The judgment of Paris

This is one of the dialogues of the Gods.
According to the greek legends, Paris was the son of priam, King of Troy. His mother having dreamed that her child would ruin his country, when paris was born he was exposed of Mt. Ida
in Phrygia. But his life was saved by the herdsmen and he grew up among them. distinguished for beauty and strenght. when the Godesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite quarreled as so which one of them was the most beautiful, Paris was selected as the judge. He decided in favor of Aphrodite, who had promised him the most beautiful woman in the world as his wife. In order to obtain his bride, Paris went to Lacedaemon where he was hospitably received by menelaus, whose kindness who repaid by persuading helen, the wife of menelaus, to flee with him to Troy.
The siege of Troy by the united Greeks followed. Hera and Athena, the unsuccesful rivals of Aphrodite, Naturally became the bitter enemies of the trojans.
It should be observed that the Greek names of the divinities differ from the Latin names which are more familiar to us. Jupiter, appears as Zeus,
Mercury, as hermes, Juno, as Hera, Minerva, as Athena, Venus, as Aphrodite, Mars, as Ares.

ZEUS: Hermes, Take this apple and go to Phrygia, to Priams son, the cowherd-----he is pasturing his drove on Ida-- ans say to him that since he is handsome himself and connoisseur in matters of love, he has been appointed by Zeus to judge which is the fairest of that three Godesses. The apple is to be the victor's prize. (to the Godesses.) It is time now that you ladies were off to the judge. I have delegated the office of umpire because I am equally attached to you all, and if it were possible i should gladly see you all win. more over, then man who gives the prize of beauty to one must in the nature of things be detested by the others. This reason disqualify me as umpire; but the young man in Phrygia to whom you are going is of a royal house----being in fact a cousin of Ganymede, Whom you know ---- and he has the simple manner of the mountains.
APHRODITE: For my part, Zeus, you might make Momus himself the umpire and i should still go confidently to trial; for what could he find to criticize in me? And the others must needs put up with the man.
HERA: We are not afraid either, Aphrodite, even if your Ares were to settle the question. We are satisfied with this man, whoever he is, ---this Paris.
ZEUS: (To Athena) well, daughter, are you of the same mind? what do you say? you turn away blushing? it is natural for you virgins to be coy in such matters. But you might at least nod.
(ATHENA nods.) off with you, then; and the defeated, mind you, are not to be angry with the judge nor to do any harm to the young man. It is impossible for all to be equal in beauty. (They start.)
HERMES: Let us make straight for Phrygia. I will go first, and do you follow smartly. And don't be uneasy. I know Paris; He is a handsome young fellow. a lover by temperament, and a most competent judge in such cases as this. His decision will certainly be correct.
APHRODITE: That is good news, and all in my favor. ( To Hermes, apart.) Is this person a bachelor, or has he a wife?
HERMES: Not exactly a bachelor.
APHRODITE: What do you mean?
HERMES: Apparently a woman of Ida is his mate a good enough creature, but crude and extremely rustic. He does not seem to care much about her. But why do you ask?
APHRODITE: Oh! I just asked.
ATHENA: (To Hermes) This is a breach of trust, sirrah. You are a having private understanding with aphrodite.
HERMES: It's nothing terrible, and has nothing to do with you. She was asking me whether Paris is a bachelor.
ATHENA: Why is that any business of hers?
HERMES: I don't know; she says she asked casually, without any object.
ATHENA: Well, is he a bachelor?
HERMES: Apparently not.
ATHENA: has he any leaning towards war? Is he an ambitious person, or a coeherd merely?
HERMES: I can't say certainly; but it is safe to guess that a man of his age will hanker after fighting and long too distinguish himself in the field.
APHRODITE: See now, I don't find any fault with you for talking apart with him. Fault-finding is not natural to aphrodite.
HERMES: She was asking me also almost exactly what you did, so don't take it amiss or think you are badly treated. I answered her just as simply as I did you.
--But while we are talking we have come a long way. We have left the stars behind and almost reached Phrygia. I see Ida and the whole range of gargarus clearly; and unless I am mistaken, I can even make out Paris, your judge.
HERA: Where is He? I don't see him.
HERMES: Look off to the left-not at the summit of the mountain, but along the flank where the cave is. there you see the herd.
HERA: But not the herdsman.
HERMES: What? Look along my finger, so. don't you see the cows coming from among the rocks, and a man a crook running down the bluff to hem them in and keep them from scattering farther?
HERA: I see now, if that is he.
HERMES: That's he. when we are close at hand we will take to the ground, if you please, and come up to him walking, so as not to frighten him by dropping from the unseen.
HERA: Very good, we will do so. ( they alight.) Now that we are on earth, aphrodite, you had better go ahead and lead the way. You are probably familiar with the spot. The story goes that you have visited Anchises here more than once.
APHRODITE: Those jokes don't bother me very much. Hera.
HERMES: I will lead the way myself. here is the umpire close by; let us address him.(Paris.)
Good Morning, cowherd!
PARIS: Good Morning, my lad. Who are you? and who are these women whom you are escorting?-not mountain-bred: they are too pretty.
HERMES: And not a women. Paris, you see before you Hera and Athena and Aphrodite; and I am Hermes, bearing a message from Zeus. Why do you tremble and lose color? don't be frightened; it's nothing bad. he bids you judge which of them is fairest? " for," says Zeus, " you are fair yourself and wise in lover's love, so I turn over the case to you. You will know what the prize is when you read the legend on the apple." ( Hands him the apple.)
PARIS: Let me see what it all means. FOR THE FAIREST, the apple says. How in the world, lord Hermes, can I, a mortal man and a rustic, be judge of this marvelous spectacle, which is beyond a cowherd's powers? judgment in such matters belongs rather to the dainty folk in towns. As for me, I have the art to judge between goat to goat, as between heifer and heifer, in point of beauty.
But this ladies are beautiful alike. I do not know how a man could drag his sight from one to rest it on another. wherever my eye falls first, there it clings and approves what it finds. I am fairly bathed in their beauty. it's surrounds me altogether. I wish I were all eyes, like Argus. I think I should judge wisely if i gave the apple to them all. And here is something to consider too: one of them is sister and wife of Zeus, while the others are his daughters. Doesn't this make the decision hard?
HERMES: I can't say. I only know that you can't shirk what Zeus commands.
PARIS: Make them promise one thing, Hermes: that the losers will not be angry with me, but only consider my sight defective.
HERMES: they say they will do so; but it is time you made your decision.
PARIS: I will try; for what else can i do? Good heavens, what a sight! what beauty! how fair the maiden Goddess is! and how queenly, glorious, and worthy of her station is the wife of Zeus! and how sweet is Aphrodite's glance, with her soft, winning smile! Bah! I can hold no more leisure. If you please, I should like to study each separately; as it is, I look two ways at once.

( Emily James Smith )