d
him a mighty throne; Pallas promised to make him the wisest of men; Venus
declared that she would give him the fairest woman on earth for his wife
for ten years--she could assure him of no more. And it was Venus to whom
Paris assigned the golden apple of discord, thus bitterly offending Juno
and Pallas, who became the enemies of his nation.

[Picture: Plains of Troy]

His nation was the Trojan, who dwelt on the east coast of the AEgean Sea,
and were of the Pelasgic race. Their chief city was Troy, with the
citadel Ilium, lying near the banks of the rivers Simois and Scamander,
between the sea shore and the wooded mount of Ida, in the north-east of
the peninsula we call Asia Minor. The story went that the walls had been
built by Neptune and Apollo, the last of whom had brought the stones to
their place by the music of his lyre; but the king who was then reigning
had refused to pay them, and had thus made them also his foes. But
within the citadel was an image of Pallas, three ells long, with a spear
in one hand and a distaff in the other, which was called the Palladium.
It was said to have been given by Jupiter to Ilus, the first founder of
the city; and as long as it was within the walls, the place could never
be taken.

The present king was Priam, and his wife was Hecuba. They had nineteen
children, and lived in a palace built round a court, with an altar in the
middle, their sons having houses likewise opening into the court. Paris,
who was worthless and pleasure-loving, was the eldest son; Hector, a very
noble person, was the second. After Paris had given judgment in her
favour, Venus directed him to build a ship, and go to visit the Greek
kings. He was kindly entertained everywhere, and especially at Sparta;
and here it was that Venus fulfilled her promise, by helping him to steal
away Helen, the fairest of women, while her husband Menelaus was gone to
Crete.

As soon as Menelaus found out how his hospitality had been misused, he
called upon all the Greek heroes to remember their oath, and help him to
recover his wife, and take vengeance on Paris. Everyone replied to the
call; but the wise Ulysses, grandson of Sisyphus, and king of the little
isle of Ithaca, could not bear to leave his home, or his fair young wife
Penelope, for a war which he knew would be long and terrible, so he
feigned to be mad, and began furiously ploughing the sea shore with a
yoke of oxen. However, the