Pre Trojan War Story

• Peleus and Thetis
  Thetis was the daughter of the Sea god Nereus and was therefore a Nereid. She was loved by Zeus, but was fated to have a son who would be greater than his father. (Some say that this fate of Thetis' son was the secret known to Prometheus in the Prometheus Bound story.) The Olympian gods conspired to have Thetis wed to Peleus, a king from Phthia in Thessaly. Peleus was told that he must find Thetis, sneak up to her, and hold her as she changed into various other forms. If he could do this, he would win her love. Peleus is successful, and a great wedding ceremony is held for the couple, involving all the great mortals and immortals.
• The Wedding Feast and the apple of Eris
  Only the Goddess Eris (Strife) is not invited, or according to some is invited and contributes her commodity of discord. In the former case, she causes discord because she is slighted by not being invited. Eris accomplished strife by presenting an apple "to the fairest," which is immediately claimed by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. The three Goddesses ask Zeus to judge who should receive the apple, but Zeus declines to judge and orders Hermes to take the Goddesses before Paris, who is living as a shepherd on Mt. Ida. (Paris was the son of Priam, King of Troy, and Hecuba. He had been sent away from Troy because of an oracle which said that would be the cause of Troy's destruction.)
• The Judgment of Paris (also called Alexander or Alexandrus)
  Hermes leads the Goddesses to Paris. Each tries to bribe Paris: Hera promised to make him the ruler of the world, Athena promised that he would be the greatest warrior, and Aphropdite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris accepts the offer of Aphrodite.
• Helen
  Helen is the daughter of Tyndareus (King of Sparta) and Leda. Actually, Leda had been visited by Zeus (in the form of a swan) and had Helen and Polydeuces as a result (some say born from an egg). Tyndareus had also lain with his wife after Zeus's visit, and she also gave birth to Clytemnestra and Castor. When it was time for Helen to marry, many of the princes of the Greek world came to vie for her hand in marriage. Odysseus, realizing that he would not win and already hoping to marry Penelope (the niece of Tyndareus), offered to give sage advice to Tyndareus in return for his help with Penelope. Tyndareus agreed and was told to have all the suitors sign an agreement to uphold Tyndareus' choice for Helen's husband and to promise to uphold the couple if trouble should ever afflict them. Tyndareus did precisely that and later awarded Menelaus with Helen's hand. (Menelaus was the brother of Agamemnon and the son of Atreus, King of Mycenae.)
• Abduction of Helen
  Paris (some say accompanied by Aeneas) goes to Sparta and is received by Menelaus, who by that time had replaced Tyndareus as King of Sparta. When Menelaus leaves for a voyage to Crete, Paris (with Aphrodite's help) steals Helen away to Troy. Some say that they also took treasures from Sparta. In spite of the oracle about Paris' negative influence on Troy's future, Helen and Paris are welcomed by Priam and Hecuba. When Menelaus discovers what has happened, he calls upon all the great warriors of Greece (most of whom had signed Tydareus' contract) to join him in a campaign against Troy to get Helen back. Menelaus' brother, Agamemnon, now King of Mycenae, helps to organize an army to sail against the Trojans.
• The story of Heracles' battle with Troy
  From early B.C. sources, it was also believed that Heracles had visited Troy a generation before the Trojan War, when Laomedon (the father of Priam) was King. When Heracles arrived, the King's daughter was being offered to a sea monster sent by Poseidon. Zeus had punished Apollo and Poseidon for their part in a palace conflict by being forced to serve King Laomedon, a mere mortal. Their service was to build the walls of Troy. When Laomedon refused to pay them the contractual amount for their services, Poseidon sent a monster vs Troy. Heracles (some say on his way to one of his labors) stops and rescues Hesione, but once again Laomedon refuses to honor the payment he had agreed on for Hercules' task (--the payment included Hesione herself). Heracles promises to retrurn to collect his rights. Later he does return and kills all the sons of Laomedon except Priam, who is away, and kills King Laomedon himself. Hesione is taken by Heracles and given to his friend Telamon.