Golden Apple

For the book The Golden Apple, see The Illuminatus! Trilogy

The Golden Apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, is an important icon in world history and a primary symbol of the Discordians.

Ancient Greek version
When Peleus was to marry Thetis, Zeus refused to invite Eris to the wedding feast because of her reputation as a troublemaker. To get revenge, Eris rolled a golden apple into the feast hall marked 'Kallisti,' or 'to the prettiest one.'

The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each claimed to be the prettiest and thus owner of the apple. To avoid problems with the goddesses, Zeus asked the young man Paris to decide. The goddesses each offered Paris a bribe: Hera wealth, Athena power (war victories), and Aphrodite the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris desired the woman more than wealth or power, and so was given Helen, whom he took to Troy after Aphrodite made her fall in love with him.

But as Helen was then Queen of Sparta and married to King Menelaus, the king started a war to get his wife back. This became known as The Trojan War, which was said to be the first human war.

Discordian version
The Discordian version as recorded in the fourth edition of Principia Discordia is much the same, except that Eris then ate, alone, a hot dog without a bun. Zeus' exclusion of Eris is known as The Original Snub ('snub' is 'buns' spelled backwards.) As this happended on a Friday, Discordians are encouraged to eat a hot dog without a bun on Fridays.

Principia Discordia says it is uncertain whether the apple was made out of metalic gold or Acapulco gold (a high grade marijuana). Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht claims it was a pineapple, which is used as a symbol for sex.

Also see

 * Eris
 * The Original Snub
 * Pineapple

Golden Apple