Paris

Paris was a prince of Troy in Greek mythology, best known for his role in causing the Trojan War. He was the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, though he was raised away from the palace after a dark prophecy about his birth. Paris became famous for judging between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite in the Judgement of Paris. When he chose Aphrodite, she promised him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris later took Helen from Sparta to Troy, setting in motion the war between the Greeks and the Trojans.

Who Was Paris?

Family and Background

Paris was the son of Priam, king of Troy, and Hecuba, his queen. He was also known by the name Alexander; in the Iliad Homer uses both names. Apollodorus says that he was first named Paris and was surnamed Alexander later, because as a young man he repelled robbers and defended the flocks (Library 3.12.5). Hecuba’s other children, according to Apollodorus, included Hector (the firstborn), Helenus, Deiphobus, Pammon, Polites, Antiphus, Hipponous, Polydorus and Troilus (said by some to be a son of Apollo), and the daughters Creusa, Laodice, Polyxena and Cassandra (Library 3.12.5). Paris was thus a brother of Hector and Cassandra and belonged to the royal house of Troy.

Hecuba’s Dream

When Hecuba was about to give birth to her second child, she dreamed that she had borne a firebrand, and that the fire spread over the whole city and burned it. Priam asked his son Aesacus, an interpreter of dreams, who declared that the child was born to be the ruin of his country and advised that it be exposed (Apollodorus, Library 3.12.5).

Paris on Mount Ida

When the baby was born, Priam gave it to a servant named Agelaus to expose on Mount Ida. According to Apollodorus, a she-bear nursed the infant for five days; Agelaus then found it alive, took it home and brought it up as his own son on his farm, naming him Paris. Paris grew up to excel many in beauty and strength, and not long afterwards he discovered his parents (Library 3.12.5). His life as a herdsman on Ida is the setting of the Judgement of Paris.

The Judgement of Paris

The Golden Apple

In the ancient accounts the story begins with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the future parents of Achilles. In the summary of the lost epic Cypria, Zeus planned the war with Themis, and Strife arrived while the gods were feasting at the marriage of Peleus and started a dispute between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite as to which of them was fairest. Apollodorus says that Eris (Strife) threw an apple as a prize of beauty to be contended for by the three goddesses (Epitome 3.2).

Paris as Judge

Zeus commanded Hermes to lead the three goddesses to Alexander on Mount Ida, so that he should judge between them (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.2). Though Paris seemed like a simple herdsman, his choice would decide the fate of Troy.

The Gifts of the Goddesses

Each goddess promised Paris a gift. Hera said that if she were preferred above all women, she would give him the kingdom over all men; Athena promised victory in war; and Aphrodite promised him the hand of Helen. Paris decided in favour of Aphrodite (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.2). Euripides’ Helen gives a similar account: Athena offered Paris the conquest of Greece at the head of the Phrygians, Hera the rule of Asia and Europe, and Aphrodite Helen herself (Trojan Women 924–932).

A Choice With Terrible Results

Paris’ choice looked like a personal decision, but it had huge results. In the Iliad the poet says that Hera, Poseidon and Athena had hated Troy ever since Alexander insulted the goddesses when they came to his farm and preferred the one who gave him lustful longing (Iliad 24.25–30). The judgement therefore explains not only Paris’ love for Helen, but also the divine hostility that helped destroy Troy.

Paris and Oenone

The Nymph of Mount Ida

Before Paris met Helen, he married Oenone, a daughter of the river Cebren, according to Apollodorus. She had learned the art of prophecy from Rhea (Library 3.12.6).

Oenone’s Warning

Oenone warned Paris not to sail to fetch Helen. When she failed to persuade him, she told him to come to her if he were ever wounded, because she alone could heal him (Library 3.12.6). Paris left her for Helen. This earlier marriage gives his story another tragic layer, because the woman he abandoned becomes important at the end of his life.

Paris and Helen

Paris Comes to Sparta

Paris sailed to Sparta in ships built by Phereclus (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.2; Iliad 5.59–63). According to Apollodorus he was entertained by Menelaus, king of Sparta and husband of Helen, for nine days (Epitome 3.3). This made Paris a guest in Menelaus’ house. In Greek culture, the bond between guest and host was sacred, so Paris’ later actions were seen as a serious betrayal; in the Iliad Menelaus prays to Zeus to punish the man who wronged his host (Iliad 3.351–354).

Helen of Sparta

Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda in the most famous version of her birth (Apollodorus, Library 3.10.7). She was married to Menelaus and was queen of Sparta. Because of her beauty, many Greek kings and heroes had once wanted to marry her. Those suitors had sworn the Oath of Tyndareus, promising to defend her chosen husband if anyone wronged him (Library 3.10.9).

Paris Takes Helen

On the tenth day, Menelaus having gone to Crete for the funeral rites of his mother’s father Catreus, Alexander persuaded Helen to go off with him. She left her nine-year-old daughter Hermione, put most of the property on board, and sailed with him by night. Hera sent a storm that drove them to Sidon, and Paris spent a long time in Phoenicia and Cyprus before reaching Troy (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.3–4; compare Iliad 6.289–292). Ancient sources do not agree on whether Helen went willingly or was carried off, or whether she reached Troy at all. Some said that Hermes took her to Egypt at Zeus’ command and that Paris took only a phantom of cloud to Troy (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.5; Herodotus 2.113–120 gives an Egyptian version in which she never went to Troy). In every main version the result is the same: Menelaus is dishonored, the oath is called upon, and the Greek kings prepare for war.

Paris and the Trojan War

The Greeks Gather

When Menelaus learned of the abduction, he went to his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and asked him to muster an army. Agamemnon sent a herald to each of the kings, reminding them of the oaths they had sworn (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.6). The expedition included many heroes, such as Achilles, Odysseus, Ajax, Diomedes, Nestor, and others.

Paris as the Cause of War

Paris did not fight the Trojan War alone, and the war had many causes, including divine rivalry and Greek ideas of honor. One ancient account even said that Zeus willed the abduction so that his daughter would be famous for having embroiled Europe and Asia (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.1). Still, in myth, Paris is the human figure most directly blamed for starting the conflict. By taking Helen from Sparta, he brought the Greek army to the walls of Troy.

Paris and Hector

Paris is often compared unfavorably with his brother Hector. In the Iliad, Hector rebukes him for slinking back into the crowd when Menelaus appears, calling him handsome but a seducer and a coward (3.30–57), and again for sulking in his chamber while the Trojans die (6.325–331). Hector is shown as brave, responsible, and deeply concerned with Troy’s survival; Paris is often shown as beautiful, charming, and protected by Aphrodite, but less willing to face danger.

Paris in the Iliad

The Duel With Menelaus

In the Iliad, Paris fights Menelaus in single combat. The duel is meant to decide the war: Helen and her possessions are to go to the winner, and both sides swear oaths (Iliad 3.67–120, 3.264–301). Menelaus proves stronger and drags Paris by his helmet, but the strap breaks, and Aphrodite saves Paris, wrapping him in mist and carrying him to his bedchamber (Iliad 3.340–382).

Helen Rebukes Paris

Aphrodite brings Helen to Paris. Helen criticizes him for his weakness, wishing he had died by the stronger man’s hand, and Paris answers that Menelaus won only with Athena’s help and calls her to bed (Iliad 3.383–448). This scene is important because it shows that even Helen is not always pleased with Paris. Their relationship is shaped by beauty and desire, but also by blame and regret.

Paris as Archer

Paris is not usually shown as a great hand-to-hand fighter, but he is skilled with the bow. He first appears in the Iliad with a panther skin, a curved bow and a sword (3.17–20), and he shoots Diomedes in the foot; Diomedes answers by calling him a “bowman, reviler, proud of your curling locks” who would be useless in a fight man to man (Iliad 11.369–395).

Paris and Achilles

The Death of Achilles

Paris is connected with the death of Achilles, though the story is not told in the surviving Iliad, which ends before Achilles dies. In the Iliad the dying Hector warns Achilles that Paris and Phoebus Apollo will kill him at the Scaean gate (22.355–360). Apollodorus says that Achilles was shot in the ankle by Alexander and Apollo at the Scaean gate (Epitome 5.3).

Apollo’s Help

Paris could not have defeated Achilles by ordinary strength. Achilles was the greatest Greek warrior, while Paris was not his equal in open combat. The tradition that Apollo joined Paris shows that Achilles’ death was not simply Paris’ victory.

A Great Result From an Unlikely Warrior

Paris’ role in Achilles’ death is striking because he is not the greatest Trojan hero. Hector had already died by Achilles’ hand. Yet Paris, with the help of Apollo, becomes the one linked with the death of the most dangerous Greek fighter.

The Death of Paris

Wounded by Philoctetes

In the tenth year of the war, Calchas prophesied that Troy could not be taken without the bow and arrows of Heracles. Odysseus and Diomedes brought Philoctetes from Lemnos; after he was cured by Podalirius, he shot Alexander (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.8). So Philoctetes is the answer to the common question of who killed Paris. Quintus of Smyrna tells how Paris was struck by Philoctetes’ arrow and no physician could help him (Fall of Troy 10).

Return to Oenone

Remembering Oenone’s old promise, Paris went back to her on Ida. But she, nursing her grievance, refused to heal him, and he was carried to Troy and died (Apollodorus, Library 3.12.6). In Quintus, it was fated that only Oenone could save him, and he goes to her reluctantly, begging for help (Fall of Troy 10).

Oenone’s Grief

Oenone then repented and brought the healing drugs; finding him dead, she hanged herself (Apollodorus, Library 3.12.6). In Quintus she rushes to his funeral pyre and leaps on it (Fall of Troy 10). After Paris died, Helenus and Deiphobus quarrelled over who should marry Helen, and Deiphobus was preferred (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.9).

Paris and the Odyssey

Paris Is Not a Main Character in the Odyssey

Paris does not appear in Homer’s Odyssey, because he has already died before the fall of Troy and before Odysseus begins his long return home. However, his actions form part of the background of the poem. Without Paris taking Helen, there would be no Trojan War, and without the Trojan War, Odysseus would not be kept away from Ithaca for twenty years (Odyssey 2.174–176).

Helen and Menelaus After Troy

In the Odyssey, Telemachus visits Menelaus and Helen in Sparta while searching for news of Odysseus (Book 4). Helen has returned to Menelaus, but the memory of Troy remains part of their household.

Odysseus’ Long Absence

The Odyssey is shaped by the long delay caused by the war Paris helped begin. During Odysseus’ absence, Penelope waits, Telemachus grows up without his father, and the suitors take over the palace. Paris never appears in Ithaca, but his choice reaches even there.

The War Behind the Homecomings

The Odyssey often remembers the Trojan War through stories of return. Menelaus returns to Sparta, Agamemnon returns to death (Odyssey 3.255–312, 4.512–537), and Odysseus struggles to return to Ithaca. Paris belongs to the beginning of that chain of suffering.

Paris’ Role and Symbolism

Beauty and Desire

Paris is linked in the sources with beauty and desire. Hector calls him “best in looks, a woman-crazy seducer” (Iliad 3.39), and Aphrodite saves him from Menelaus. These same qualities bring disaster in his story.

The Bad Guest

Menelaus received Paris in Sparta, but Paris left with his host’s wife. This breach of trust helps explain why the Greeks saw the war as a matter of justice and honor, not only desire. In the Iliad, Menelaus says that the Trojans have broken the laws of hospitality set by Zeus (3.351–354; 13.620–625).

A Prince Who Brings Ruin

The prophecy before Paris’ birth said that he would be the ruin of his country (Apollodorus, Library 3.12.5). In the myth, he does not destroy the city by strength, but through his choices: the choice of Aphrodite, and the taking of Helen.

Paris in Ancient Literature

Homer’s Iliad

In the Iliad, Paris appears as a Trojan prince and the husband or lover of Helen. Homer shows his duel with Menelaus, his rescue by Aphrodite, his tense relationship with Helen, and his contrast with Hector. The poem does not tell the full beginning or end of Paris’ life, but it gives the earliest strong picture of his character during the war.

Homer’s Odyssey

The Odyssey does not name Paris, but it shows the aftermath of the war he helped cause, in Helen and Menelaus at Sparta and in Odysseus’ long return.

Apollodorus and Later Myth

Apollodorus’ Library and Epitome give the fullest summary of Paris’ birth, exposure, the Judgement of Paris, Helen, and the war, and connect the scattered parts of the myth into one life story.

Quintus Smyrnaeus

Quintus Smyrnaeus’ Fall of Troy preserves later epic material about the final stages of the Trojan War, including the wounding and death of Paris and the death of Oenone (Book 10).

Misconceptions and Lesser-Known Facts

Paris Was Also Called Alexander

Paris is often called Alexander in ancient sources, including the Iliad and Apollodorus. Both names refer to the same Trojan prince.

Paris Did Not Build the Trojan Horse

Paris is sometimes mixed into the final fall of Troy, but he did not build or plan the Trojan Horse. He was already dead before the Wooden Horse entered Troy (Apollodorus, Epitome 5.8–9, then 5.14–15). The horse is usually connected with Odysseus and Epeius.

Paris Was Not the Strongest Trojan Warrior

Paris was a prince of Troy, but Hector was the greatest Trojan warrior in Homer’s Iliad. Paris is more often linked with beauty, archery, Aphrodite, and the cause of the war than with battlefield greatness.

Helen’s Role Varies by Version

Ancient sources do not all agree on whether Helen left willingly, was carried off, or never reached Troy. Because of this, Paris’ story is also told in different ways: as persuasion, abduction, the will of Zeus, or a crime against a host (Apollodorus, Epitome 3.1–5).

The Judgement of Paris Was a Divine Trap

Paris is blamed for his choice, but the situation was created by the gods. Eris threw the apple, Zeus sent Hermes to bring the goddesses to Paris, and each goddess offered a gift. Paris made the choice, but divine rivalry made the choice dangerous from the start.

Unraveling Paris: The Prince Whose Choice Destroyed Troy

Paris is one of the most important causes of the Trojan War, but he is not a simple villain. He is a prince raised as a herdsman, a judge chosen by the gods, a lover favored by Aphrodite, and a man whose choices help bring down his own city. According to the sources, his choice of Aphrodite leads to Helen, Helen leads to the Greek expedition, and the war leads to the deaths of Hector, Achilles, and many others. Paris himself dies of Philoctetes’ arrow, and Oenone dies after him.

Paris Sources

Paris appears in Homer’s Iliad (3.17–57, 3.67–120, 3.340–448, 5.59–63, 6.289–331, 11.369–395, 13.620–625, 22.355–360, 24.25–30). Homer’s Odyssey (2.174–176, 3.255–312, 4, 4.512–537) does not name him but shows the aftermath. Apollodorus, Library 3.10.7, 3.10.9, 3.12.5–6 and Epitome 3.1–7, 5.3, 5.8–9, 5.14–15, gives the fullest summary of his life. Quintus of Smyrna, Fall of Troy 10, tells his death and that of Oenone. Euripides, Trojan Women 924–932, the Cypria as summarised by Proclus, and Herodotus 2.113–120, give variants of the judgement and of Helen’s story.

See Also: Trojan War, Helen of Troy, Menelaus, Priam, Hecuba, Hector, Oenone, Philoctetes