Iliad of Homer

Author: (Ancient Greece) Homer Original / Xiong Lei Rewritten / Xiong Liang Illustrated
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Zeus fell in love with the daughter of the sea god, Thetis. However, he learned from a prophecy that the son he would have with Thetis would be more powerful than him. To protect his power, Zeus abandoned Thetis and married her to a hero of the mortal realm. All the gods of Olympus attended Thetis's wedding, except for the goddess of discord, who was not invited. Seeking revenge, the goddess of discord threw a golden apple at the banquet, inscribed with "for the fairest goddess." Hera, the queen of heaven; Athena, the goddess of wisdom; and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, all believed themselves to be the fairest and should receive the golden apple. Zeus entrusted the judgment to Paris, the prince of Troy. The three goddesses competed for the golden apple by making promises to Paris. Aphrodite promised: "If I win the golden apple, I will give you the most beautiful woman in the world as your wife." Thus, Paris eventually decided to give the golden apple to Aphrodite. With the golden apple, Aphrodite fulfilled her promise and helped Paris abduct Helen, the most beautiful woman in Greece. As a result, the Greeks elected Agamemnon as the commander of the coalition and launched an attack on Troy. The war lasted for ten years, with the gods aiding different sides. In the end, the Greeks defeated the Trojans with the famous Trojan Horse strategy, looted, and destroyed the prosperous city of Troy.