Paris

Also known as: Alexandrus / husband of lovely Helen · Family: Trojan · Role: Trojan champion · First appears: BOOK III

🌐 Also appears in: Greek Mythology — A Family Orrery (as Paris) · The Aeneid (as Paris) · The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Paris) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Paris) · The Divine Comedy (as Paris)

In Book III, Paris, also called Alexandrus, was married to Helen and faced Menelaus in a duel that would decide her fate. Priam identified him as his son, and he wore the cuirass of his brother Lycaon. Menelaus overpowered him, but Venus rescued him and carried him to his bedchamber, where he and Helen reunited. In Book IV, Venus is described as staying by Alexandrus’ side to defend him.

In Book VII, Paris killed Menesthius son of Areithous and told Antenor he would not surrender Helen, though he would return the wealth he had brought from Argos and add more. In Book XI, he wounded Diomed in the foot, forcing him from the battle, and wounded Machaon in the shoulder; Nestor then carried Machaon away. He was also described as having been bribed by Antimachus.