Myth of Ancient Greece "Apple of discord": the quarrel of the gods

Myth of Ancient Greece "Apple of discord" narrates aboutinevitability of destiny, demonstrates the greed of the gods and their vindictiveness. This story is the beginning of the entire Trojan cycle - the description of the greatest war of the ancient world. Dozens of the greatest heroes collided under the walls of the fortified city, and it began with one innocent at first glance object.

Wedding of Peleus and Thetis

Myth of Ancient Greece "Apple of discord" begins withThe fact that the supreme god Zeus too liked the oceanic Thetis. Only now he did not dare to enter into communication with her because of Prometheus's warning that the son of this union will surpass the strength of the Thunderer himself.

On Olympus, it was decided to give Thetis tothe governor of Thessaly Peleus. Many guests were invited to the wedding, including all gods and goddesses except for Eris, the patroness of discord. The goddess was beside himself with rage, because she was no worse than the rest of the higher beings. It was then that she decided to commit revenge, which would cost both gods and people dearly.

Start a quarrel

All the myths of Ancient Greece tell about the influence of the gods on the destinies of people. The "apple of discord" (a brief summary will be given in the article) began with the wedding, but not the celebration itself was the subject of a quarrel.

Eris infiltrated the event under the guise of an ordinarya woman and threw a golden apple there, on which was one inscription - "the most beautiful woman." After the discovery of this subject, three goddesses were the candidates for possession of the ornament. Hera wished for herself, because she was Zeus's wife, for Athena, the apple was a reward for wisdom, and Aphrodite was a woman of incomparable beauty and considered the subject her own.

At that time the son of the Trojan king Priam Paris wasan ordinary shepherd, because, as you know, he was taken away from his father's house by an infant. The ancient prophecy was that it was he who would cause the destruction of the great city, so the ruler decided not to risk, renouncing his son.

The prediction began to come true precisely in thatthe moment when the three goddesses came to the young shepherd, so that he could judge them. Hera offered power in exchange for an apple, Athena tempted her with great knowledge, and Aphrodite promised the love of the most beautiful woman on earth. Paris chose the goddess of beauty and love, which was the beginning of the destruction of Troy.

Sparta and Troy

The cause of the quarrel Aphrodite, Athens, Hera - apple,which passed to the goddess of love. At first glance, the conflict was resolved, but it was the young prince's choice that triggered the sequence of events that led to the siege of Troy.

Soon Paris returned to his father's house, was happyaccepted by parents, and the old prophecy was forgotten. In those days Sparta and Troy fought fiercely for control of sea routes. This bleached two states, so Menelaus and Hector decided to conclude an alliance.

Crown Prince Troy arrived with his brotherParis to the king of Sparta. He was married to Elena - the most beautiful woman on earth. It was her love that was promised to the young hero. The ambassadors of the world spent some time in another state, where they discussed the terms of the union. During this period, Paris and Elena had time to love each other sincerely. Before sailing to Troy, the young prince led a strange wife to the ship, which caused Hector's wrath. But it was already impossible to change something. The wounded pride forced Menelaus to gather troops and go to war.

The fate of Achilles

Myth of Ancient Greece "Apple of discord" is closely relatedwith the story of one of the greatest warriors of those times - Achilles. As you know, this hero had only one vulnerable spot in the heel. In one way he instilled courage in the army and raised morale.

His mother knew about the prophecy. Participation in the Trojan War will bring the warrior eternal glory, but there he will find his death. To somehow save the son of Thetis forcibly hid him among the daughters of King Lycomed on the island of Skyros. There Odysseus and Diomedes went under the guise of merchants. Heroes laid out in front of the girls different decorations, and next to them arms and armor.

At the appointed hour, their companions trumpeted a falsesignal about the approach of the enemy. The girls fled, but Achilles grabbed at the sword and thereby betrayed himself. Odysseus immediately realized that before him the greatest of the soldiers and invited him on a campaign. The young fighter himself did not know about his fate, so he immediately agreed to join the campaign against Troy.

Collecting heroes

While Paris and Elena calmly reached the shoresTroy, Menelaus went to his brother Agamemnon in Mycenae. Together they sent out messengers to all the cities, reporting on the planned campaign. The greatest warriors of that time responded to the appeal. Among them was Ajax equal in strength to the gods, the brave king Diomedes, the wise counselor Nestor and the cunning Odysseus.

The heroes did not stop at anything, so thatreach your goal. Agamemnon to reconcile with Artemis, brought the goddess to sacrifice her own daughter Iphigenia. True, some myths tell us that the daughter of Agamemnon did not die, but became the immortal goddess Hecate. On this, the myth of Ancient Greece "Apple of discord" ends and the "Trojan cycle" begins.