The Story of Troy | Page 7

and, giving him the name Paris, brought him up as one of his own family.
With the herdsmen on Mount Ida, Paris spent his early years, not knowing that he was King Priam's son. He was a brave youth, and of exceeding beauty.
"His sunny hair Cluster'd about his temples like a god's."
TENNYSON, ?’none.
He was skilled, too, in all athletic exercises, he was a bold huntsman, and so brave in defending the shepherds against the attacks of robbers that they called him Alexander, a name which means a protector of men. Thus the young prince became a favorite with the people who lived on the hills. Very happy he was amongst them, and amongst the flocks which his good friend and foster father, Archelaus, gave him to be his own. He was still more happy in the company of the charming nymph ?’-noê1ne, the daughter of a river god; and he loved her and made her his wife. But this happiness was destined not to be of long duration. The Fates[A] had decreed it otherwise. ?’none the beautiful, whose sorrows have been the theme of many poets, was to lose the love of the young shepherd prince, and the dream of Hecuba was to have its fulfillment.
The Fate That rules the will of Jove had spun the days Of Paris and ?’none.
QUINTUS SMYRN??US.
[Footnote A: The Fates were the three sisters, Cloê1tho, Lachê1e-sis, and Atê1ro-pos, powerful goddesses who controlled the birth and life of mankind, Clotho, the youngest, presided over the moment of birth, and held a distaff in her hand; Lachesis spun out the thread of human existence (all the events and action's of man's life); and Atropos, with a pair of shears which she always carried, cut this thread at the moment of death.]

II. THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS.
It was through a quarrel among the three goddesses, Juno, Venus, and Minerva, that ?’none, the fair nymph of Mount Ida, met her sad fate, and that the destruction of Troy was brought about. The strife arose on the occasion of the marriage of Peê1leus and Theê1tis. Peleus was a king of Thesê1sa-ly, in Greece, and one of the great heroes of those days. Thetis was a daughter of the sea god Neê1re-us, who had fifty daughters, all beautiful sea nymphs, called "Ne-reê1i-des," from the name of their father. Their duty was to attend upon the greater sea gods, and especially to obey the orders of Neptune.
Thetis was so beautiful that Jupiter himself wished to marry her, but the Fates told him she was destined to have a son who would be greater than his father. The king of heaven having no desire that a son of his should be greater than himself, gave up the idea of wedding the fair nymph of the sea, and consented that she should be the wife of Peleus, who had long loved and wooed her. But Thetis, being a goddess, was unwilling to marry a mortal man. However, she at last consented, and all the gods and goddesses, with one exception, were present at the marriage feast.
For in the elder time, when truth and worth Were still revered and cherished here on earth, The tenants of the skies would oft descend To heroes' spotless homes, as friend to friend; There meet them face to face, and freely share In all that stirred the hearts of mortals there.
CATULLUS (Martin's tr.).
The one exception was Eê1ris, or Dis-corê1di-a, the goddess of discord. This evil-minded deity had at one time been a resident of Olympus, but she caused so much dissension and quarreling there that Jupiter banished her forever from the heavenly mansions. The presence of such a being as a guest on so happy an occasion was not very desirable, and therefore no invitation was sent to her.
Thus slighted, the goddess of discord resolved to have revenge by doing all that she could to disturb the peace and harmony of the marriage feast. With this evil purpose she suddenly appeared in the midst of the company, and threw on the table a beautiful golden apple, on which were inscribed the words, "Let it be given to the fairest."
"This was cast upon the board, When all the full-faced presence of the gods Ranged in the halls of Peleus; whereupon Rose feud, with question unto whom 'twere due."
TENNYSON, ?’none.
At once all the goddesses began to claim the glittering prize of beauty. Each contended that she was the "fairest," and therefore should have the
"fruit of pure Hesperian gold That smelt ambrosially."
But soon the only competitors were Juno, Venus, and Minerva, the other goddesses having withdrawn their claims. The contest then became more bitter, and at last Jupiter was called upon to act as judge in the dispute. This delicate task the king of heaven declined to undertake. He knew that whatever way he