Judgement of Paris
The beauty contest between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite judged by Paris of Troy, whose choice of Aphrodite triggered the Trojan War.
The Meaning of Judgement of Paris
The Judgement of Paris began at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis on Mount Pelion, where every god was invited except Eris, goddess of Discord. In revenge, Eris threw a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" among the guests. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed it. Zeus, unwilling to judge between his wife and daughters, appointed Paris, a prince of Troy living as a shepherd on Mount Ida, who was reputed the handsomest mortal alive. Each goddess offered a bribe: Hera promised dominion over Asia, Athena offered wisdom and victory in war, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful woman in the world — Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. Paris chose Aphrodite and sailed to Sparta, where he violated the sacred bond of xenia by seducing Helen while guest of Menelaus. This act united all Greece against Troy and launched the war that destroyed both houses.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The phrase "apple of discord" — meaning a cause of dispute — comes directly from Eris's golden apple. It has been used to describe everything from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to disputed electoral results. Isaac Newton supposedly chose the apple as his gravity symbol partly because of this mythological resonance. The original beauty contest didn't end with a crown and a sash — it ended with a ten-year war and the destruction of a civilisation.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Judgment of Paris
💭 conceptfate
The beauty contest between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite judged by Paris of Troy that caused the Trojan War.
Judgement of Paris
💭 conceptNarrative
The Trojan prince's fateful choice among three goddesses that set in motion the Trojan War
Goddess of Love
💭 conceptLove, beauty, desire, fertility
Aphrodite governs romantic love and physical beauty, wielding an influence that even Zeus cannot resist.
Wedding of Peleus and Thetis
💭 conceptNarrative
The divine wedding feast where gods and mortals celebrated together, unknowingly setting the Trojan War in motion
Creation of Pandora
💭 conceptNarrative
The crafting of the first woman by the gods as a punishment for humanity after Prometheus's theft of fire
Eris
💭 conceptGoddess of strife and discord
The goddess of strife and discord who threw the golden apple that started the chain of events leading to the Trojan War.
Goddess of Marriage
💭 conceptMarriage, family, women, childbirth, fidelity
Hera protects the institution of marriage, the rights of married women, and the sanctity of oaths between spouses.
Hippolytus and Phaedra
💭 conceptNarrative
A tragedy of forbidden desire, false accusation, and divine cruelty destroying an innocent young prince
Niobe's Punishment
💭 conceptNarrative
The destruction of a queen's fourteen children by Apollo and Artemis for her boast of superiority to the goddess Leto
The Trojan War
💭 conceptWar, fate, heroism
A ten-year siege of Troy by a coalition of Greek kings, sparked by the abduction of Helen and shaped by the rivalries of the gods.
Centauromachy
💭 conceptBattle of Lapiths and Centaurs
The Centauromachy was the famous battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs at the wedding of Pirithous — it became Greek art's favourite symbol for the clash between civilisation and barbarism.
Sack of Troy
💭 conceptNarrative
The brutal destruction and plundering of Troy during the night following the wooden horse stratagem