It all began with a wedding.

Peleus, a mortal hero, was to marry Thetis, a sea nymph so beautiful that even Zeus desired her. But there was a prophecy: the son of Thetis would be greater than his father. Zeus wanted no son mightier than himself, and so he decided that Thetis would marry a mortal. From that marriage, years later, would come Achilles, the greatest warrior of Greece.

Every god and goddess was invited to the feast. Every one, except one. Eris, the goddess of discord, was left out, because no one wanted trouble at a wedding. When she learned she was the only one forgotten, Eris was furious, and quietly began to plan a revenge all her own.

During the banquet, while everyone was celebrating, a golden apple rolled across the floor. It glowed with its own light, and a single phrase was engraved upon it: "For the fairest." It was Eris who had thrown the apple, on purpose. She knew exactly what would happen.

Three goddesses saw the apple at the same moment. Hera, queen of the gods, wife of Zeus and protector of marriage. Athena, goddess of wisdom and of war fought with a clear head. And Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Each one reached out her hand, certain the apple could only be hers.

The argument began quietly and kept on growing.

"I am the queen of Olympus," said Hera. "Of course the fairest is me."

"Beauty without wisdom is empty," answered Athena. "My beauty has a purpose."

"What nonsense," laughed Aphrodite. "I am the goddess of beauty herself. I was born from the foam of the sea."

The other gods edged away, one by one. Not even Zeus wanted to judge that quarrel, for he knew that any choice would leave two goddesses furious with him. Then an idea came to him, and it filled him with relief.

"We need an impartial judge, someone who does not know us well," said Zeus. "Paris, the prince of Troy, who lives as a shepherd and is known for his fairness. He shall judge."

Paris was the son of King Priam of Troy. Over him, too, hung a prophecy: one day, Paris would bring about the destruction of the city. And so, as a baby, he was left on Mount Ida, where shepherds found him and raised him as their own. Paris grew up strong and fair-minded, tending sheep in the mountains, never knowing he was a prince.

One day, while he watched his flock, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, appeared before him.

"Paris, Zeus has chosen you to judge which of these three goddesses is the fairest."

And suddenly there they stood — Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, three of the most powerful goddesses of Olympus, waiting on the word of a simple shepherd. Paris trembled. How could a mortal judge goddesses?

And the task grew harder still, because each goddess tried to buy his choice.

Hera came near first.

"Choose me, and I will give you power. You will be king of all the lands of Asia, and rule over empires."

Paris was tempted, for power has its pull. Then Athena drew close.

"Power without wisdom is useless. Choose me, and I will give you wisdom and glory in war. You will be unbeatable in battle."

Paris hesitated once more. At last, Aphrodite smiled sweetly.

"Paris... choose me, and I will give you the love of the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Sparta, so lovely she makes men lose their reason."

Paris was young and romantic. Power and glory seemed far away, but love seemed real and near.

"Aphrodite," he said, handing over the apple, "you are the fairest."

Aphrodite smiled in triumph and took the apple. But Hera and Athena burned with anger.

"You will regret this, Paris," said Hera, her voice low and cold.

"Troy will pay for this insult," swore Athena.

In that moment, the two goddesses became the enemies of Troy. And when goddesses become the enemies of a city, disasters follow.

Soon afterward, Paris discovered who he was and returned to Troy, where he was welcomed with joy, in spite of the old prophecy. And then Aphrodite kept her promise. Paris was sent on a mission to Sparta, in Greece, and there he met Helen, wife of King Menelaus.

Helen truly was the most beautiful woman in the world, with hair as golden as the sun and a smile that could soften any heart. When she was young, every prince in Greece had wished to marry her, and there were so many suitors that her father feared a war among them. It was the cunning Odysseus, also called Ulysses, who suggested the way out: every suitor would swear to protect Helen's marriage, whoever was chosen. They all swore. Helen chose Menelaus, and the two were wed.

When Paris arrived in Sparta and saw Helen, Aphrodite acted, and the two fell in love in a way that shut out everything else. What happened next is argued about to this day. Some versions tell that Paris carried Helen off by force while Menelaus was away; others say Helen fled of her own free will, choosing love over duty. Perhaps it was a little of both: Aphrodite stirred their hearts, but Helen also made a choice. Paris carried Helen, and many of Sparta's treasures, back to Troy in his ships.

When Menelaus returned and discovered that his wife had gone with a Trojan prince, his fury knew no bounds.

"Paris and all the Trojans will pay for this!"

He hurried to his brother, Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the most powerful man in Greece.

"My brother, Troy has dishonored me. They have taken my wife. I need justice."

Agamemnon saw an opportunity there, for Troy was rich and controlled valuable trade routes.

"Brother," he said, "we will gather all the kings of Greece. Remember the oath they swore to protect Helen's marriage? The time has come to call it in."

Messengers set out for every corner of Greece, and because of the oath the greatest heroes had to answer the call: Achilles, son of Thetis, the strongest warrior in the world; Odysseus, king of Ithaca, the cleverest of the Greeks; Ajax, huge and strong as a bull; young, fierce Diomedes; the old and wise King Nestor; and many more. In all, a thousand ships gathered. People said in wonder that a thousand ships had sailed for the sake of one woman, and Helen became known as the face that launched a thousand ships.

Not everyone wanted to fight. Odysseus even pretended to be mad to escape the summons, but he was found out; Achilles' mother hid him disguised as a girl, but Odysseus discovered him. The oath, however, was stronger than any man's wishes.

Before setting sail, the Greeks consulted the prophet Calchas.

"The war will be long," he prophesied. "It will last ten years, and many will die. But in the end, Troy will fall."

Ten years. It seemed unthinkable, but the army was already gathered. The Greek fleet crossed the Aegean Sea, a thousand white-sailed ships covering the horizon. From high on the walls, King Priam and his sons watched the ships draw near. Hector, the eldest son and Troy's greatest warrior, turned to his brother.

"Do you see what you have caused? Because of one woman, our people will suffer."

But Paris, still under Aphrodite's spell, only held Helen close.

"It is worth it. I will fight for the woman I love."

And so began the Trojan War, the most famous war in Greek mythology. A war born of the vanity of three goddesses, of a golden apple, of a young prince's reckless choice, and of a forbidden love. In it, gods would fight beside mortals; the greatest warrior in the world, Achilles, would face the noblest of defenders, Hector; and cunning would count for more than strength. It would be a war of ten long years, and it would end with a city in flames. But those stories come in the next parts.