The Apple of Discord
In the golden halls of Olympus, the gods gathered to celebrate the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, a union blessed by Zeus himself. Immortals reveled, their laughter echoing like music across the heavens. But one goddess stood uninvited—Eris, the goddess of discord.
Bitter and slighted, Eris crafted her revenge with a single, simple gesture. She cast a golden apple into the crowd, its surface gleaming with an inscription:
"To the Fairest."
Silence fell. Then came the inevitable—Hera, queen of the gods, Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, each claiming the prize. Words turned sharp. Pride flared.
Unable to judge between them, Zeus refused to decide, fearing the wrath of whichever goddess he did not choose. Instead, he turned to a mortal—Paris, a prince of Troy, whose fate had long been woven into the tapestry of destiny.
The Bribes of the Goddesses
Paris, a shepherd on the slopes of Mount Ida, was no ordinary man. Though royal by blood, he lived far from the halls of power, unaware that the gods themselves would soon stand before him.
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite approached, their divine forms veiled in mortal beauty. They did not ask for his judgment—they demanded it.
But gods do not plead without offering gifts. Each goddess sought to sway Paris with promises carved from his deepest desires:
- Hera, regal and commanding, offered him power—the rule over vast kingdoms, with wealth beyond measure.
- Athena, with eyes sharp as a spear’s edge, promised him wisdom and glory in battle, victory eternal and unmatched.
- Aphrodite, her smile as soft as dawn’s light, whispered of love—the heart of the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Sparta.
Paris’ choice would not be weighed by reason, but by desire.
The Choice That Changed the World
Paris’ heart was swift to answer. Power and glory were fleeting, he thought—but beauty, love… that was eternal.
He placed the golden apple in Aphrodite’s hands.
In that moment, the seeds of war were sown. Aphrodite’s promise bound Paris to his fate, for Helen was already wed to Menelaus, king of Sparta.
What began as a quarrel among goddesses would soon ignite a conflict among men—a war that would burn for ten years, toppling kings, shattering cities, and echoing through the ages.
—To be continued in Chapter 2: The Abduction of Helen.