Ancient Greek and Roman Myths Notes
The Trojan War
Three
goddesses,
Athena,
Hera
and
Aphrodite quarreled over a golden
apple with a sign that it should belong to the most beautiful among them.
No one wanted to take a task of choosing between three goddesses. Zeus
therefore sent them off to Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy.
Paris decided in favor of Aphrodite, who had promised him the most beautiful
mortal woman,
Helen, the wife of Menelaus. The Greek playwright
Aeschylus called Helen 'destroyer of ships, destroyer of men, destroyer
of cities'. The result of Paris' decision was the Trojan War.
See: Lucas Cranach the Elder Judgment
of Paris.
Jacques-Louis David.
The
Love of Paris and Helen.
Angelica Kauffman. Venus
Persuades Helen to Fall in Love with Paris.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Helen
of Troy.
Peter Paul Rubens The
Judgment of Paris.
Jean-Antoine Watteau. The
Judgement of Paris.
Priam was the king of Troy, famous because of the Trojan war.
He was married twice. His second wife was Hecuba. He had many children,
the most famous among them are: Paris, Hector, Cassandra,
Ganymede.
Hector the son of Priam and Hecuba. Although Priam was king
of Troy, Hector held the real power. He was much loved by Trojans, who
acknowledged him as the principal defender of the city. He was married
to Andromache and had a little son by her. He was killed in the combat
with Achilles.
Jacques-Louis David. Andromache Mourning Hector.
Alexander Ivanov Priam Asking Achilles to Return Hector’s Body.
Angelica Kauffman. Hector Calls Paris to the Battle.
Frederick Leighton. Captive Andromache.
