Helen, considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world, was married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Not bothered by her marital status, Paris (also known as Alexandros, son of Priam, the elderly king of Troy) fell in love with Helen (during a diplomatic mission to Sparta) and abducted her. (Some accounts say they eloped.)
Menelaus, later in the story, thought he should kill his wife because she had been with a prince of Troy. As he raised his sword to kill her, however, he stopped himself when he saw Helen’s great beauty. The kidnapping was successful and events leading to a war between the Greeks (then called the Achaeans) and the Trojans (the people of Troy) were thus set in motion.
Hector (Hektor), son of Priam and the older brother of Paris, sensed the inevitable. A great warrior himself, and the father of a young son, Astyanax, he was prepared to lead his people in battle.