Clytemnestra Chapter 3: One Girl Wins and the Other Loses Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Clytemnestra and Helen racing through olive and fig groves to the Eurotas River. Clytemnestra wins easily, and the sisters bathe, joking about hubris. They then attend gymnasium practice where they train with discus, spear, and dance. During a bath, Clytemnestra reflects on their changing bodies and recalls rumors of Helen's divine parentage—Zeus in the form of a swan raping Leda. That evening at a women-only meal, Leda asks Clytemnestra to tell stories to her younger sisters. In their bedroom, Helen voices insecurity about their father's favoritism; Clytemnestra reassures her. The next morning is wrestling day. King Tyndareus presides. A girl named Cynisca challenges Helen, beating her brutally while Tyndareus watches impassively. When Cynisca nearly kills Helen, Clytemnestra intervenes, defeating Cynisca and carrying Helen away. Clytemnestra's ankle is injured; she uses her grandmother Gorgophone's stick. She overhears Polydeuces questioning Helen, then confronts her father, who scolds her for breaking the rule of fair fight. Later, Castor carries her to a stable, and they ride together. Castor argues that Clytemnestra underestimates Helen's inner strength. The chapter ends with Clytemnestra pondering a future without her brother.

Key Events

Clytemnestra and Helen race to the Eurotas River; Clytemnestra wins.
The sisters train at the gymnasium with spear, discus, and dance.
In the bath, Clytemnestra remembers the story of Leda and the swan (Zeus).
An evening meal with Leda and the younger sisters; Clytemnestra tells tales of hunting.
Helen confesses her fear that Tyndareus loves her less; Clytemnestra insists she is her true sister.
Wrestling day: Cynisca challenges and beats Helen savagely.
Clytemnestra illegally intervenes, throws Cynisca, and carries Helen away.
Clytemnestra's ankle swells; she borrows Gorgophone's walking stick.
Polydeuces angrily questions Helen; Clytemnestra defends her actions.
Tyndareus rebukes Clytemnestra for dishonoring the match; she argues that soldiers rescue comrades.
Castor carries Clytemnestra to the stables; they ride and discuss Helen's hidden strength.

Character Development

Clytemnestra: Her fierce protectiveness of Helen overshadows Spartan rules of fair combat. She feels rage toward anyone who threatens her family and acts on impulse, earning her father's anger but not regretting her choice. Her use of Gorgophone's stick connects her to a lineage of strong queens.

Helen: Shown as graceful in dance but physically weak in wrestling. She is ashamed of her defeat and longs for her father's approval. She also demonstrates quiet will: she insists on fighting despite Clytemnestra's objections.

Tyndareus: A cold, demanding king who values discipline and strength above family bonds. He refuses to stop the fight and later blames Clytemnestra for interfering.

Castor: Playful and wise, he offers a nuanced view of Helen's nature. He supports Clytemnestra but warns that she underestimates her sister's resilience.

Cynisca: Represents the brutal side of Spartan competition. She targets Helen to humiliate her and uses violent tactics.

Leda: A pragmatic mother who repeats the lesson that in every fight one wins and the other loses. She does not intervene in Tyndareus's decisions.

Gorgophone (via memory): The grandmother's prophecy about queens outlasting men seeds Clytemnestra's future ambition.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Sibling Loyalty vs. Spartan Honor: Clytemnestra breaks the sacred rule of non-interference in a wrestling match to save Helen. The chapter frames her action as both brave and foolish, questioning whether family loyalty should override communal codes.

The Body as a Site of Change: Clytemnestra notices their maturing bodies with unease, linking physical growth to the looming pressure of marriage and motherhood. The injuries Helen suffers and Clytemnestra's swollen ankle emphasize the cost of growing up in a warrior society.

Divine and Human Parentage: The retelling of Leda's rape by Zeus highlights how Helen is viewed as half-divine and therefore not fully Tyndareus's child. This belief alienates Helen and shapes her insecurity.

Winning and Losing: Leda's mantra—"one girl wins and the other loses"—permeates the chapter. Yet Clytemnestra's intervention shows that outcomes are not always binary; love can override the rules of competition.

The Eurotas River and the Anemones: The river is a setting for freedom and sisterly bonding. The "bloodred anemones" hint at the violence and beauty that coexist in their world.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes the central relationship between Clytemnestra and Helen—a bond of fierce protection on one side and vulnerable dependence on the other. It also introduces the Spartan ethos of endurance and the cost of defying it. Clytemnestra's choice to rescue Helen foreshadows her future as a woman who will challenge male authority and patriarchal systems. The memory of Gorgophone plants a seed of ambition: Clytemnestra is told she belongs to a dynasty of queens. The chapter also sets up the tension between Tyndareus and his daughters, which will shape Clytemnestra's later choices.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Clytemnestra intervene in the wrestling match, and what are the consequences within her family?
Clytemnestra intervenes because she cannot bear to watch Helen be beaten to death. She throws Cynisca aside and carries Helen away, injuring her own ankle. Her father Tyndareus scolds her for dishonoring the rules of fair combat, while her mother Leda reminds her that only gods should intervene. Castor, however, supports her privately, though he argues that she underestimates Helen's own ability to fight.
What does the memory of Gorgophone reveal about Clytemnestra's understanding of power and gender?
Gorgophone, Clytemnestra's grandmother, told her that women—especially queens—will be remembered longer than their male brothers. She also warned that when men grow proud, they become trusting and are easily cut down. This memory gives Clytemnestra a sense of her own potential power and a distrust of male authority, preparing her for a future where she must navigate a world dominated by kings and warriors.
How does the chapter contrast the characters of Clytemnestra and Helen?
Clytemnestra is strong, aggressive, and quick to act; she dances for herself. Helen is graceful, physically weaker, and dances for others. Yet both share a strong will. Helen insists on fighting Cynisca despite knowing she will lose, and later Clytemnestra sees her sister's "crafty" side. Castor points out that Helen may outlive them all, suggesting that her resilience is different from Clytemnestra's physical strength.