ak nor scale them; Troy had high
towers and great gates; in its citadels there were strong men well
armed, and in its treasuries there were stores of gold and silver. And
the King of Troy was Priam. He was old now, but he had sons that were
good Captains. The chief of them all was Hector.

Hector, the minstrel sang, was a match for any warrior the nations could
send against Troy. Because he was noble and generous as well as brave,
the people were devoted to him. And Hector, Priam's son, was commander
in the City.

But Priam had another son who was not counted amongst the Captains.
Paris was his name. Now when Paris was in his infancy, a soothsayer told
King Priam that he would bring trouble upon Troy. Then King Priam had
the child sent away from the City. Paris was reared amongst country
people, and when he was a youth he herded sheep.

* * * * *

Then the minstrel sang of Peleus, the King of Phthia, and of his
marriage to the river nymph, Thetis. All the gods and goddesses came to
their wedding feast, Only one of the immortals was not invited--Eris,
who is Discord. She came, however. At the games that followed the
wedding feast she threw a golden apple amongst the guests, and on the
apple was written "For the fairest."

Each of the three goddesses who was there wished to be known as the
fairest and each claimed the golden apple--Aphrodite who inspired love;
Athene who gave wisdom; and Hera who was the wife of Zeus, the greatest
of the gods. But no one at the wedding would judge between the goddesses
and say which was the fairest. And then the shepherd Paris came by, and
him the guests asked to give judgment.

Said Hera to Paris, 'Award the apple to me and I will give you a great
kingship.' Said Athene, 'Award the golden apple to me and I will make
you the wisest of men.' And Aphrodite came to him and whispered, 'Paris,
dear Paris, let me be called the fairest and I will make you beautiful,
and the fairest woman in the world will be your wife.' Paris looked on
Aphrodite and in his eyes she was the fairest. To her he gave the golden
apple and ever afterwards she was his friend. But Hera and Athene
departed from the company in wrath.

The minstrel sang how Paris went back to his father's City and was made
a prince of Troy. Through the favor of Aphrodite he was the most
beautiful of youths. Then Paris went out of the City again. Sent by his
father he went to Tyre. And coming back to T