Paris

The second son of Priam and Hecuba, Paris (Πάρις) was also called Alexander.

Hecuba had a disturbing nightmare in which she gave birth to a son who would burn the city down. The seer Aesacus, Priam's son by Arisbe, told the king that this son would cause the destruction of Troy. Paris was left exposed in the wilderness, but he was suckled by a she-bear. The farmer Agelaüs (Agelaus) raised him as a shepherd on his farm. He grew up into a handsome and strong young man. When the king held games, Paris entered and won every competition. That caused even Priam's sons to be so jealous that they wanted to attack the shepherd, but Cassandra recognised him as her brother. Paris was then married to a nymph named Oenone, daughter of the river-god Cebren, and the young couple then lived on Mount Ida.

Oenone's happiness was short-lived when Hermes arrived with three goddesses, asking him to judge them and decide who was the fairest among them. Paris awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, who promised him Helen of Sparta as his wife. He caused the enmity of two powerful goddesses against the Trojans. Oenone tried to plead with Paris to stay with her. Failing to persuade her husband from leaving her, she told him when he came back to her, she would wait for him and heal him of any wound he would probably receive from the coming war.

But Helen was wedded to Menelaüs (Menelaus), a king with many powerful allies. As Paris was a guest in Sparta during Menelaüs' absence, Aphrodite caused Helen to fall in love with Paris and ran away with him, thereby causing the Trojan War.

In the war, Paris was the best archer in the Trojan forces. Though his record was unimpressive, he managed to wound Diomedes. After ten years of war, many Trojans would have gladly returned Helen to Menelaüs, but each time they asked, Paris refused, with his father's support. During the single combat between Paris and Menelaüs, Aphrodite spirited him away when his life was in danger. Paris' only claim to glory was killing Achilles, the arrow guided by Apollo to pierce his only weakness, his heel.

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Death of Paris

Paris himself was killed by a poisoned arrow from Philoctetes. Dying, Paris returned to his first wife Oenoe on Mount Ida, because she had promised to heal his wound when he left her for Helen. But after ten years of waiting for his return, she refused to heal her husband. Paris returned to Troy to die. Oenone, instantly regretting her decision, hurried to Paris with a drug to rid him of the Hydra's venom. But she arrived too late. In her remorse and because of her love for Paris, she either hanged herself or threw herself into Paris' burning pyre. No one else mourned for him.

After his death, Helen was forced to marry her brother-in-law, Deïphobus, who was killed by Helen's first husband at the fall of Troy. Helen then returned to Sparta with Menelaüs.