The myth of Ancient Greece "The apple of discord" tells of the inevitability of fate, demonstrates the greed of the gods and their revenge. This story is the beginning of the entire Trojan cycle - a description of the largest war of the ancient world. Dozens of great heroes collided under the walls of a fortified city, and it began with one seemingly innocent object.
Wedding of Peleus and Thetis
The myth of Ancient Greece “The apple of discord” begins with the fact that the supreme god Zeus too liked the ocean of Thetis. Only now he did not dare to get in touch with her because of Prometheus’s warning that his son from this union would surpass the strength of the Thunderbolt himself.
On Olympus, it was decided to marry Thetis to the ruler of Thessaly Peleus. Many guests were invited to the wedding, including all the gods and goddesses with the exception of Eris, the patroness of discord. The goddess was beside herself with rage, because she was no worse than the rest of the higher beings. It was then that she decided to commit revenge, which would cost dearly to the gods and people.
Start of a quarrel
All the myths of ancient Greece tell about the influence of the gods on the fate of people. The “apple of discord” (a summary will be presented in the article) began with the wedding, but not the celebration itself was the subject of a quarrel.
Eris entered the event under the guise of an ordinary woman and threw a golden apple there, on which was one inscription - "the most beautiful woman." After the discovery of this item, three goddesses were candidates for possession of the jewelry. Hera wanted an object for herself, because she was Zeus's wife, for Athena an apple was a reward for wisdom, and Aphrodite was a woman of incomparable beauty and considered the object by her right.
At that time, the son of the Trojan king Priam, Paris, was an ordinary shepherd, because, as you know, he was taken as a baby from his father’s house. An ancient prophecy said that it was he who would cause the destruction of the great city, so the ruler decided not to risk renouncing his son.
The prediction began to come true at the very moment when the three goddesses appeared to the young shepherd, so that he could judge them. Hera offered power in exchange for an apple, Athena seduced with great knowledge, and Aphrodite promised the love of the most beautiful woman on earth. Paris chose the goddess of beauty and love, which was the beginning of the destruction of Troy.
Sparta and Troy
The reason for the quarrel between Aphrodite, Athens, Hera is the apple that passed to the goddess of love. At first glance, the conflict was resolved, but it was the choice of the young prince that triggered the sequence of events that led to the siege of Troy.
Soon, Paris returned to his father's house, was joyfully received by his parents, and the old prophecy was forgotten. In those days, Sparta and Troy fought fiercely for control of the sea lanes. This bled two states, so Menelaus and Hector decided to conclude an alliance.
The Crown Prince of Troy came with his brother Paris to the king of Sparta. He was married to Elena - the most beautiful woman on earth. It was her love that was promised to the young hero. The ambassadors of the world spent some time in another state, where they discussed the terms of the union. During this period, Paris and Elena managed to sincerely fall in love with each other. Before sailing to Troy, the young prince escorted someone else's wife to the ship, which caused Hector's fury. But to change something was already impossible. Wounded pride forced Menelaus to gather an army and go to war.
The fate of Achilles
The myth of Ancient Greece “The apple of discord” is closely connected with the history of one of the greatest warriors of those times - Achilles. As you know, this hero had only one weak spot in the heel. With his appearance, he instilled courage in the army and raised morale.
His mother knew about prophecy. Participation in the Trojan War will bring eternal glory to the warrior, but there he will find his death. In order to somehow save the son of Thetis, he forcibly hid him among the daughters of King Likomed on the island of Skyros. Odysseus and Diomedes went there under the guise of merchants. The heroes laid out various decorations in front of the girls, and next to them were weapons and armor.
At the indicated hour, their companions sounded a false signal about the approach of the enemy. The girls ran away, but Achilles grabbed the sword and thereby gave himself away. Odysseus immediately realized that the greatest of the warriors was in front of him and invited him on a campaign. The young fighter himself did not know about his fate, so he immediately agreed to join the campaign against Troy.
Collection of heroes
While Paris and Elena calmly reached the shores of Troy, Menelaus went to his brother Agamemnon in Mycenae. Together they sent messengers to all cities, reporting a planned campaign. The greatest warriors of that time responded to the call. Among them was Ajax, equal in strength to the gods, the brave king Diomedes, the wise adviser Nestor, and the cunning Odysseus.
Heroes did not stop at nothing in order to achieve their goal. Agamemnon, to reconcile with Artemis, sacrificed his own daughter Iphigenia to the goddess. True, some myths tell that the daughter of Agamemnon did not die, but became the immortal goddess Hecate. On this, the myth of Ancient Greece “The apple of discord” ends and the “Trojan cycle” begins.