Hera promises unlimited power, Athena exceptional wisdom, and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife. The three goddesses appear to Paris, each with a tempting reward if he chooses her. Instead, he picks Paris, a beautiful young prince of Troy, to make the final choice. At an impasse, they present their arguments to the king of the gods, Zeus, who wisely declines to be the judge. Immediately the three most powerful goddesses, Hera, queen of the gods Athena, goddess of wisdom and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, begin to quarrel over which of them deserves the apple most. Angry at not being included, she comes to the party anyway, just long enough to throw a golden apple into the crowd. All the gods are invited to this lavish feast except one: Eris, the goddess of strife. The story of the Trojan war begins with the wedding of the mortal Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. I hope that you will enjoy reading their story as much as I have loved writing it. The answers I found-about Patroclus’ exile, his compassion and loyalty, his courageous and gentle heart-eventually became The Song of Achilles.
Why? Who is this man whose death could undo the mighty Achilles? Patroclus is no more than a minor character in the Iliad, yet Achilles mourns him with a shocking intensity, unlike anything else in the entire work. Achilles’ story was just as gripping as it had always been, and I found myself particularly moved by his desperate grief over the loss of his companion Patroclus. Years later, when I became a student of Greek and Latin, I immediately sought out the Iliad. The words resonated in me, lingering long after my mother had closed the book and turned out the light.
“Sing, goddess, of the terrible rage of Achilles,” begins the Iliad. I was enthralled: by the larger-than-life gods, the epic adventures, and most particularly by the stories of the Trojan War, with its noble and deeply flawed heroes. I have loved ancient Greece since I was five and my mother began reading me the Greek myths. Includes a Note from the Author, Mythological Background & Discussion QuestionsĬlick here to download the guide in PDF format.
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