Apple of Discord
Thetis snubs Eris, goddess of Discord, and sets off a series of events leading to the Trojan War.
Thetis snubs Eris, goddess of Discord, and sets off a series of events leading to the Trojan War.
The god Ares took the form of a bull and won a contest of strength against a majestic beast belonging to Paris, son of the King of Troy. The mortal’s grace in defeat impressed Zeus, but Paris (and many others) came to regret his new-found reputation on Olympus for sporting behaviour.
WHEN Peleus, prince of Aegina, married the sea-nymph Thetis, the wedding was attended by many gods and goddesses. Eris, goddess of Discord, was not invited; however she slipped in anyway, bringing a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides. She addressed it ‘For the fairest’, and lobbed it into the wedding-party.
After the apple’s discovery and some bruising debate, most agreed that one of Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite must be the intended recipient. They turned to Zeus, who hastily passed the decision onto Paris, currently Olympus’s most respected referee. Paris’s reputation for impartiality did not prevent Hera offering him all Europe, or Athene promising him glory in battle.
But it was Aphrodite’s promise of Helen, Queen of Sparta and the world’s most beautiful mortal woman, that won her the prize. Hera in particular was outraged. When Paris stole Helen from Sparta and took her to Troy, Hera did not rest until she had brought Peleus’s son Achilles in war to his gate.*
* See The Siege of Troy.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Why did Eris inscribe her apple with the words, ‘For the fairest’?
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Thetis married Peleus. She did not invite Eris. Eris wanted revenge.