what does the allusion "knees that launched a thousand ships" refer to?

Question

what does the allusion "knees that launched a thousand ships" refer to?

Here is the background of the original phrase:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/359800.html

What you quoted is alluding to this in some way.

Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in history, was "stolen" from her husband, and the country went to war to go get her back. A navy of a thousand ships sailed to get her.

http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00018/Cosmic%20Odyssey/TMorikawa/IliadSummary.html

But that was a face that ...
Here we have knees that ...

I don't remember how that fits into this book, it has been so long since I read it.

Answer 1

The allusion "knees that launched a thousand ships" refers to the mythological character Helen of Troy. In Greek mythology, Helen was described as the most beautiful woman in the world. She was married to King Menelaus of Sparta but was abducted by Prince Paris of Troy. This act of "stealing" Helen led to the Trojan War, as the Greeks, led by Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, gathered a fleet of a thousand ships to sail to Troy and retrieve her. The phrase "knees that launched a thousand ships" is an allusion to the immense beauty and allure of Helen, suggesting that her beauty was so captivating that it sparked a massive conflict.