Beauty contest that led to war: How feuding goddesses caused the Trojan War

All the Olympian gods were invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis except Eris, the goddess of discord. Angry, Eris decided to teach the assembled Olympians a lesson. She threw amongst them a golden apple on which was engraved the words, ‘For the most beautiful.’ Three goddesses – Hera, goddess of household, Athena, goddess of skills, and Aphrodite, goddess of beauty – claimed the apple and fought over it. No god, not even Zeus, dared judge who of the three goddesses was the most beautiful, and hence worthy of the apple. Finally, the goddesses were told to go to Paris, prince of Troy, known for his understanding of female beauty and his fair judgements. The three goddesses presented themselves to Paris and tried to impress him with their beauty. When he could not decide, each tried…