Judgement of Paris

     

photo montage by Styrous®

This is my photo montage interpretation of an ancient Greek myth, "Judgement of Paris". The images are from two photo shoots done months apart in 2004; the montage was made in 2008.

An Ovation TV ad used my "Judgement of Paris" montage in the My Art Series, 2009, Set 7, which featured Fred Scott, Styrous® and Wade Lawrence.

Comments about the "Judgement of Paris" montage on Ovation TV.

"Judgement of Paris" was shown in The Love Show, the inaugural exhibition for the Gray Loft Gallery.

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The down 'n dirty version of the myth:

A bunch of gods had a party. One goddess didn't get invited, so she threw a golden apple into the mix to create discord. It worked, the gods started squabbling about who the apple was meant for. The boss god didn't want to take the heat so he had a mortal make the call. Each goddess tried to bribe the mortal into voting for her. He picked one but it turned out to be a very bad choice. If you REALLY want to know all the facts, full details below.

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The high brow version:

SYNOPSIS

THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS was a contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympus--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena--for the prize of a golden apple addressed to "the fairest".

THE MYTH

The story begins at the Wedding of Peleus and Thetis to which all of the gods were invited, all except Eris, the goddess of discord. When she appeared at the festivities, she was turned away, and in her anger cast a golden apple addressed, "Kallisti" ("To the Fairest") amongst the assembled goddesses.

Three goddesses laid claim to the apple--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus was asked to mediate but he didn't want any part of it, so, he commanded Hermes to lead the three goddesses to Paris of Troy to decide the issue.

The three contenders bathed in the spring of Ida, then appeared before Paris, the shepherd prince, on Mount Ida in the climactic moment that is the crux of the tale. Each goddess wanted to be judged the fairest, so they each undressed and presented themselves to Paris naked, in hopes of appearing more sexual than the other two. While Paris inspected them, each attempted with her powers to bribe him; Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia, Athena offered wisdom and skill in war, and Aphrodite, who had the Charites and the Horai to enhance her charms with flowers and song, offered the world's most beautiful woman. This was Helen of Sparta, who was the wife of the Greek king Menelaus.Paris accepted the gift from Aphrodite and awarded the apple to her, receiving Helen as well as the enmity of the Greeks and especially of Hera. (Euripides, Andromache, l.284, Helena l. 676).   

The Greek expedition to retrieve Helen from Paris, both of them had fled to Troy, led to the fall of the city and is the mythological basis of the Trojan War.    

 - (Greek myth)

Styrous® March, 2012

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