Q&A

What happened at the wedding of Thetis and Peleus?

What happened at the wedding of Thetis and Peleus?

Heartbroken, Peleus’ wife hangs herself. Zeus intervenes in the life of Peleus and arranges the wedding of Peleus to Thetis, the lovely sea-goddess. The marriage of Thetis to a mortal man assures that the son would be mortal, and therefore of no threat to Zeus’ sovereignty. The son of Peleus and Thetis is Achilles.

Who planned Thetis and Peleus wedding?

Zeus
was a sea nymph, one of the fifty daughters of Nereus, termed Nereids, described by Homer as, “silver-footed.” The wedding was planned by Zeus (Jupiter) himself and took place on Mt. Pelion.

Why did Thetis and Peleus refuse to invite Eris to their wedding?

The son of Peleus and Thetis is Achilles. Zeus doesn’t want anything to go wrong during the marriage ceremony; therefore, he refuses to invite Eris–the personification of strife and dissonance–to the wedding.

Who caused the chaos at the wedding of Thetis and Peleus?

According to one version of the myth, Eris, the goddess of discord, was furious at not having been invited to the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, so she took one of the apples and threw it among the guests. The apple was inscribed with the words ‘To the fairest’ and caused mayhem among the crowd.

Who threw the golden apple with to the fairest into the wedding ceremony between Peleus and Thetis?

Eris
Eris was angry at not being invited and so came to the wedding party to take revenge. Her revenge was in the form of a golden apple with “the words ‘To the fairest’ traced on its side” (lines 21-22).

Why does Thetis have to marry Peleus?

Thetis was a Sea Nymph admired by Zeus and Poseidon (Remember this for bonus points!) until they discover a prophesy. Her son will be greater than his father. So they decide to marry her off to a mortal, to avoid any danger.

Why does Thetis marry Peleus?

In order to ensure a mortal father for her eventual offspring, Zeus and his brother Poseidon made arrangements for her to marry a human, Peleus, son of Aeacus, but she refused him. Subdued, she then consented to marry him. Thetis is the mother of Achilles by Peleus, who became king of the Myrmidons.

Who threw the golden apple in Greek mythology?

Eris, the goddess of discord had not been invited to the wedding of Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis. She became enraged, stormed into the wedding feast and threw a golden apple onto the table, professing that it belonged to whomever was fairest with an inscription saying such on it.

Why was Peleus chosen to be the husband of Thetis?

Therefore, he selected the human Peleus to be a husband for Thetis, since he felt sure that Peleus being a mortal would produce a mortal son, and as such would not match Zeus’ power. Thetis gave birth to a son with Peleus – this was the hero Achilleus. Zeus arranged their wedding, inviting the major gods of Olympus to the wedding ceremony.

Where was the wedding of Peleus and Thetis painted?

The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, 1612, oil on copper, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts. Image © Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA / Michael Agee

Where is Fama at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis?

To the right, Fama, the personification of fame and rumor, blows her golden horn. Practically hidden in the center of the painting, Peleus and Thetis sit in shadow across from each other, the groom tenderly offering a glass of wine to his bride.

Why was Thetis in love with the Greek god Zeus?

First: Thetis Zeus was in love with Thetis, a sea nymph, but received a prophecy that Thetis’s son would become greater than his father, just like Zeus had dethroned his father to lead the succeeding pantheon of gods. In order to avoid such an outcome Zeus arranged for her to marry a human, Peleus.