Katie Moser

Paris was the youngest son of King Priam and Hecuba. Before his birth, his mother Hecuba had a dream that she was giving birth to a flaming torch…which was interpreted as Paris being the downfall of the family’s homeland, Troy. The family was ordered to kill the baby, but the parents could not. He was eventually sent to Mount Ida, where he resided as a shepherd.

One day, three goddesses (Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena) came to Paris on Mount Ida. They were quarreling over who was the fairest and who should receive a special golden apple. They ordered Paris to choose amongst the three. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe: Hera-ownership of all of Europe and Asia; Athena- skill in battle, wisdom, and the abilities of the greatest warriors; and Aphrodite- the love of the most beautiful woman on Earth, aka Helen. Paris chose Aphrodite (and Helen, who was married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta.)

Paris later returned to Troy and traveled to Sparta, where he stole Helen and treasure from King Menelaus.

Helen was the daughter of Zeus and one of two mothers, a mortal named Leda or a goddess named Nemesis, but grew up with mortals Leda and her husband King Tyndareus. When she was around 10 years old, she was kidnapped by a king named Thesus, thus exposing her beauty to all of Greece. She was returned home safely later.

So many men wanted to marry Helen. Her father eventually chose Menelaus, but he was so worried after their marriage that he required all suitors to take an oath promising if Helen were ever abducted, they would assist Menelaus in getting her back.

As stated earlier, Paris went to Sparta in order to retrieve Helen. Some stories say she went willingly, others say she was kidnapped. Either way, when Menelaus returned from a trip to find her gone, he called out to all the men who had previously taken the oath. They sailed to Troy, marking the beginning of the Trojan War.

Paris was killed with an arrow shot by Philoctetes in the Trojan War. Helen then married Paris’s brother, Deiphobus. After the Greeks won the war, it is said that Helen reunited with Menelaus and helped him kill Deiphobus.

The two sailed back to Sparta where Helen resided until her death. Other stories say that after Menelaus died, Helen went to live on the Island of Rhodes with an old friend who wanted to get revenge for her starting the war. The friend had Helen hanged from a tree.

Paris et HelenThis is a painting

of Paris and

Helen.

Paris et Helen

This is a modern

photo of Paris and

Helen from a movie

we should watch

more in class- Troy.