The Childhood of Paris

In ancient days, Priam and Hecuba were king and queen of Troy, a beautiful city near the coast of Asia Minor, roughly opposite Athens. They had many children, both sons and daughters. Among the sons were Hector and Paris, young men of remarkable strength and beauty.

Paris had led a very adventurous life. When he was only a tiny baby, his mother dreamed that she saw a flaming torch in the cradle, where the child lay. The torch seemed to set fire to the cradle and the whole palace. The queen awoke with a start and was overjoyed when she realized that it was only a dream.

In those days, people believed that dreams were sent by the gods to warn them of coming events, so Hecuba was very troubled about what the burning torch meant. She told her husband everything about the dream, and at last they decided to ask an oracle to explain it.

A few days later, the messenger they had sent to the oracle came home, and Hecuba wept many tears when he told them that the child Paris was destined to bring destruction upon his own city.

To avoid this misfortune, Priam ordered that Paris should be carried out of the city and left in a forest, where wild animals would devour him, or where he would surely die of hunger and cold.

Poor little Paris was therefore lifted out of his comfortable cradle and left alone in the forest, where he cried so loudly that a passing hunter heard him. This man felt so sorry for the poor child that he carried him home to his wife, who raised the little stranger along with her own children.

Since he lived with hunters, Paris soon learned their habits, and he became so active that when he was quite grown up, he went to Troy to take part in the athletic games that were often held there in honor of the gods. He was so strong that he easily won all the prizes, even though Hector and the other young princes also competed for them.

When Paris stepped forward to receive the crown of wild olive leaves, which was the victory prize, everyone noticed his resemblance to the royal family. His sister, Cassandra, who could foresee future events, said that he was the son of Priam and Hecuba, and that he would bring great misfortunes upon Troy.

The king and queen paid no attention to these words, but welcomed Paris heartily at home and showered him with all kinds of gifts to make up for the cruelty and long neglect.

Paris was so fond of change and adventure that he soon grew tired of life at court and asked Priam for a ship, so that he could sail to Greece.

This request was willingly granted, and Paris set off. The young prince sailed from island to island and at last came to the southern part of the Peloponnese, where the descendants of Heracles had founded the city of Sparta. There he was warmly welcomed by King Menelaus, but this king had to leave home shortly after Paris arrived, and he asked Helen, his wife, the most beautiful woman in the world, to do everything she could to entertain the noble stranger.

Helen was so kind to Paris that he soon fell in love with her. His greatest wish was to have her as his wife, so he began to tell her that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, had promised him that he should marry the most beautiful woman in the world.

By speaking thus day after day, the handsome young Paris at last persuaded Helen to leave her husband and her home. She went aboard his ship and sailed with him to Troy as his wife. Of course, this wrong could not lead to happiness, and they were not only punished, but as you shall soon see, Paris' crime brought suffering and death to his friends as well.

When Menelaus came home and discovered that his guest had fled with his wife, he became very angry and swore that he would not rest until he had punished Paris and won back the beautiful Helen.

He therefore made ready for war and sent word to his friends and relatives to come and help him, asking them to meet him at Aulis, a harbor town, where they would find swift ships that could carry them across the sea to Troy.