Assignment 9

Thetis was marrying Peleus, and everybody who was anybody was invited, including me. Everyone except for Eris. She was the dangerously annoying sidekick of Ares. It was no mistake that she was not put on the guest list... We all knew that his mischievous ways would completely ruin the wedding, and the reception.  But not caring that she didn't get an invitation, she showed up anyways. She was extremely mad that she wasn't initially invited. She brought to the wedding one of her golden apples, and trust me, this was not a gift to the bride or groom. Eris then threw the apple into the middle of Athena, Hera, and I. We could all see that on the beautiful apple the words "to the fairest". After seeing this all three of us ended up wanting the apple. None of us could figure out who was worthy of the apple which led to a dispute, so we went to Zeus to have him decide who was worthy. It must have been to hard for him to decide because he delegated the question to someone else. He gave the question to someone else because he knew that the two people he didn't choose would seek revenge. The person who ended up having to make the decision was the young mortal Paris. He was on Mount Ida, shepherding. It had been prophesied that he would be the cause of the Trojan War and Troy's downfall. So Zeus explained the situation to Paris, and then Athena, Hera, and I went down to Paris, and each of us demanded the apple. Paris started crying in front of us, but how could he not? He had to choose out of the three most beautiful people he would ever see was the most gorgeous. Hard decision right? And of course, he couldn't decide. But he knew that he would have to eventually. So we pretty much decided for him by bribing him. Hera, who was the queen of the Gods, offered him power, and she pretty much filled his mind with the image of thrones, riches, and all of Asia begging at his feet. Now, this sounded great to Paris, but he decided to listen to Athena and I's offers before making a decision. Athena then offered him wisdom, almost equaling her own. She also promised him great luck in battle. Paris was all about the idea, but he wanted to hear what I had to say. I offered him two things 1.) that he would have the best body ever 2.) That he would have the most beautiful women in the world... He was a normal guy with hormones so he decided to ditch the other two gifts and choose me. So I got the apple! This decision affected him in more than one way... Helen of Troy was the most beautiful mortal in the world, but she was already MARRIED to an important king. It was also prophesy that Paris would die a gruesome death if he took Helen. He had also angered the goddess of war and wisdom and the queen of the gods. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into. He eventually did take Helen away, but not without great cost. The theft/kidnapping/rape is what began the Trojan War. Just as the prophesy of his birth had proclaimed. Hera and Athena were against Troy and so Troy fell, and Paris was horribly wounded. Paris's wife Oenone could have saved him,but she was so mad and bitter from Paris's betrayal that she refused to help. Within a few days Oenone changed her mind, but it was too late and when she saw Paris dead she hung herself. So I guess the moral of this myth was never EVER mess with Eris.