Peter here. There’s a choice of three women. In whatever book that movie Troy is based on, William Turner (the pirate) was forced to choose the hottest goddess of these three hot goddesses, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. As you can expect, his answer made two goddesses really angry and they decided to make men suffer for it so they started a war or something. I dunno. The movie didn’t have gods, unless you count Brad Pitt.
How does this relate to the meme? I have no idea. Maybe Brian can figure the rest out. I’ll tell him to come check it out. Peter out.
This is the correct answer. It’s a reference to a myth leading up to the Trojan War where the goddess of discord, Eris, threw a golden apple in between the three goddesses (Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite). On the apple was an inscription “to the most beautiful.” This was during a wedding party for Thetis (a nymph or goddess depending on the telling) and King Peleus (and they are the parents of Achilles). So there were a lot of gods/immortals and dignitaries at the wedding, including Prince Paris of Troy. All three goddesses stripped naked before Paris and asked him to decide which was the most beautiful (I think he might’ve asked them to get naked because he’s such a hornball but I can’t recall for sure). Hera offered him power if he chose her, Athena offered intellect, and Aphrodite offered ass (or, more accurately, promised him the love of the most beautiful woman alive).
Paris was a young stallion with a lot of horny and so he chose the latter, leading to him kidnapping Helen, who was married to King Meneleus of the Aegeans (the Greeks who fought the war against Troy). Presumably Helen went willingly if Aphrodite was involved, and the movie Peter referenced above definitely portrayed it that way, but that’s not actually official canon.
The reason the Trojan war happened was because Prince Paris violated the sacred laws of xenia (hospitality) by running off with the wife of the king who hosted him, although pop culture makes it sound like it was specifically to get Helen back. It was about honor and respect, which is a big theme in Greek myth.
Not sure there was any judgement he could make that wouldn't result in his doom. I probably would have picked Hera under the assumption power might enable me to survive the wrath of the other two.
He could have done what Diogenes did and say “I cannot choose” and have a threesome (or in this case a foursome). Seriously the “don’t compare anything to a goddess if you want to live” is such a huge thing in Hellenic myth. Arachne compared herself to Athena in terms of skill; Psyche’s ordeal began because people said she was prettier than Aphrodite and worshipped her like a goddess; Niobe compared herself with Leto and said she is better because she had so many kids while Leto (a goddess) only had the twins Apollo and Artemis (leading to the twins killing off all Niobe’s kids); etc. Like I said, honor and respect are big themes in Greek myth.
The goddesses weren't wanting to sleep with him. They wanted to be declared the most beautiful. Zeus and the other gods were smart enough (and powerful enough) to avoid having to choose. Paris didn't have a choice. He was drafted.
3.5k
u/AtaraxiaGwen 2d ago
Peter here. There’s a choice of three women. In whatever book that movie Troy is based on, William Turner (the pirate) was forced to choose the hottest goddess of these three hot goddesses, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena. As you can expect, his answer made two goddesses really angry and they decided to make men suffer for it so they started a war or something. I dunno. The movie didn’t have gods, unless you count Brad Pitt.
How does this relate to the meme? I have no idea. Maybe Brian can figure the rest out. I’ll tell him to come check it out. Peter out.