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Act I

Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, has been promised by the goddess Venus that he be blessed with the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, his prize after he awarded Venus the golden apple as the most beautiful goddess. Fair Helen, Queen of Sparta (who is already married to dull King Menelaus) is intrigued by the romantic story of Paris. She is very well aware that people say she is the world’s most beautiful woman, so if Fate were to bring them together she could hardly complain. How fortunate then that when a handsome young shepherd arrives in Sparta, just in time for the Feast of Adonis to commence, the grand soothsayer to Jupiter, Calchas, recognises him as Paris, and Helen clearly likes the look of the new arrival. When the feast begins, a ‘contest of wit’ is held, and who should be the winner but Paris. When he reveals that he’s none other than ‘l’homme à la pomme’ – the chap with the apple, Helen is delighted, and Menelaus invites him to dinner that very night. Nothing more remains than for Calchas (who had been tipped the wink by Venus to speed things along) to get Menelaus out of the way on a trumped-up pretext of an approaching storm, so Helen and Paris can be alone together.

Act II

Helen is in her apartments, choosing what to wear for a grand dinner with the Greek kings. She knows she should resist Paris, and though she allows him an audience, she manages to withstand his attempts at seduction, but he promises to employ cunning to get his way. Helen begs Calchas for help; can’t he grant her a dream in which she can see Paris without any danger? She falls into a sweet sleep but when Paris sneaks back in, disguised as a slave, Calchas decides it’s all down to Fate, and leaves the two together.

Helen wakes to find Paris gazing at her, and (thinking she’s still dreaming) they sing a passionate love-duet, only to be rudely interrupted by an enraged Menelaus, back early and most unamused to find his wife in a compromised position. The other kings come in and remonstrate with him; doesn’t he know it’s bad form to come back without at least giving his wife a bit of notice? But Menelaus won’t listen, and has Paris packed off home to Troy. He departs, but with a warning, ‘I’ll be back!’

Act III

Everyone is at the beach for the summer, and all the Greek kings are in despair. Venus has taken her revenge at having the romance between Paris and Helen thwarted, by putting the entire populace under an erotic spell. The only way to make it end is for Menelaus to forget his scruples and allow Helen to get together with Paris.

But Menelaus is determined not to give in to blackmail. He announces a cunning plan; he’s bringing in a rival Grand Soothsayer, who’s in the service of Venus, and will make Helen see the error of her ways. The new Soothsayer duly arrives, aboard a galley decked with flowers, demanding the sacrifice of 100 white heifers, after which comes the order that Helen must embark for a voyage to the island of Cythera. She resists, but Menelaus is unrelenting that she must go on the trip. She agrees, having already recognised that the Grand Soothsayer on the flower-decked boat is none other than Paris. Stepping on board, she sails away with him as the opera comes to an end.