Oenone in Greek Mythology and the Trojan War

The Forgotten Wife of Paris

The Iliad is most known for the story of the Trojan War. A conflict said to have begun when when Prince Paris of Troy allegedly stole Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful woman in the world. However, film and television adaptations consistently overlook one very important character. Oenone was a nymph and the first wife of Paris. Despite her emotional depth and mythological importance, Oenone is given little to no credit for the influence she holds within the broader context of what started the war.

Harriet Hosmer (American, 1830–1908), Oenone, 1854–55. Marble, 33 3/8 x 34 3/4 x 26 3/4 in. Gift of Wayman Crow, Sr., 1855

According to Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan War was sparked by a divine quarrel at the wedding of the King Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. The goddess of chaos, Eris was not invited and crashed the wedding, leaving behind a golden apple inscribed “for the fairest.” The apple was discovered by the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite who debated over who should receive it. They asked Zeus to choose, but instead of choosing between his wife and daughters, Zeus commanded the god Hermes to lead the goddesses to a mortal judge to make the choice. Hermes chose Paris, who at the time was a shepherd, but later discovered he was actually a prince of Troy originally named Alexandros. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe. Athena promised glory in battle, Hera offered wealth and power, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris awarded Aphrodite the apple, but when the time came for him to claim Helen, Helen was already married to King Menelaus. Paris and Helen fled Sparta for Troy, sparking the Trojan War, during which Menelaus and his brother King Agamemnon of Mycenae, led a thousand ships to reclaim his wife. 

Papyrus 114 / The Bankes Homer is an artifact (Papyrus Scroll) related to the mythological story named 'The Iliad.' 100—199 CE, British Library · London, United Kingdom. For full translation visit the Image Source

While much of the attention is focused on Paris and Helen, Oenone’s role as Paris’s abandoned first wife adds an overlooked and important dimension to the Trojan saga. We know why Eris left the apple, because she was resentful and jealous after being excluded. We know why the goddesses fought over it, driven by vanity and desire for superiority. We know why Zeus refused to choose between them, fearing the anger of his wife and daughters. We also know why Paris chose Helen, because she is the most beautiful woman in the world. But what remains a mystery is why Hermes chose Paris.

Houghton Library, Harvard University. 2003J-JB128. Ovid's Heroides was written approximately 700 years after Homer's Iliad. Almost everything written in ancient times, from Homer to Saint Augustine, was composed by men. Even on those occasions when men bothered to write about women, the words come to us from a male point of view. Ovid is renown for being the first male writer to write from the perspective of Heroines in these ancient stories, and wrote in their voices.

In Ovid, Heroides 5. Oenone writes an extensive letter to Paris that presents a detailed sequence of events and emotional context surrounding their relationship. She opens with, “Will you read my letter though? or does your new wife forbid?” This indicates Oenone was the first wife of Paris before he left for Greece and met Helen, but also that she feels displaced and silenced by Helen. Her tone suggests a blend of desperation, longing, and even jealously. This line in and of itself is a plea for Paris’s attention.

Oenone also writes "this is no letter writ by Mycenaean hand,” a line that reveals more than just her authorship, but also that she is not intending for him to see her as his enemy, and she is writing from a place of sincerity. When along side the earlier line, “does your new wife forbid,” the script suggests Oenone was forced to leave Troy, most likely at Helen or Paris’s request. Paris being under Helen’s influence may have cast out Oenone, or at least created an environment where she no longer felt welcomed by him. 

Oenone then writes “It is the Pegasis (Fountain-Nymph) Oenone writes, well-known to the Phrygian forests.” This confirms her identity that Oenone is both an Oread and a Naiad nymph because she was the daughter of the river god Cebren. Cebren's river resided on Mount Ida, where she met Paris. This tells us a great deal about Oenone’s status within Greek Mythology, where she outranks both Paris and Helen. 

As a nymph she belongs to a class of minor deities who exist in a unique space between mortals and Olympian gods. Nymphs are not fully mortal, as they often live for hundreds if not thousands of years. In Oenone’s case, being born from the river god Cebren means her life is directly tied to the health of the river itself. If the river were ever to dry up or be destroyed, her life cycle would vanish with it. However, nymphs are also not immortal, so her life is also at risk if she were to be fatally injured. 

Oenone (/ɪˈnoʊniː/; Ancient Greek: Οἰνώνη Oinōnē; "wine woman")

Another interesting piece of information that needs to be closely analyzed in her letter is when Oenone asks Paris “What god has set his will against my prayers? What guilt stands in my way, that I may not remain your own?” In other words, she’s asking what she did wrong to deserve being abandoned by her husband. This suggests Oenone may have had prior interactions or relationships with certain gods, which could have influenced the events that led to Paris being selected as the judge in the contest for the fairest goddess. 

In the line, “What god has set his will against my prayers,” her use of the masculine pronoun “his” implies that she believes a male deity maybe responsible for the misfortune she is experiencing. This may also reflect her intuitive sense, possibly based on past experiences that a specific male god had a role in disrupting her relationship with Paris. She also asks “what guilt stands in my way,” which suggests that she is struggling to make sense of what wrongdoing she has done to the alleged male god to deserve such abandonment. 

This leaves the following questions:

1. What male gods are recorded having known or interacted with her?

2. What might have Oenone done to anger a male god?

What male gods are recorded having known or interacted with her?

CEBREN - THE RIVER GOD

Apollodorus, Bibliotheca (Library) 3.12.5 states “Paris was herding cattle on Mount Ida and living with the nymph Oenone, daughter of the river-god Cebren.”

Tzetzes on Lycophron, 239 states “a Naiad, daughter of Cebren, a river near Mount Ida.

Parthenius of Nicaea, Love Romances 16 states, “the daughter of Cebren, a river of Ida, and a nymph skilled in prophecy and healing.”

Ovid’s Heroides states “It is the Pegasis (Fountain-Nymph) Oenone writes, well-known to the Phrygian forests.”

These passages all describe Cebren as Oenone’s father, and also reveal key aspects of her identity, rank, and abilities as a minor deity.

APOLLO - GOD OF LIGHT AND HEALING

Ovid, Heroides 5, Lines 139-145 states, “Me, the builder of Troy (the God Apollo), well known for keeping faith, loved, and let my hands into the secret of his gifts. Whatever herb potent for aid, whatever  root that is used for healing grows in all the world, is mine. Alas, wretched me, that love may not be healed by herbs! Skilled in art, I am left helpless by the very art I know.” 

This passage describes Oenone referring to Apollo and describes him as her former lover and teacher, who shared the art of healing with her. This gives her a unique identity among nymphs, as she is also recognized as a divine healer. 

PAN - THE SATYR GOD OF THE WILD AND SHEPHERDING

Ovid, Heroides 5. 133-137 states, “Me, the swift Satyrs, a wanton rout with nimble foot, used to come in quest of where I would lie hidden in covert of the wood, and Faunus (Pan), with horned head girt round with sharp pine needles, where Ida swells inn boundless ridges.”

This passage suggests that Oenone was pursed by woodland spirits like Satyrs and Faunus, often referring to Pan, on Mount Ida. This highlights the beauty and desirability of nymphs.

HERMES - THE MESSENGER OF THE GODS

In the Judgement of Paris, Summary of the Cypria, Proclus states, “Zeus plans with Themis concerning the Trojan War. When Eris appears among the gods at the wedding of Peleus, a dispute over beauty arises among Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. They are led by Hermes at the command of Zeus to Alexandros (Paris) on Ida for the decision.”

This passage, although not directly linking Hermes to knowing Oenone, in Hesiod’s Theogony line 991, it references Hermes as a god who pursues nymphs. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book 9, lines 320-330, Hermes is described as a messenger of the gods, who delighted in chasing nymphs, often pursing the maidens of the woods with his cunning and speed.” He is also documented in Metamorphoses 2.145-155 stealing Apollo’s cattle, forcing them to go the opposite direction, and Apollo demanding his cattle be returned. 

This suggests that Hermes was very strategic, and he and Apollo, who was a former lover of Oenone, often competed for the attention of beautiful nymphs. Given this rivalry and Hermes’ role in selecting Paris for the contest of the fairest, it raises questions about why Paris was chosen by Hermes. 

Oenone holding pan pipes, behind Paris and Eros – a detail from a sarcophagus with the Judgement of Paris, Roman, Hadrianic period (Palazzo Altemps, Rome)

What might have Oenone done to anger a male god?

Cebren, being her father, is used in a context as more of a divine parent to emphasize Oenone’s identity within the hierarchy of gods and mortals rather than any context marked by hostility or conflict. There’s little if no indication she would have angered her father to the degree he’d have Paris abandon her.

Pan, though known to have desired Oenone, does not play a direct role in the events of the Trojan War. Pan was merely one of Oenone’s suitors, but likely had little to no influence over the outcome of The Judgement of Paris. If Pan had any motive to pursue Oenone, he may have likely already done so before she met Paris. 

Apollo and Hermes are the most likely gods who could have influenced Oenone’s misfortune. 

Apollo was a former lover and teacher of Oenone, who already had a close physical and spiritual connection to her. He may have become jealous of Paris, seeking to reclaim her. He may also have had felt remorse given one additional layer. In Aeschylus, Agamemnon, lines 1208–1212,  where Cassandra, Paris’s sister, quotes “I consented to Loxias (Apollo) but broke my word. Ever since that fault I could persuade no one of anything.” We learn Apollo also pursued Cassandra in addition to Oenone. In Euripides, The Trojan Women, lines 449-450,  Cassandra is also referred to as “Phoebus’ virgin-priestess,” indicating her role as a priestess of Apollo. 

This is significant because it suggests both Oenone and Cassandra were students of Apollo simultaneously. They likely knew each other and even became friends during his tutelage. In Ovid, Heroides 5, Oenone’s letter to Paris states, “This, once upon a time for I call it back to mind your sister [Kassandra (Cassandra)] sang to me, with locks let loose, foreseeing what should come: ‘What art thou doing, Oenone? Why commit seeds to sand? Thou art ploughing the shores with oxen that will accomplish naught. A Greek heifer is one the way.” This passage shows that Cassandra even warned Oenone about Helen, implying her loyalty to her as a friend, and at the time sister-in-law. When placed next to Cassandra’s earlier line “I consented to Loxias (Apollo) but broke my word. Ever since that fault I could persuade no one of anything,” the dynamic between Cassandra, Oenone, and Apollo was that of a love triangle. Apollo’s pursuit of Cassandra could be seen as betrayal of Oenone both by her lover and her friend during his teachings. Apollo may have been motivated by jealousy to reclaim Oenone, after Paris eventually won her affection. Apollo may also have been further driven by guilt over his desire for Cassandra, who later refused him, possibly to save her relationship with Oenone. 

Hermes, known for his cunning and trickster role as a messenger of the gods, was a relentless pursuer of nymphs like Oenone, and had direct influence over Paris’s fate. Add Hermes’s rivalry with Apollo into the equation, and an interesting yet complex subplot presents itself.

Aerial view of the site of Troy

Referring back to Oenone’s letter to Paris where she asks, “What god has set his will against my prayers? What guilt stands in my way, that I may not remain your own,” Hermes emerges as the most likely god who had the opportunity and motive to influence the course of events. Among all the mortals Hermes could have chosen to judge the fairest, why did Hermes select Paris? 

In greek mythology, it is common for gods to form numerous relationships, both with each other and with mortals or nymphs. When a god became fixated on a maiden there were few limitations to what they would do. Many myths recount how gods would often use deception and transformation to achieve their goals. Some shape-shifted into animals while others took on an identical likeness of their beloved’s spouse. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Hermes is frequently depicted as a god who uses disguises and shape-shifting to pursue his lustful conquests. If he could easily take Paris’s form to pursue Oenone, why would he go to the trouble of separating the couple? 

His choice to select Paris shows a deeper motive that Oenone was more to Hermes than a passing interest or one of his convenient nymphs he saw as targets. By orchestrating their separation, Hermes ensured he could claim her fully, perhaps as a prized possession as a potential wife. At the same time this act cleverly undermined Apollo, who also coveted Oenone. Such calculated manipulation aligns perfectly with Hermes’s nature. 

Paris, Hermes, Athena, Hera and Aphrodite, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin. From Left: The Trojan prince is depicted as a shepherd boy sitting on a rock, playing his lyre and surrounded by sheep. Hermes leads the goddesses Aphrodite, Athene and Hera to Paris in the contest for the golden apple. Hermes leads the goddesses, holding a kerykeion (herald's wand) in his hand, and wearing a petasos cap and winged boots. Athena follows crowned with a helm, holding a spear and wearing the snake-trimmed aigis cloak. After her comes Hera holding a royal sceptre, and lastly Aphrodite veiled and surrounded by a host of winged Erotes (Loves). Image Source

This conclusion suggests that Oenone may have either refused Hermes, possibly offending him, and Hermes choosing Paris was his way of punishing her, or that she became the subject of Hermes’ desire. More likely she was the subject of his desire, given she does not mention an active pursuit from Hermes in Ovid’s Heroides, as she does Apollo and Pan. Likely she may not have been aware that she was the subject of Hermes interest at the time. This also implies that Paris was a more of a pawn manipulated by the gods in larger game beyond his control.

The irony is profound since the golden apple inscribed “for the fairest,” (the most beautiful) was awarded to the goddess of love Aphrodite, who promised Paris, Helen “the most beautiful woman in the world,” as his prize. Yet the true prize was neither the apple nor Helen but Oenone herself, proving to be fairest of them all. So why did Hermes choose Paris? It was not by chance, it was likely a calculated move to claim Oenone for himself.

Given Hermes is mostly absent from the Trojan War, both him and Apollo favor the Trojans and assist Oenone's in-laws during Book 24 of the Iliad. It is possible Oenone may have refused Hermes and possibly Apollo even after her separation from Paris, given later in her story, she and her son Corythus return to Troy to find Paris (Erotica Pathemata, Sufferings in Love, Story 34, and Hyginus – Fabulae 271 & 273). This indicates she is still drawn to Paris, regardless of his betrayal. Since the gods are known for shape-shifting to pursue romantic conquests, it’s possible that Corythus isn’t necessarily Paris’s son, but rather the child of Apollo or Hermes, if either god chose to transform as Paris and pursue Oenone despite her refusals.