Talk:Paris (mythology)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Only someone who lacks the social ability to interpret normal human gestures would suggest that "that Paris is shown receiving the gift of life from the trio of Goddesses." It is completely obvious he is handing the apple to Aphrodite. Among many other reasons, the position of his arm (what kind of human would receive a gift from the goddesses with 1 outstretched arm while lounging on a rock???) and the fact that Hera is pissed off and has her back to him should clue one in. Exactly who champions this alternative interpretation? -- Sour pickle 17:14, 30 May 2005 (UTC)

I agree. I couldn't google any such support. So I removed this passage:

An alternative interpretation is that Paris is shown receiving the gift of life from the trio of goddesses. This interpretation is supported by the contention that the three goddesses represent a single goddess in her three aspects of nymph, mother and crone and that to choose the most beautiful makes no sense in this context.

—James S. 09:18, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

I've removed this sentence from the section on Paris in the Trojan War: "Since Homer was Greek, and naturally wanted the Trojans to seem cowardly and weak, he portrayed them as thus." Not only does the statement run contrary to what Homer actually does in the Iliad, where the Trojan characters...particularly Hector...appear quite often as great examples of virtue and bravery, it discusses something outside the scope of what Homer does at all. The passage the sentence is taken from discusses Paris killing Achilles, while the Iliad itself ends when Hector's funeral, prior to Achilles' death. Homer never portrays Paris killing Achilles at all. - Anon.

I have a similar issue with the constant identification of archery with Cowardice-this may have been a common Greek belief, I don't know, it would have to be verified. Certainly, poisoning arrows is less than manly, but but Homer doesn't seem to suggest archery in general is cowardly, given that he never suggest that Teucer, for example, is a coward for using arrows. It seems more likely to identify Paris as definately from Asia Minor (as archery was associated with the East, particularly Lydia, just to the South of Troy.) I don't want to delete it right off the bat, but if no one objects I would alter it. Matveiko 19:00, 7 October 2006 (UTC)