Paris (mythology)

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Image:Lucas cranach judgement of paris.jpg Image:Statue of Paris.jpg Paris (Greek: Πάρις; also known as Alexander or Alexandros, c.f. Alaksandus of Wilusa), son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. Probably the most well known was his abduction of, or elopement with, Helen, queen of Sparta, this being one of the immediate causes of the Trojan war. Later in the war, he fatally wounds Achilles in the heel with an arrow, as foretold by the dying Hector.

1 Paris' childhood
2 The Judgment of Paris
3 Paris and the Trojan War
4 Paris in the arts
5 External link

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Paris' childhood

Alexandros was the child of Priam and Hecuba; just before his birth, his mother dreamed that she brought forth a bundle of flaming sticks, from which fiery serpents poured. This dream was interpreted by the seer Aesacus as a foretelling of the downfall of Troy, and he declared that the child would be the ruin of his homeland. On the day of Paris' birth it was further announced by Aesacus that the child born of a royal Trojan that day would have to be killed to spare the kingdom, being the child that would bring about the prophecy. Though Paris was indeed born before that nightfall, he was spared by Priam, and Hecabe too was unable to kill the child even despite the urging of the priestess of Apollo, one Herophile. Instead, Paris' father prevailed upon his chief herdsman, Agelaus, to remove the child and kill him. The herdsman, unable to use a weapon against the infant, left him exposed on Mount Ida, hoping he would perish there; he was, however, suckled by a she-bear. Returning after five days, Agelaus was astonished to find the child still alive, and brought him home in a wallet (hence Paris' name, which means "wallet") to rear as his own. He returned to Priam bearing a dog's tongue as evidence of the deed's completion.

Paris' noble birth was betrayed by his outstanding beauty, strength and intelligence; while still a child he routed a gang of cattle-thieves and restored the animals they had stolen to the herd, thereby earning the surname Alexander. It was at this time that Paris became the lover of Oenone (See Below).

Paris' chief distraction at this time was to pit Agelaus' bulls against one another. One bull began to win these bouts consistently, and Paris began to set it against rival herdsmen's own prize bulls; it defeated them all. Finally Paris offered a golden crown to any bull that could defeat his champion. Ares responded to this challenge by transforming himself into a bull and easily winning the contest. Paris gave the crown to Ares without hesitation; it was this apparent honesty in judgement that prompted the gods of Olympus to have Paris abitrate the divine contest between Hera, Aphrodite and Athene (though it may be noted that Paris did not maintain the same level of disinterest here).

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The Judgment of Paris

The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite had been invited along with the rest of Mount Olympus to the forced wedding of Peleus and Thetis, who would become the parents of Achilles, but Eris (the goddess of strife) had been snubbed because of her troublemaking inclinations. Eris therefore tossed into the party a golden apple inscribed with the word "Kallistei" -- "For the most beautiful one" -- provoking the goddesses to begin quarreling about the appropriate recipient. Paris was appointed to select the most beautiful and, escorted by Hermes, the three goddesses approached him as he herded his cattle on Mount Garagarus. Greek mythological morality being what it was, each of the contesting deities immediately attempted to bribe Paris to choose her. Hera offered political power, riches and control of all of Asia, Athena skill in battle, wisdom and the abilities of the greatest warriors, and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite, which sparked the Trojan War.

Since Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, she had had many suitors. To keep the peace between them, on the advice of Odysseus her father Tyndareus made them all promise to defend the marriage of Helen and whomever she chose. She chose Menelaus, and when Paris kidnapped her, arriving on a boat built by Phereclus (according to some, she fell in love with Paris and left willingly), all of Greece attacked Troy in the Trojan War. (See also Judgment of Paris).

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Paris and the Trojan War

Paris is portrayed throughout the Iliad as a cowardly character; in a duel between him and Menelaus, he is narrowly saved by Aphrodite. His only claim to glory is killing Achilles with a poisoned bolt, which is guided to Achilles' vulnerable heel by the god Apollo.

Late in the Trojan War, Paris was killed by Philoctetes ("lover of possession"), an incident not recounted by Homer. After Paris died, his brother, Deiphobus, married Helen until he was killed by Menelaus, who then took his wife back to Sparta.

Oenone, Paris' first wife, was a nymph from Mount Ida in Phrygia. Her father was Cebren, a river-god (other sources declare her to be the daughter of the fountain-nymph Oeneus). She was skilled in the arts of prophecy and medicine, which she had been taught by Rhea and Apollo respectively. Following their wedding, Oenone gave birth to Corythus. When Paris abandoned her for Helen, she predicted, as Aesacus before her, the disastrous results of Paris' actions.

When Paris was mortally wounded by Philoctetes he was borne to Mount Ida, where he begged Oenone to heal him. She refused and Paris was brought back to Troy, where he died. Relenting, Oenone pursued him down the mountain, but arrived too late, and she threw herself onto his burning funeral pyre. The reasons offered for her refusal are various: some sources state that she resented Paris' betrayal of her and saw his death as a just punishment, before being overcome by her affection; others state that she was prevented from aiding her love by her father, and had to wait until Paris left their home before aiding him.

Certainly, there are grounds for considering Oenone jealous of Paris and Helen. She sent Corythus, her son, to drive a wedge between the couple but Paris did not recognize his son and killed him.

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Paris in the arts

There is an icon showing Paris presenting an apple to (one of) the goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. This icon is most commonly interpreted as the "Judgment of Paris," the assumption being that he is deciding which of the three is the most beautiful.

Ovid presents us with a seductive letter from Paris to Helen [1].

In the Divine Comedy Dante sees the soul of Paris in the second circle of Hell, being tossed around eternally by a fierce wind, along with Helen and others who succumbed to the sin of lust.

In 2004, a movie called Troy was released. Paris was portrayed by ladies man Orlando Bloom.

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