Each goddess believed
that they themselves were
the fairest and that the
apple was meant for them.
Jupiter determined that
the dispute should be
settled by Paris, a farmer
outside of Troy, who is
actually a prince. Each goddess tried to bribe Paris with earthly pleasures, but he eventually accepted Venus' offer of the most beautiful woman of Greece as a wife.
The promised woman was Helen, daughter of Zeus. She was also already married to the Spartan king Menalaus. Helen runs away (or is kidnapped, depending on the source) with Paris, to the great distress of her husband. Menalaus is so upset that he sends an expedition to Troy to retrieve his wife. Although Paris refuses to allow Helen to return, Menalaus continues his attempts to retrieve his wife. These retrieval expeditions eventually become the fabled Trojan war.
and the golden apple
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