11. Paris of Troy – the chief cause of the Trojan War following his elopement with Helen, Queen of Sparta – was most likely a real individual who participated in the legendary conflict
Appearing throughout several stories of Greek mythology, Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, is one of the best-known figures from ancient legend. Winning the affections of, or in some narratives kidnapping, Helen, Queen of Sparta and wife to King Menelaus, the actions of Paris laid the foundations for the Trojan War. Persuading his elder brother, Agamemnon, to attack in retribution, Menelaus sought the recovery of his wife and vengeance against Paris and his family. Responsible for the slaying of Achilles according to Homer’s Iliad, shooting the demi-god in the heel with an arrow to fulfill Thetis’ prophecy, Paris did not survive the conflict he started.
Mortally wounded by Philoctetes during the Sack of Troy, Helen pleads at Mount Ida for Paris to be healed but is rebuffed by the angry deities. As with discussions concerning the historicity of his father, Paris has been the subject of sustained scrutiny. Nevertheless, attested to in several Hittite sources, including the Manapa-Tarhunta letter like Priam, Paris is today widely believed to have existed as a genuine prince of Troy. Whilst the divine interventions littered throughout the Homeric tradition naturally embellish his story, and although it is unknown whether Paris did indeed steal Helen from Menelaus, his existence is no longer seriously questioned.