Artwork Description

Eris, goddess of discord, was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Furious at this insult, she inscribed a golden "For the Fairest," and tossed it onto the banquet table. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed the prize. Zeus decided that Paris, a son of the king of Troy, would make the choice. Hermes took Paris to Mount Ida, where the goddesses displayed their charms for him - and each offered a bribe. Hera offered great riches and power, Athena great wisdom, and Aphrodite the love of the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, Queen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus. Her abduction triggered the Trojan War.