Paris
Publié le 22/02/2012
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Greek Son of Priam, the king of Troy, and
of Hecuba. Before he was born, soothsayers prophesied
that Paris would cause death and destruction.
Accordingly, his parents placed him upon a mountainside
(Mount Ida [2]) and left the infant to die.
Shepherds rescued and raised Paris. He fell in love
with Oenone but was later to abandon the nymph in
favor of Helen. He became a fine athlete and a very
handsome man. Paris competed at the games at Troy
and won many prizes, gaining the attention of King
Priam, who recognized him as his son. In spite of the
soothsayers' warnings, Priam welcomed Paris back
into the household. The prophecies came true. Paris's
abduction of Helen became one of the leading causes
of the Trojan War.
In some versions of the story, Paris kills the hero
Achilles, and is himself killed by Philoctetes.
The Judgment of Paris This is how Paris's
abduction of Helen, wife of King Menelaus came
about. Eris (Discord) was present at the wedding of
Peleus and Thetis, the parents of Achilles. She made
the goddesses quarrel among themselves by throwing
a golden apple ("the apple of discord") among the
guests. The apple was inscribed, "To the fairest."
Hera, the chief goddess and wife of Zeus; Artemis,
goddess of the hunt; and Aphrodite, goddess of love,
each claimed the apple. Asked to make the choice
among the three goddesses, Zeus wisely declined and
sent his messenger, Hermes, to ask Paris, the most
handsome of men, to make the decision. Each of the
goddesses offered Paris bribes. Aphrodite offered him
love of the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen
of Sparta. Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite. On that day, Hera and Artemis became enemies of Paris
and of Troy.
Liens utiles
- spleen de paris
- Proposition de correction : Victor Hugo, Notre Dame de Paris, (1831) ch. VIII, t. 7
- Commentaire « Le joujou du pauvre », Le spleen de Paris, 1869
- Etude de documents iconographiques sur la commune de Paris
- Le système totalitaire, Paris, Le Seuil, 1972