Many days passed after Paris returned to the house of his father Priam. It seemed that the change that took place in his life made him forget about the gift Aphrodite promised him for the golden apple. Now he was a prince, and not a simple, unknown shepherd. But Aphrodite herself reminded him of the beautiful Helen and helped her favorite build a magnificent ship, and he was about to sail to Sparta, where Helen lived. In vain did Priam's prophetic son Gelen warn him. He predicted the death of Paris. Paris didn't want to listen to anything. He boarded the ship and set off on a long journey across the vast expanse of the sea. Despair took possession of Cassandra when she saw how Paris's fast ship was moving away from her native shores. Stretching out her hands to the sky, the prophetic Cassandra exclaimed:
- Oh, woe, woe to the great Troy and to all of us! I see: sacred Ilion is engulfed in flames, covered in blood, his sons lie cast into the dust! I see: foreigners are leading the weeping Trojan wives and virgins into slavery!
So Cassandra exclaimed, but no one heeded her prophecy. Nobody stopped Paris.
And he swam further and further. A terrible storm arose at sea. She didn’t stop Paris either. He passed rich Phthia, Salamis and Mycenae, where his future enemies lived, and finally arrived at the shores of Laconia. Paris landed at the mouth of the Eurotas and went ashore with his friend Aeneas. He went with him to the king, as a guest, not plotting anything evil.
Menelaus warmly received Paris and Aeneas. He prepared a rich meal in honor of the guests. During this meal, Paris saw the beautiful Helen for the first time. Full of delight, he looked at her, admiring her unearthly beauty.
Elena was also captivated by the beauty of Paris; he was beautiful in his rich oriental clothes. Several days passed. Menelaus needed to go to Crete. When leaving, he asked Elena to take care of the guests so that they would not lack anything. Menelaus had no idea what kind of offense these guests would cause him.
When Menelaus left, Paris immediately decided to take advantage of his departure. With the help of Aphrodite, he persuaded the beautiful Helen with gentle speeches to leave her husband's house and flee with him to Troy. Elena gave in to Paris' requests. Paris secretly took the beautiful Helen to his ship; He stole Menelaus's wife, and with her his treasures. Elena forgot everything - her husband, her native Sparta, and she forgot her daughter Hermione for the sake of love for Paris.
He left the ship of Paris at the mouth of the Eurotas, taking with him rich booty. The ship quickly rushed along the sea waves back to the Trojan shores. Paris rejoiced; with him was the most beautiful of mortal women, Helen. Suddenly, when the ship was sailing far from the shores on the open sea, the mighty god of the sea, Nereus, stopped it. He emerged from the depths of the sea and predicted the death of both Paris and all of Troy. Paris and Elena were confused. But Aphrodite calmed them down and made them forget this terrible prediction. For three days the ship, guarded by Aphrodite, sailed on a calm sea. A tailwind drove him quickly. He arrived safely on the Trojan shores.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru