In the Judgment of Paris, Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess. The contest began when Eris, goddess of strife, sent a golden apple marked for the fairest to a divine gathering.
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed the prize. Zeus avoided deciding between them and appointed Paris, a Trojan prince, as judge. Each goddess offered him a reward: Hera promised power, Athena offered wisdom and success in war, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world.
Paris selected Aphrodite, who identified Helen of Sparta as that woman. Helen was already married to Menelaus, so Paris’s visit to Sparta and his departure with Helen became the legendary cause of the Greek expedition against Troy.
The story appears in later mythological traditions rather than as a complete episode in Homer’s Iliad. It explains the divine rivalry behind the war and portrays Aphrodite as a force connected with desire and romantic attraction.