Disclaimer:
I am aware that the myths of the Trojan war can be read throughout the Odyssey
and Iliad. The life of Aeneas, within the pages of Aeneid. This is just my take
on the myth through Aphrodite.
The set
up:
Vanity can be the downfall to the strongest
of walls. No matter how great a person is they can succumb to vanity. Even the
goddess of love was known to have great vanity. She knew her looks drew legions
to her. Knew that her abilities caused a great deal of trouble throughout the world.
Love comes with jealousy and rage that was just as powerful as war. The love
goddess for example knew no boundaries and would test her own followers of
loyalty towards her. Mortal women were not even spared in her path, for if
anyone denied her beauty or was in competition with her than they would know
her wrath. Many prayed to Aphrodite for love and their desires to come true.
Many knew of her children, but little knew that some were even half mortal.
Aphrodite never thought that her beauty would be the cause of a great war let
alone a man choosing her over other goddesses.
It was her vanity that caused a great war
upon the kingdom of Troy which she would choose the Trojans over the Greeks.
The young prince Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess. She was
chosen over Hera and Athena. This was all a game of course started by Eris and
her apple. It was all a game that would go down in history and cause so much
strive. Aphrodite was chosen due to her promising Pairs the most beautiful
woman named Helen of Troy. Where Athena promised to make him a great warrior
and give him knowledge beyond most man. Hera promised that he would have all of
Asia bow down at his feet. Of course, Aphrodite would choose given a young man
the most beautiful woman. She knew that was what most man wanted and wanted to
give into her own vanity to be chosen as the most beautiful.
This chose would lead to a war that would cause
her own demi born son to be put in danger. There was no doubt that Aphrodite
would choose to be on Troy’s side. Though Aphrodite did not fight or was not
much of one in some cultures she was known as a warrior goddess. But the big
ticket to Aphrodite playing the big part of the war was the chose of her beauty.
The side was something that came naturally to her. When it came to her children,
though she may be hard at times, Aphrodite would protect them.
The War:
War was bloody and deadly there was no doubt
that war left chaos in its wake. City walls fell and men took their last breaths.
Children cried for their fathers and boys turned into men on the battlefield.
Aphrodite knew that war came with the terms of being mortal, but she hated it.
She couldn’t bare to hear the screams from the women who lost not only their
husbands but their sons. She knew in the back of her mind that her vanity was
the cause of the war, yet history would only show that Helen’s beauty and body
was the true cause. Furthermore, history would write that Paris’ weakness was what
his other head longed for most of all. Paris was so young when he made the chose
and Aphrodite kept her promise, but at a true cost.
As she flew overhead as the battle below was
in full swing. She watched as men fell to their deaths at the hand of another. Aphrodite
only flying above with tears in her eyes to find her son. The son of the Trojan
royal family and brother to King Priam, Anchises. Aeneas knew who his mother
was even though she barely kept in contact with him. The Goddess of Love
figured that he was in good hands by being under the care of his father. Plus,
she knew that for him to be anything, she could not really interfere with his
life. He must carve his own path of destiny through means of the mortals to
gain herohood and later possible godship.
She warned her son when was able to
understand all that she could say to him that he was never to say who was his
mother’s identity. Aphrodite was wise in this, but she also told him that he
would also always be protected. Through the sea of the warriors and death, Aphrodite
had a hard time finding him. Until his blonde locks was pointed out to her by
Apollo. “Thank you, brother.” She said flying down to her son who had his back
up against the wall. “Mother, you should not be here.” He said with fear in his
eyes. He was so strong and had age welled. He looked so much like his father,
yet to Aphrodite, he was still her son. “Shh. my son, no one can see and there
is a protective barrier around us. You must stop fighting and flee with a select
few of me. Your time is not on this battlefield. Your fate is in another land
but hurry you do not have much time.” She looked at her son with a mother’s
look as if she would never see him again.
“But mother, father and everyone else.” He said
with a pleading tone in his voice as he hugged her tightly. “You will be
protected by your aunts and uncles who are fighting alongside the mortals for
Troy. But Troy will fall, and you must start anew.” She said in a very soft and
loving tone. “You fought bravely here, yet you must go and become the hero.” She
paused for a moment. “The leader you were born to be.” She finally said tears filling
her eyes and rolling down her cheeks as she looked into her son’s eyes. At that
moment, she wished there was so much more she could have done for him. She
wished she had been there for him as he grew up, but his mortal father raised
him well. It was not up for the Gods or Goddesses to interfere with the ways of
men even when it came to their own offspring.
Aphrodite pulled away and looked at her son
once more then hugged him again. She kissed his cheek and whipped her tears
away before smiling at him. “You have made your mother proud. Go now before it
is too late. You will be protected and whoever you chose to go with you.” She
said to him. He hugged her tightly. “I’ll take my men and father.” He said. Aphrodite
nodded her head, “Yes, now go get him and quickly. Your aunts and uncles will
always be with you even in the new land you make your own kingdom within. But
you must go.” She said, kissing him once more, knowing that he was going to go
on a long and hard journey. “I will watch over your father till he passes on.”
She said trying to give him so hope.
Hesitantly, Aeneas gave a nod saluted to his
men, gave his mother one last hug, and quickly ran through the fighting men. She
knew he would find his father and tell him, yet the goddess filled him on what
would happen. There was still more he could pass on to him and teach him.
The love goddess watched her son till she could not
see him anymore then flew up into the air. She hovered over the fighting men
once more. “Please look after my son. Artemis, Apollo, and my beloved Ares.” She
said looking up towards the sky. She watched tearfully as her son met up with
his father, spoke to him and they both ran with the men following behind them.
The trail of blood being left as they cut through to get to safety. “And now
the journey begins.”
