The Beginning of the Trojan War
While many know about the Trojan War, not many know about how it was started.
Eris, the goddess of discord, was enraged when she found out she was not invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (a sea goddess). So she threw a golden apple on the banquet table, saying it belonged to whoever was the fairest.
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each reached for the apple. Zeus said Paris, the prince of Troy and said to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge.
Hera promised Paris power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman alive. Paris chose Aphrodite.
Aphrodite promised him Helen, wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. He was the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and the brother of the great warrior Agamemnon.
Paris set off to capture Helen.
Menelaus treated Paris as a royal visitor, but when Menelaus left, Paris abducted Helen, though she might have gone willingly, and much of Menelaus’s wealth.
Helen and Paris married in Troy.
Menelaus was outraged and assembled all of Helen’s previous suitors to go into war to find her. Even though some protested, in the end, they all went.
They first went to Mysia because they thought the Teucrians had taken her and destroyed the city but came out with no Helen.
The Teucrian leader, Telephus, was wounded badly and when the suitors were ready to give up, he said if they healed him, he would tell them where Helen was. So of course they healed him! He told them how to get to Troy, and the Trojan War began!
Eris, the goddess of discord, was enraged when she found out she was not invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (a sea goddess). So she threw a golden apple on the banquet table, saying it belonged to whoever was the fairest.
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each reached for the apple. Zeus said Paris, the prince of Troy and said to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge.
Hera promised Paris power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman alive. Paris chose Aphrodite.
Aphrodite promised him Helen, wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. He was the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and the brother of the great warrior Agamemnon.
Paris set off to capture Helen.
Menelaus treated Paris as a royal visitor, but when Menelaus left, Paris abducted Helen, though she might have gone willingly, and much of Menelaus’s wealth.
Helen and Paris married in Troy.
Menelaus was outraged and assembled all of Helen’s previous suitors to go into war to find her. Even though some protested, in the end, they all went.
They first went to Mysia because they thought the Teucrians had taken her and destroyed the city but came out with no Helen.
The Teucrian leader, Telephus, was wounded badly and when the suitors were ready to give up, he said if they healed him, he would tell them where Helen was. So of course they healed him! He told them how to get to Troy, and the Trojan War began!