THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS was a contest between the three most beautiful

goddesses of Olympos--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena--for the prize of a golden

apple addressed "To the Fairest."

The story began with the wedding of Peleus hero of Greek mythology, and Thetis
sea-nymph, which all the gods had been invited to attend except for Eris, goddess
of discord. When Eris discovered that the festivities were going on, the goddess
decided to make an appearance and the goddess even brought a wedding gift, a
Golden Apple. This though was not a happy gift, for it was aimed to bring forth
arguments, for upon it was written the words “for the fairest”. When Eris
appeared at the celebrations, the goddess threw the apple amongst the
assembled gods and goddesses. Three of the assembled goddesses immediately
claimed the Golden Apple for themselves, each believing that they were the most
beautiful of all the goddesses. These three goddesses were Aphrodite, the Greek
goddess of Love and Beauty, Athena, the Greek goddess of Wisdom, and Hera,
the Greek goddess of Marriage. Zeus might be the supreme god of the Greek
pantheon, but this was one decision he not going to make, for he realised that
making a decision would pit goddess against goddess, and would mean two
powerful goddesses were angry with him. Therefore Zeus proclaimed that the
decision would be left in the hands of Paris, a son of King Priam. Hera would
promise Paris untold wealth and position in charge of all the realms of the ancient
world. Athena would offer to Paris all known skill and knowledge, allowing to
become the greatest warrior and most knowledgeable mortal. Aphrodite though
offered Paris the hand in marriage of the most beautiful of all mortal women,
Helen. The Judgement of Paris would shortly follow and Paris decided that the
goddess who rightfully owned the Golden Apple was Aphrodite. he accepted her
bribe to help him win the most beautiful woman alive. His seduction of Helen (the
wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta) and refusal to return her was the cause of
the Trojan War.