Brilliant analysis here. The framing of Paris's choice as purely one of vanity misses how deeply geopolitical this whole judgement was from the start. Each goddess offered him forms of power, and Paris went for symbolic over strategic capital. I once had a teacher who compared the Judgment of Paris to modern leadership failures where short-term optics trump long-term consequence, which kinda stuck with me. If Sparta was already vulnerable to this sortof trigger, maybe the divine setup just acclerated inevitable conflict.
Blaming Venus for the Trojan War is like blaming Satan for you falling into temptation. There's culpability all around but the ultimate responsibility is with the one who takes the bait.
Brilliant analysis here. The framing of Paris's choice as purely one of vanity misses how deeply geopolitical this whole judgement was from the start. Each goddess offered him forms of power, and Paris went for symbolic over strategic capital. I once had a teacher who compared the Judgment of Paris to modern leadership failures where short-term optics trump long-term consequence, which kinda stuck with me. If Sparta was already vulnerable to this sortof trigger, maybe the divine setup just acclerated inevitable conflict.
Thank you. It is an interesting topic and a story full of major characters. Paris kills Achilles in one version and that sets up his own demise.
Blaming Venus for the Trojan War is like blaming Satan for you falling into temptation. There's culpability all around but the ultimate responsibility is with the one who takes the bait.
Exactly. And that's why the title is the Judgement of Paris, too...not Venus Beguiles a Trojan prince.