Cause of the Trojan War
Aphrodite: The Cause of the Trojan War War is inevitable. From the dawn of time, mankind has had conflict among itself, and some conflict has escalated enough to resort to the violence of war. Countless wars have been fought throughout history, but only a handful of them have been as famous as the Trojan War that occurred in the times of ancient Greece. The Trojan War was fought between the nations of Troy and Sparta, and it resulted in the downfall of the great land of Troy. This war was preceded by the Judgment of Paris which is believed to have sparked the war itself. A key figure in the Judgment of Paris was Aphrodite, and she is to blame for the start of the Trojan War because of her insecurity. Aphrodite, known as the goddess of love, was one of the goddesses that the Apple of Discord was thrown between, and all three goddesses yearned for the apple to be theirs. This is because inscribed on the apple were the words “For the Fairest”, and Aphrodite sought the apple so she could feel reassured of her status as one of the fairest goddess on Mount Olympus. To convince Paris to award her the apple, Aphrodite seduced him with her radiance and beauty in addition to promising him a woman as equally beautiful has her stating “’ Choose me, Paris, and she will be yours.’” (Judgment). The woman that Aphrodite promised to Paris turned out to be Helen, queen of Sparta, and to possess her, Paris seized her away from her husband which sparked the inferno that would be the Trojan War. When Paris was deciding who would receive the apple of Discord, Aphrodite’s appearance and words clouded Paris’s judgment and he immediately awarded her the sought after fruit “guided only by the strength of his desire.”(Judgment). Aphrodite used these tactics of persuasion because she desperately desired the apple as hers and the title of “The Fairest” that came along with it. Other individuals from the Judgment of Paris may be blamed for the start of the Trojan War, but the reason
Cited: Martin, Phillip. "Trojan War." Aphrodite and the Trojan War - Ancient Greek Myth. N.p., 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. . "The Judgment of Paris." Living Myths. N.p., 16 June 2012. Web. 21 Aug. 2012.