Judge of the Golden Apple, the Prince Who Sparked a War
Second prince of Troy. At his birth a prophecy said he would destroy the city; abandoned in the wild, he survived. When the three goddesses had him judge the golden apple, he chose "the most beautiful woman" as his reward and carried off Helen, Queen of Sparta — ten years of war and the fall of a whole city began with that one choice.
Hera offered him kingship, Athena unbeatable wisdom in war, Aphrodite the most beautiful woman alive. The shepherd boy handed the golden apple to the love goddess. In Western languages, the "apple of discord" and "the judgment of Paris" have meant "a choice that ignites conflict" ever since.
On the battlefield Paris was unremarkable: he lost a duel to Helen’s first husband and was saved only by the love goddess wrapping him in cloud. But near the war’s end, guided by Apollo, one arrow struck Achilles in the heel and killed the greatest Greek hero. Myth’s irony: the softest man landed the hardest blow.
People often think the city of Paris is named for this prince, but the two have nothing to do with each other — the French city takes its name from the Gaulish tribe of the Parisii, a pure spelling coincidence.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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