Paris, the Trojan Prince

Before there was a celebrity named Paris or a city of lights sharing the name, there was another famous Paris connected with the most famous war in history. Paris (Alexandros/Alexander) was the son of King Priam of Troy and Queen Hecuba. Hecuba had a dream about the great trouble her unborn child would cause, so when Paris was born, instead of raising him, she ordered him exposed on Mt. Ida. Normally exposure of an infant meant death, but Paris was lucky. He was suckled by a she-bear, then raised to adulthood by a shepherd. Discord, in an act worthy of her name, gave a golden apple to the most beautiful goddess, but neglected to name her. She left that choice to the goddesses, but they couldnt decide among themselves. When they couldnt prevail upon Zeus to decide who was most beautiful, they turned to Paris. The 3 goddesses vying for the honor were Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. Each goddess offered something of great value as a bribe to make Paris name her as the most beautiful. Paris might have made his choice based on looks, but he chose the ​beauty goddess Aphrodite for her bribe. She rewarded him by making the most beautiful mortal, Helen, wife of Menelaus, fall in love with him. Paris then abducted Helen and took her to Troy, thereby starting the Trojan War. Death of Paris In the war, Paris (Achilles killer) was fatally wounded by one of Hercules arrows. Ptolemy Hephaestion (Ptolemaeus Chennus) says Menelaus killed Paris.