GOLDEN APPLE STORY
Do you know...
Why did Zeus host a wedding?
Who was it for?
Who was invited?
Who wasn't invited?
What was inscribed on the Golden Apple?
Why did the goddesses want it?
Where did Paris spend his childhood, and why?
Who were the king and queen of Troy?
What did Queen Hecuba dream?
What did the goddesses offer to Paris?
Hera:
Athena:
Aphrodite:
Which goddess will support Paris (and the Trojans) in the war to come?
CHARACTERS (in order of appearance):
Zeus - King of Gods; married to Hera; desires Thetis; holds a wedding to marry Thetis to
King Pelius.
Thetis - Sea Nymph/goddess; mother of Achilles, wife of Pelius; desired by Zeus (until
he hears she'll give birth to a son greater than his father)
Pelius - King, mortal, married to Thetis
Discord - (Also known as Eris); NOT invited to the wedding of Thetis and Pelius because
she wreaked DISCORD everywhere she went; crashed the wedding reception and threw
down the Golden Apple
Golden Apple - inscribed with "To the Fairest" -- all the goddesses wanted it!
Hera - Queen of Gods (wife of Zeus); offers Paris Power in/over the world (military
power, rule); will support Greeks/Spartans because Paris did not give her the apple.
Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty (also lust, if you must know). Offers Paris "Love
of the most beautiful woman in the world" (also said to have offered him "perfect body."
Will support TROJANS (since Paris awarded her the apple).
Athena - Goddess of war and crafts; offers Paris WISDOM (and strategy in battle). Will
support the GREEKS (Spartans) because she's mad at Paris (who didn't give her the
apple).
Queen Hecuba and King Priam - Rulers of Troy (also called Ilium).
Hecuba's dream: Gives birth to flaming torch, which causes the destruction of Troy! This
dream inspires her to leave son Paris on the mountainside (Mt. Ida).
King Menelaus - King of Sparta (Greece). Husband to Helen; brother to Agamemnon.
Menelaus is a gracious host to the travelling Paris; doesn't realize Paris is about to
abscond with his wife!
Helen - Wife of King Menelaus of Sparta; "the face that launched 1000 ships"; runs off
(kidnapped? stolen?) with Paris.