Now on the northeast coast of the Aegean Sea, there was a city of men. But the immortal gods do not know time as mortals know it. More than long enough in the world of men for a child born when the quarrel first began, to grow to manhood and become a warrior or a herdsman. The other gods took sides, some with one and some with another, and the ill will between them dragged on for a long while. In the end, the three took the quarrel home with them to Olympus. But the other guests refused, for they knew well enough that, whichever goddess they chose to receive the golden apple, they would make enemies of the other two. They fell to arguing among themselves the argument became a quarrel, and the quarrel grew more and more bitter, and each called upon the assembled guests to judge between them. Aphrodite only smiled, and asked who had a better claim to beauty's prize than the goddess of beauty herself. Athene claimed that she had the better right, for the beauty of wisdom such as hers surpassed all else.
Hera claimed it as wife to Zeus, the All-father, and queen of all the gods.
Then the three greatest of the goddesses each claimed that it was hers. The apple lay gleaming among the piled fruits and the brimming wine cups and bending close to look at it, everyone could see the words "To the fairest" traced on its side. Then she breathed upon the guests once, and vanished. Many guests came to their wedding feast, and among the mortal guests came all the gods of high Olympus.īut as they sat feasting, one who had not been invited was suddenly in their midst: Eris, the goddess of discord, had been left out because wherever she went she took trouble with her yet here she was, all the same, and in her blackest mood, to avenge the insult.Īll she did-it seemed a small thing-was to toss down on the table a golden apple. In the high and far-off days when men were heroes and walked with the gods, Peleus, king of the Myrmidons, took for his wife a sea nymph called Thetis, Thetis of the Silver Feet.
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