Krystal Simmons

Mr.Agrast
Honors English 9
3/10/16
Who Started The Trojan War
It could be argued that Paris, Helen, or Zeus started the Trojan War. Yet another might
believe that it was the goddess of love and beauty herself, Aphrodite. One could think that it was
Paris because he was the one who chose Helen. Although Zeus himself could even be blamed
because he put the burden of choosing between the three goddesses on Paris. Maybe it was even
Helen that started the war because she was already a married woman. But these decisions lead to
the goddess Aphrodite.
The prince on Mount Ida, Paris, was appointed by Zeus to judge the three women and
choose between them. But he was never directly asked, as it tells us in Edith Hamiltons'
Mythology:
He was not asked, however, to gaze at the radiant divinities and choose which of them
seemed to him the fairest, but only to consider the bribes each offered and choose which
seemed to him best worth taking. Netherless, the choice was not easy. What men care for
most was set before him. (248-249)
Paris' choice was only based upon the bribes that were brought to him. Hamilton states:
Hera promised to make him Lord of Europe and Asia; Athena, that he would lead the
Trojans to victory against the Greeks and lay Greece in ruins; Aphrodite, that the fairest
women in all the world should be his. (249)

Paris had made his choice of choosing Aphrodite and gave her the golden apple. One says
that the Judgment of Paris is the reason that the Trojan War started (Hamilton, 249). Although if
Zeus had only just judged who the fairest was, there wouldnt have been a war, "They
[Aphrodite, Hera, and Pallas Athena] asked Zeus to judge between them, but very wisely he
refused to have anything to do with the matter" (248). After being sent on a journey and being
bribed Aphrodite got the apple and continued to keep her promise to Paris.
Furthermore Aphrodite specifically led Paris to the married woman Helen, Hamilton
claims:
The Goddess of Love and Beauty knew very well where the most beautiful woman on
Earth was to be found. She led the young shepherd, with never a thought of Oenone left
forlorn, straight to Sparta, where Menelaus and Helen received him graciously as their
guest. The ties between guest and host we strong. Each was bound to help and never
harm the other. But Paris broke that sacred bond. (251)
If Aphrodite had never led Paris to Helen the war could have been prevented. "Menelaus got
back to find Helen gone, and he called upon all of Greece to help him" (Hamilton, 251). There
could be multiple other viewpoints here as well. Many could say that it was Menelaus for leaving
a stranger with his wife, Paris should have been a more respectful guest and that he had a choice,
and another might say that it was Helen because she should have remained loyal to Menelaus and
Menelaus only.

Without the help of Aphrodite the Trojan War would have never happened. Aphrodite interfered
with the finding of love for Paris. A marriage between Menelaus and Helen. Also with the
decision of who was the fairest. Therefore the cause of the Trojan war lead to Aphrodite.

Works Cited
Hamilton, Edith, and Steele Savage. Mythology. Boston: Little, Brown, 1942.
Print.