Before the appearance of the Trojan prince Paris, his future mother Hecuba saw a prophetic dream that she would have a son, and he would destroy Troy. Then his father, Priam, decided to get rid of his son after his birth and ordered his servant to take the child to the high mountain Ida and leave it in the deaf more often in the hope that the beasts would kill him there. But the boy did not perish, but a bear cub stood up for the human cub, who nurtured him. Paris grew up among young shepherds, but from peers differed in beauty and strength. He skillfully saved the herds from the attack of wild animals.
Paris lived among the forests of Ida and, not knowing anything about the secret of his birth, was all quite pleased. Once, at the behest of Zeus, the messenger of the gods Hermes and three goddesses arrived to him: Athena, Hera and Aphrodite.
They needed to resolve the dispute, which of them is the most beautiful, the most worthy. Hermes handed Paris an apple with the inscription “The Most Beautiful” and told him to hand it to the one that seemed most beautiful to him. Paris looked at the goddesses, but could not immediately determine who is worthy of the apple. Then all of them began to persuade to choose themselves, telling about their merits and offering different gifts.
Hera offered power over all Asia, Athena promised military glory, and Aphrodite said that she would give him the most beautiful of mortal women – Elena, the daughter of Zeus and Leda. Paris, hearing the words of Aphrodite, gave the apple to her. Thus, Aphrodite was recognized as the most beautiful by Paris, and he became her favorite. But Hera and Athena hated Paris and planned to ruin his city of Troy and all the Trojans.
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