Alright, so I got super curious about this Paris guy from Troy after watching an old movie snippet. Wondered why everyone still talks about him, y’know? Figured I’d dig into what he actually did back then.
Starting My Deep Dive
First thing I did was grab every basic book I had lying around about Greek myths. Didn’t wanna jump into heavy academic stuff yet—just needed the simple story. Found out Paris was just a prince chillin’ as a shepherd ’cause his dad, King Priam, got spooked by some prophecy saying this kid would wreck Troy. Wild, right?
That Stupid Golden Apple Mess
Here’s where it gets messy. Apparently three goddesses showed up and made Paris pick who’s the prettiest. Hera offered power, Athena promised battle skills, but Aphrodite straight up bribed him with Helen—the hottest woman alive. Guy took the bait, no hesitation. Classic “thinking with the wrong head” moment.
What Happened Next
- Snuck off to Sparta where Helen lived with her king husband Menelaus.
- Either kidnapped her or she bounced with him—depends who ya ask. Ancient gossip basically.
- Booked it back to Troy with her.
Big mistake. Menelaus called up every warrior in Greece—including his brother Agamemnon and Achilles—to get Helen back. Ships. Armies. The whole deal. Dude accidentally started the Trojan War over a girl.
His Impact? Basically Chaos
During the war, Paris kinda sucked at fighting. Mostly hid behind walls or shot arrows from far away. But then he pulled one big move: shot Achilles in the heel (with Apollo’s help, stories say). Still, Troy burned ’cause of him dragging Helen there. Wiped out his family, his city, everything.
What’s wild is how one reckless choice blew up an entire civilization. No grand strategy, no heroics—just vanity and bad decisions. Makes ya think about how small actions spiral. Anyway, that’s why we remember him: not ’cause he was great, but ’cause he caused absolute chaos by chasing what he wanted without caring about consequences.
