of her family. For although
 Zeus begat very many of the demigods, of this woman alone he condescended to be called
 father. While he was devoted most of all to the son of Alcmena Heracles. and to the sons of Leda Castor
 and Pollux. , yet his preference for Helen, as compared with Heracles, was so
 great that, although he conferred upon his son strength of body, which is able to
 overpower all others by force, yet to her he gave the gift of beauty, which by its nature
 brings even strength itself into subjection to it. And knowing that all distinction and renown accrue, not from a life of ease, but from
 wars and perilous combats, and since he wished, not only to exalt their persons to the
 gods, but also to bequeath to them glory that would be immortal, he gave his son a life of
 labors and love of perils, and to Helen he granted the gift of nature which drew the
 admiration of all beholders and which in all men inspired contention Quoted and discussed by Demetrius, On Style 23. . In the first place Theseus For Isocrates’ view of Theseus
 see Isoc. 12.126 ff. , with his references to this
 discussion of the hero. For Theseus see Eur. Hipp. 887
 ff. and Plut. Thes. Theseus, reputed son of
 Aegeus and of Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, king of Troezen in Argolis , was honored
 as the founder of the political institutions of Athens. Cf. p. 79 and note. ,
 reputedly the son of Aegeus, but in reality the progeny of Poseidon, seeing Helen not as
 yet in the full bloom of her beauty, but already surpassing other maidens, was so
 captivated by her loveliness that he, accustomed as he was to subdue others, and although
 the possessor of a fatherland most great and a kingdom most secure, thought life was not
 worth living amid the blessings he already had unless he could enjoy intimacy with her.
 And when he was unable to obtain her from her guardians—for they were awaiting her
 maturity and the fulfilment of the oracle which the Pythian priestess had given—scorning
 the royal power of Tyndareus Father of Helen. ,
 disdaining the might of Castor and Pollux Brothers of
 Helen. , and belittling all the hazards in Lacedaemon , he seized her by force and established her at Aphidna in Attica . So grateful was Theseus to Peirithos, his partner in the abduction, that when Peirithos
 wished to woo Persephon, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and summoned him to the descent
 into Hades to obtain her, when Theseus found that he could not by his warnings dissuade
 his friend, although the danger was manifest he nevertheless accompanied him, for he was
 of opinion that he owed this debt For the figure of speech
 in ἔρανος see Isoc.
 11.1 and Plat. Sym. 177c . of
 gratitude—to decline no task enjoined by Peirithos in return for his help in his own
 perilous enterprise.