Apple of Discord facts for kids
An apple of discord is a small problem or disagreement that can quickly grow into a much bigger fight. It's a way to describe something that causes a lot of trouble.
This phrase comes from an ancient Greek myth. It refers to the Golden Apple of Discord. This special apple was thrown by the goddess Eris (whose name means "Strife" or "Disagreement"). She tossed it into a party of gods and goddesses. This happened at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. The apple was meant to be a prize for the "most beautiful" goddess. This caused a huge argument among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Their fight eventually led to the famous Trojan War.
The Mythical Golden Apple
In Greek mythology, Eris was the goddess of disagreement. She was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Feeling left out, she decided to cause trouble. She threw a golden apple into the banquet hall. On the apple, it said "To the Most Beautiful."
Three powerful goddesses immediately claimed the apple:
They couldn't agree on who was the most beautiful. So, Zeus, the king of the gods, told them to ask a mortal prince named Paris to decide. This event is known as the Judgement of Paris. Each goddess tried to bribe Paris. Hera offered him power, Athena offered him wisdom, and Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. Paris chose Aphrodite. This choice angered Hera and Athena. It also led to Helen being taken to Troy. This event ultimately started the long and famous Trojan War.
Where Else Do We See This Idea?
The idea of an "apple of discord" is used in many languages. For example, in German, people say Zankapfel. This means "Quarrel-apple." In Dutch, they say twistappel, which means "Strife-apple." These words are used to describe something that causes a big argument.
A famous example is in Barcelona, Spain. There is a city block nicknamed La manzana de la discordia. In Spanish, manzana means both "apple" and "city block." So, it's the "block of discord." This block is famous because it has four very different buildings. They were designed by different architects. Each building shows a unique style of Modernisme architecture. The buildings are:
- Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló
- Lluís Domènech i Montaner's Casa Lleó Morera
- Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Amatller
- Enric Sagnier's Casa Mulleras
Their different styles made the block look like a "disagreement" in architecture.
The Famous Inscription
The words written on the golden apple were very important. In ancient Greek, the inscription was ΤΗΙ ΚΑΛΛΙΣΤΗΙ. This means "for/to the most beautiful." This simple phrase caused a huge dispute. It shows how a small thing can lead to big problems.
See also
In Spanish: Manzana de la discordia para niños
