A Flower for Helen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Orchid

The start of the myth has us believe that Zeus came to earth in the shape of a swan and ravished the mortal Leda. Leda was impregnated on the same night by the mighty god, as well as her own mortal husband, King Tyndareus. She gave birth to two eggs, inside one was Helen and Polydeuces, where the other egg produced Castor and Clytemnestra. Helen grew up to be a great beauty, and the poet Christopher Marlowe once quoted that she "had the face that launch'd a thousand ships".

The orchid falls under the family of Orchidaceae and is one of the largest families of flowering plant with approximately 30,000 species. The flower often has sweet smelling blooms and are most abundant in temperate regions. In cooler regions, the plants are cultivated for ornamental use. The fleshy petals stand atop a tall stem and can come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, purple and yellow. The flower symbolises fertility, beauty and perfection.

Answer: Edelweiss

The Judgement of Paris is another story from Greek mythology which interweaves with that of the Trojan War. The story said that three beautiful goddesses, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena, were undecided on which of them was the most fairest. The great Zeus intervened and told Paris to decide for them. After much bribery, Aphrodite was chosen out of the three and she awarded Paris with Helen as his wife. Unfortunately, Helen was already married which she failed to tell Paris at the time.

The edelweiss is a tiny cluster of white flowers on a bed of silvery foliage that grows scarcely on the mountainsides of Austria and Switzerland. It is from the genus Leontopodium alpinum. The word edelweiss translated in to English means "noble-white", and the flower symbolises alpinism, ruggedness and great courage.

Answer: Anthocyanin

The match between Menelaus and Helen was for political reasons because of the power he wielded. They appeared happily married for ten years, and it is believed they had three children called Hermione, Nicostratus and Plisthenes. Paris visited the court of Menelaus as a guest, but there is a difference of opinion on how the relationship developed from there. Some say that Paris abducted Helen and took her to Troy, while others claim it was love at first sight and she left of her own free will.

The rose is well known as the symbol for love and is one of the most popular flowers worldwide with over 100 species establishing themselves on many continents. They are fairly low maintenance with many varieties living in the wild, but those that are grown in gardens are well tended and pruned by their careful owners. Anthocyanin is a water soluble pigment which gives a bright red or purple colour to a variety of fruit and vegetables, including berries, red onions, grapes and autumn foliage.

Answer: Cleome

Under the protection of Aphrodite, Paris set sail for Sparta where he was warmly welcomed as a guest in to the palace of Menelaus. Fine feasts were given as the Prince of Troy was known to be an excellent sportsman and was highly regarded by all. After nine days as a guest, Menelaus suddenly departed for Crete to attend a funeral, and it was during this period when Paris and Helen left for Troy under cover of darkness.

The cleome, or spider flower, is from the family Cleomaceae which under the order of Brassicales also includes cabbage and mustard. It is a delicate looking garden plant although their native habitat is growing wild on the plains of South America. The flower heads grow in clusters atop tall stems, and several plants placed together will add a bright spark of white and pink to a shady corner in the garden.

Answer: Yellow hyacinth

Helen's father Tyndareus was concerned that Helen would be kidnapped when she got married, so he made all her suitors promise to fetch her back should this be the case. In Greek mythology, this was called The Oath of Tyndareus. Fed by jealousy, Menelaus called in this oath when Helen was abducted and her suitors were obliged to bring her back. Collectively, the group of men were known as the Achaean leaders. They included several young warriors including Ajax, Odysseus and Diomedes.

Hyacinth is a highly scented spring bulb which comes in shades of blue, pink, yellow, white and purple. The densely formed waxy bell-shaped flowers appear on spikes of two or three. They are native to the regions of the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey and north east Iran. They are normally grown in gardens, but can also be forced early by growing inside in a cool dark space for the roots to establish. Once rooted, they are then placed on a windowsill in a specially adapted bowl containing water.

Answer: Nasturtium

Odysseus was very reluctant to keep to the oath as a prophet had told him it would take him years to return home from Troy. He even feigned madness but people saw through his ruse. He played a key role in the events that happened after Paris eloped with Helen, visiting them with Menelaus and using his diplomatic skills to try and avert war. Unknown to him at the time, the prophet was correct. The Trojan War lasted for ten years, and it took him a further ten years to sail home as written in "The Odyssey" by Homer.

The genus Nasturtium belongs to the same family as Brassicaceae which includes the watercress, another peppery tasting plant often used in salads. However, the variety we see in our gardens is Tropaeolum majus, or garden nasturtium. The orange or yellow coloured flowers bloom abundantly throughout summer, although they can become invasive if not properly maintained.

Answer: Achillea

And so the ten year Trojan War had started. A coalition of Greek forces set sail from Greece across the Aegean Sea to Troy, in what is now part of northwest Turkey. The siege had many bloody battles and included the deaths of the great heroes Hector, Achilles, and of course Paris. The walls of Troy were extremely fortified, and it was one long contracted siege for the Greeks to get within the battlements. The armies were mainly on foot carrying spears, although some chariots were also used. The full story of the war is told in Homer's "Illiad".

The common name for achillea is yarrow. The genus Achillea is named after the Greek warrior, Achilles, and it is believed he treated his soldiers with the plant during the Trojan War due to its healing properties. Native to Europe, Asia and North America, the plant has tall stems with an umbrella like structure on top with tiny seed like flowers in shades of white, yellow, pink and orange.

Answer: Papaver rhoeas

Several battles occurred within the ten years of the Trojan War. The great warrior Hector was felled by Achilles, who in turn was killed by Paris by shooting a poisoned arrow at his heel. Philoctetes was an excellent archer and key player in the Trojan War. Son of King Poeas, and squire to the Greek god Hercules, Philoctetes had carried out a favour to Hercules and was awarded with a bow and poisoned arrows. It was this that Philoctetes used to kill Paris.

Papaver rhoeas is the botanical name for the red poppy. The flower is synonymous with felled soldiers during battle, especially those who died during the First World War. It is known as an agricultural weed as they appear abundantly in fields due to the ground frequently being disturbed. This aids seed distribution. The flower features in the poem "In Flanders Field" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. "In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row, that mark our place; and in the sky, the larks still bravely singing fly, scarce heard amid the guns below."

Answer: Snap dragon

After ten years of battle, the Greeks were still unable to get access to the heavily fortified city of Troy. As an act of deception, they built a large wooden horse and gifted it to the Trojan army. Unknown to the Trojans, Greek soldiers were hiding inside the hollow horse ready to fight. In the dark of night, the Greek army pretended to sail away, and the Trojans gladly took the wooden horse within their city walls, believing they had won the war. The Greeks pounced and defeated the Trojans with one heavy blow.

Native to North America, Europe and North Africa, the snapdragon plant is a frequent sight growing wild in rocky areas. The flower head when open resembles the face of a dragon, hence the common name given to the plant. The colours come in shades of yellow, red, orange and pink. The name Antirrhinum is made up of the Greek words "anti" and "rhi", meaning "like" and "nose".

Answer: Marigold

There are various endings to the fate of Helen after the fall of Troy. Some say she was taken from the mortal world and sent to Olympus, while others say she was exiled to Rhodes. The most popular belief is that just before he died, Paris gave her to his brother Deiphobu and they were married by force. When Troy was captured, Menelaus found them together and he killed Deiphobu before returning back to Sparta with Helen. His aim was to kill his unfaithful wife, but he changed his mind as once again her beauty won him over. As with other mythical stories, it is up to the reader on how they interpret the ending. Which one will you choose?

The marigold is derived from the name "Mary" meaning the Mother Ray, and the word "gold". The flower comes from the genus Tagetes. The golden orange or yellow blooms are clustered around a small base plant and appear throughout the summer season and often into autumn. Different varieties include French, Mexican, and the much larger African marigold. The flower symbolises grief and death in a lot of cultures, especially in Mexico where they celebrate a Day of the Dead on 31st October, 1st and 2nd November of each year.