特洛伊战争的起因 托马斯·布芬奇（Thomas Bulfinch）原著，江铭辉译

弥涅娃（阿西娜）是智慧女神，但她在一个场合作了十分愚蠢的事情，她加入朱诺（希拉）和维纳斯的美女奖竞赛。事倩的经过是这样的:珀琉斯和忒提斯举行婚礼时邀请了所有的神祇，只有纷争女神厄丽丝未在被邀请之列。这位女神对于不被邀请大为忿怒，便在宾客中扔下一颗刻有"献给最美丽的女神"的金苹果。于是，朱诺、维纳斯和弥涅娃都认为自己该得到这苹果。
朱比持（宙斯）不愿意裁决如此微妙的问题，便把三位女神送到英俊的牧羊人“帕里斯”牧羊的埃达山，让帕里斯作裁定。于是女神们出现在帕里斯前面。朱诺答应给他权力与财富，弥涅娃（阿西娜）答应给他战争中的荣耀和声望，维纳斯愿意给他天下最美丽的女子，每位女神都想尽办法，左右帕里斯使他作出有利于自己的决定。帕里斯的决定有利于维纳斯，便把金苹果给了她，从而使另外两位女神成了他的敌人。

图：牧羊人帕里斯的决定有利于维纳斯，便把金苹果给了她，从而使另外两位女神成了他的敌人。
在维纳斯的保护下，帕里斯航行到希腊，接受斯巴达国王“梅里劳斯”热情地款待。然而梅里劳斯的妻子“海伦”正是维纳斯为帕里斯看中的女子，绝世无双的美女。过去有无数的求婚者想要她作新娘，在她尚未作出央定以前，在求婚者“吴里西斯”的建议下，所有追求她的人宣誓他们将保卫她免受一切伤害，并且为这个理由，必要时将为她报仇。她选上梅里劳斯，跟他生活得很幸福。
这时，帕里斯前来作客。帕里斯在维纳斯帮助下，劝她跟他私奔，把她带到了特洛伊，从而引起了著名的特洛伊战争。

Thomas Bulfinch,1796-1867年，美国作家

MINERVA was the goddess of wisdom, but on one occasion she did a very foolish thing; she entered into competition with Juno and Venus for the prize of beauty. It happened thus: At the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis all the gods were invited with the exception of Eris, or Discord. Enraged at her exclusion, the goddess threw a golden apple among the guests, with the inscription, "For the fairest." Thereupon Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed the apple. Jupiter, not willing to decide in so delicate a matter, sent the goddesses to Mount Ida, where the beautiful shepherd Paris was tending his flocks, and to him was committed the decision. The goddesses accordingly appeared before him. Juno promised him power and riches, Minerva glory and renown in war, and Venus the fairest of women for his wife, each attempting to bias his decision in her own favour. Paris decided in favour of Venus and gave her the golden apple, thus making the two other goddesses his enemies. Under the protection of Venus, Paris sailed to Greece, and was hospitably received by Menelaus, king of Sparta. Now Helen, the wife of Menelaus, was the very woman whom Venus had destined for Paris, the fairest of her sex. She had been sought as a bride by numerous suitors, and before her decision was made known, they all, at the suggestion of Ulysses, one of their number, took an oath that they would defend her from all injury and avenge her cause if necessary. She chose Menelaus, and was living with him happily when Paris became their guest. Paris, aided by Venus, persuaded her to elope with him, and carried her to Troy, whence arose the famous Trojan war, the theme of the greatest poems of antiquity, those of Homer and Virgil.