What does the apple of discord mean in our time? The meaning of the phraseological unit “Apple of discord”

23.03.2016

Quite often in works of domestic and foreign literature the catchphrase “apple of discord” appears. It is also used quite often in conversation intelligent people to describe the reasons for the controversy that erupted. Almost everyone understands the meaning of the phraseological unit “apple of discord”, but few people are familiar with interesting history its origin.

The appearance in the Russian language of the expression “apple of discord” is closely related to ancient Greek mythology. Among the powerful gods of Olympus, one of the most important places was occupied by the goddess of discord, Eris. She was not invited to the wedding celebration of Peleus and Thetis, who later became the parents of the famous hero Achilles. Of course, Eris could not leave such an act unpunished.

The insult prompted the goddess to throw festive table Golden Apple, on which was written a simple and seemingly harmless phrase: “To the most beautiful.” A passionate argument immediately broke out between the virgin Gods - Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. Each of them believed that she deserved to be called the most beautiful. The dispute over the apple could have lasted forever, but everyone understood perfectly well that sooner or later this action had to be stopped.

To decide who has the right to be called the most beautiful, the goddesses chose a judge, who became young Paris, the son of the Trojan king. Hera and Athena promised to generously reward the young man if he chose one of them, but Paris decided to give the apple to Aphrodite. For this, the goddess of love later assisted Paris in kidnapping the beautiful Helen, who was the wife of the Greek king Menelaus. Of course, the Greeks could not forgive such an insult and declared war on Troy.

Interestingly, in 1633 Flemish painter Based on this plot, Jacob Jordaens painted a painting called “The Golden Apple of Discord.” It is also worth noting that this phraseological unit was first used in the 2nd century AD. e. historian Justin. The expression turned out to be so colorful that it quickly gained popularity. Many classics in their works use the phraseology “apple of discord,” thereby highlighting the causes of a particular conflict.

In addition to the familiar and frequently encountered verbal construction “apple of discord,” the expression is also found in other forms - “apple of Eris” or “apple of Paris.” This phraseological unit is perfect for denoting the subject of hostility or explaining the reasons for the dispute. Such “apples of discord” can be thrown between several people. The main danger of such objects is that they are essentially insignificant, but their appearance leads to unpredictable and destructive consequences.

Historians speak of this expression as one of the most ancient phraseological units. This phrase can be found both in the myths of Hellas ( Ancient Greece), and in Roman mythological texts. Today the phrase “apple of discord” is catchphrase. Versions of its origin are somehow connected with the mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, namely with the story of the dispute between three goddesses. “Apple of discord” is a phraseological unit that served as a prototype for many works of classical and modern art.

The myth of the dispute between three goddesses

The ancient Roman goddess of discord Eris was not invited to the celebration dedicated to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis. This circumstance aroused her anger and, having appeared at the holiday without an invitation, Eris threw that very golden “apple of discord”, decorated with the inscription “To the Most Beautiful,” into the middle of the wedding table. The struggle for the right to own the treasured fruit flared up between three goddesses: Venus, Minerva and Juno. None of those present at the celebration dared to express an opinion about the real owner of the apple, for fear of provoking the wrath of the other disputants. After consulting, the hosts of the holiday decided that it would be best to determine the winner of the dispute from Paris, the son of Priam and Hecuba. Even in infancy, he was left to die in the mountains because of the prediction of an oracle, which testified that Paris would in the future cause numerous troubles for his hometown- Troy. The boy survived thanks to the kindness of a simple shepherd who saved him and taught him his craft. At the time of the incident, the young man was dating one of the beautiful nymphs, Oenone. The lovers' caresses were interrupted by the townspeople's request to resolve the goddesses' dispute.

Who won the argument?

Minerva, who appeared before Paris first, promised that for the apple she would give the young man wisdom. He could have awarded the symbol of beauty - the apple of discord - to Juno, however, having seen the beautiful Venus, whose figure was girded with a magic belt, and having heard that for the apple the goddess was ready to give him a bride equal in beauty to herself, the young man without any hesitation gave the victory to her. Minerva and Juno were seized with terrible anger. Furious with envy, they vowed to take revenge on Paris for his decision. Venus, fulfilling her word to the young man, advised Paris to go to Troy to see his parents. Relying entirely on the admonitions of the beautiful goddess, who received the apple of discord, Paris abandoned his former love to Oenon. Accompanied by a group of shepherds, he went to Troy, where a great festival was taking place at that time. Taking part in festive competitions, the young man aroused the interest of Cassandra, who turned out to be his sister, who had the gift of prophecy since childhood. She pointed her family members to Paris, and then told the story of his birth, recalling the troubles that he was destined to bring to his relatives.

How the prediction came true

Thus begins the story about the main consequences that the bone of discord brought with it. The myth of the apple that quarreled the goddesses affected the lives of Paris's parents. The parents refused to believe their daughter’s fears and, trying to make amends for the old guilt before their son, provided him with protection in everything. Paris, without ceasing to follow the advice of Venus, took the fatal step of heading with the Trojan fleet to the shores of Greece. There the goddess helped him in kidnapping the wife of the Spartan king, Helen. This was the impetus for the famous Trojan War, which destroyed one of the ancient states Asia Minor and disrupting the well-being of the Paris family.

When is it appropriate to talk about a “bone of discord”?

Nowadays, the phrase “apple of discord” is in some way a euphemism, denoting any insignificant thing or event that can in the future cause the most unpredictable large-scale and sometimes destructive consequences. The apple of discord is called the key cause of scandals, quarrels and enmity.

The Russian language is incredibly rich and eloquent. The use of idiomatic phrases gives it a special charm. Through apt phrases you can very accurately express your thoughts. In addition, phraseological units, of course, decorate not only spoken, but also written, artistic speech. In fairness, it is worth noting that many idioms belong not only to the Russian people, but also have analogues in other countries and owe their origin to other nations. Let's talk about one of them. "Apple of discord". This phraseological unit originates in ancient greek mythology. By the way, myths different nations- one of the largest sources of origin of popular expressions.

We must famous legend about the dispute between three goddesses using the idiom “apple of discord.” This myth tells about the events that caused the Great Zeus to want to marry the beautiful Thetis, the daughter of a titan. However, Prometheus predicted to him that the son born by her would overthrow his own father from the throne. Therefore, he gave it to the Thessalian prince Peleus. Everyone was invited to the wedding, and only one Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited, remembering her bad character. But the goddess harbored a grudge and wandered not far from Chiron’s cave, where a merry feast was noisy. She figured out how to take revenge for the insult. She took it and wrote on it one single word: “To the most beautiful.” And then she threw it on the banquet table. It was this fruit that later received the name “apple of discord.”

And the whole point is that the golden apple and the inscription on it were seen by three Aphrodite and Athena. Goddesses are also women and they, like all ladies, also tend to consider themselves the most beautiful. Each of them claimed that the apple was intended for her. The Thunder Goddess asked them to judge. However, Zeus decided to cheat. After all, Hera was his wife, Athena was his daughter, and Aphrodite was truly beautiful. Then he instructed Hermes to give the apple to Paris, the son of the king of Troy. The young man did not know that he was a prince, because he was raised by shepherds. It was on Paris that Zeus entrusted the responsibility to name one of the goddesses the most beautiful. Each tried to attract young man to your side. Hera promised him power and might, control over Asia, Athena offered him military victories and wisdom. And only Aphrodite guessed Paris' secret desire. She said that she would help him get the love of the beautiful Helen, and Leda, the wife of Atreus Menelaus, queen of Sparta. It was Aphrodite who gave Paris the apple.

Hera and Athena hated him and swore to lime. Aphrodite kept her promise and helped him steal Helen. This became the reason for the start of the war. Menelaus decided to punish the Trojans and return his wife. As a result, Troy was destroyed.

And the phrase “apple of discord” became popular thanks to the Roman historian Justin, who lived in the 2nd century. He used it for the first time to mean the cause of disputes, enmity, something small that leads to major strife. The “apple of discord” is also called the “apple of Eris or Paris.” We often use this idiom in our speech. Thus, they very often say: “An apple of discord has rolled between them,” if we're talking about about people who were once friends but are now at odds over trifles.

- “The most beautiful.” Three goddesses - Venus, Minerva and Juno - entered into the struggle for the right to possess the treasured fruit. However, none of those present at the festival dared to choose the only owner of the apple, fearing to incur the wrath of the remaining two goddesses. Then they decided that the prize should be awarded to them by the son of Hecuba and Priam, Paris. The young man was abandoned in the mountains in infancy, because... According to the oracle, he will cause war and devastation in his native land. But Paris was saved, raised and taught his craft by a simple shepherd. The beautiful nymph Oenon fell in love with the young man, and he reciprocated. But, leaving his beloved, Paris hurried to the mountain, where the goddesses were waiting for his decision. Minerva, who appeared first, promised in exchange for apple impart wisdom. He promised to give the fruit to Juno, but when he saw the beautiful Venus with her magic belt, and heard that in exchange for apple she will give him a bride as beautiful as herself, he gave it without hesitation apple to her. Minerva and Juno were furious and promised to take revenge for the decision. In an effort to fulfill her promise, Venus sent Paris to Troy with the goal of revealing himself to his parents and going with the fleet to Greece. Completely relying on the words of the goddess, the young man abandoned the beautiful Oenone and went with a group of young shepherds to take part in the festival in Troy. While participating in the competition, he attracted the attention of Cassandra, who was his sister and possessed the gift of prophecy. Pointing out Paris to her family members, she told about his origins and warned that the young man would destroy his family. However, the parents had no fears and, wanting to make amends to their son, tried to do everything he wished. But, without ceasing to listen to Venus, Paris takes a fatal step, setting off with a fleet to Greece, where the goddess helped him kidnap the wife of the Spartan king, Helen. Because of this, the Trojan War was unleashed, which destroyed the city and destroyed all of Paris. Expression “ apple discord", is an example of a phrase that lives for centuries and has no statute of limitations. Currently, this statement has become a kind of euphemism for any insignificant thing or any event that may in the future lead to the most unpredictable, large-scale, and sometimes destructive consequences. The expression has become denoting the cause of quarrel and enmity.

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• apple of discord meaning of phraseology in 2019

Regular apples are one of the most popular fruits in the world. And this is not surprising, because they are very tasty and have a lot of beneficial properties. It’s hard to imagine a kitchen without such a fruit. European peoples. In addition, the apple is a symbol that is closely associated with cultural traditions, art and folklore of many peoples.

Apple is a universal symbol

Oddly enough, such a simple fruit - an apple - has a lot of meanings and culture different countries. For some peoples it means spring rebirth and joyful love, while for others it means discord and forbidden fruit. The dual nature of love between and a man is also symbolized by this stone fruit.

An example is the apple of the ancient Roman goddess Ceres, which plunges people into passionate madness. It is contrasted with another symbol - the romantic and gentle “apple tree”.

IN folklore an apple means hope for a very successful marriage and strong family ties. Quite a few popular “Apple” expressions have entered into cultural fund Russian language.

Apple - forbidden fruit

There is a well-known saying that forbidden fruit is always sweet. According to the Bible, the apple gave people knowledge, the ability to distinguish between good and evil. But it also led the first people on earth to the Fall.

Eve not only dared to pick and taste this fruit, but also to give it to Adam. The consequence turned out to be terrible - expulsion to earth from paradise. Nevertheless, the apple also personifies heavenly bliss. Many researchers believe that the name of the legendary island of Avalon means “apple” in translation from the Welsh (Welsh, Cymric) language.

Apple - a symbol of eternal youth

The apple is often mentioned in legends and myths various peoples as a symbol of unfading and beauty.

Many Russian folk tales also tell about the ability of such fruits to restore and preserve youth.

The ancient Greek hero Hercules obtained these magical fruits from the nymph sisters of the Hesperides, which promised their owner eternal youth. Besides, norse god Loki didn't want to either. And to prevent this process, he simply stole the rejuvenating apples.

“Apple” symbolism in Slavic culture

The apple symbolized not only health, a happy marriage, fertility and prosperity, but also the mystery of life and death. It was believed that this particular fruit helps to preserve in the memory of the living the image of the departed. In this regard, the ancient Slavs always brought an apple to their ancestors.

Stone fruit has not been spared either wedding celebrations. They used not only the fruit itself, but also apple tree branches. Accepting an apple as a gift meant consent to. Apple tree branches were often used to decorate the wedding table.

“Apple” is a mysterious, poetic, intriguing and ambiguous expression. Anyway, consensus There is no question about the interpretation of its meaning. It turns out that it is possible different interpretations.

What kind of fruit is this?

There is no consensus on this matter. On the one hand, in “love” we are talking about an apple. On the other hand, there is a fairly well-known version according to which “love” was called... tomatoes. And it is not without reason. Tomatoes or tomatoes were brought to Europe in the 16th century from the American continent. And they were really called apples, or rather “pomi del Peru”, or Peruvian apple - that’s how the Spaniards dubbed them for external resemblance with fruits they know.

At first they were considered an ornamental plant, the fruits of which were inedible, but by 18 Europeans were already happily eating them. In Great Britain, these fruits were known as "apples of love", this was due to the fact that the Italian expression pomo d "oro, which translated as "golden apple", was misunderstood as pomo d "amore and translated as "apple of love" .

John Gerard, an Englishman and expert on medicinal plants, was one of those who first decided to grow tomatoes in Europe.

And yet it’s an apple!

But still, the apple itself also fully corresponds to the concept of “apple of love.” There is plenty of evidence of this.

The round fruit symbolized unity and integrity. Many peoples associated the red color of its skin with love and passion. Apple tree flowers - pinkish-white and delicate - were used to decorate the newlywed as a symbol of quickly disappearing innocence.

In Ancient Greece there was a special attitude towards apples. Mention of this fruit occurs every now and then in myths. It was the apple with the inscription “The most beautiful” that became the root cause Trojan War- from here famous expression" ". Gaia presented Hera with an apple on the day of her marriage to Zeus, and Hercules was also to bring apples from the Hesperides.

The apple also played a role in rites and rituals. last role. Food was prepared from it at celebrations in honor of the eternal goddess Artemis. Newlyweds in Athens, before lying down on the wedding bed, shared an apple among themselves. The offered apple was perceived as a sign of love.

In the Middle Ages, the magical power of apples was not forgotten. An apple cut crosswise and having a five-pointed cut at the core was associated by alchemists with the five basic elements. In medieval engravings depicting the Fall, it is the apple that Eve hands to Adam.

Accordingly, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from which this fruit was plucked, was depicted in the form of an apple tree.

The fruit was used to prepare love and love potions, and modern sorcerers, following tradition, also use the apple in their love rituals.

The golden apple of discord is a matter of dispute.

Apple of discord is a common expression (phraseological unit) not only in colloquial speech, but also in classical domestic and foreign literature. Many understand meaning of the expression, but not many people know the origin of this phraseological unit. And the history of this expression is interesting and curious.

The history of the origin of the expression “apple of discord”

The fact is that the reason for the appearance This phraseological unit in the Russian language was inspired by an action in ancient Greek mythology. And this action consisted in the fact that the goddess of discord Eris, who existed in ancient Greek mythology, was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, who later became the parents of the legendary Achilles. And she, being offended in turn, quit at this wedding Golden Apple

With the inscription "the most beautiful." As a result, this apple caused a quarrel between three goddesses - Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. The quarrel arose because someone should decide on the right to this apple. The goddesses invited young Paris, who was the son of the Trojan king Priam, as a judge. Paris, in turn, awarded the apple to the goddess of love Aphrodite, despite the fact that the other goddesses promised and offered various benefits, and for this she helped Paris kidnap his wife Helen from Menelaus. This abduction marked the beginning of the Trojan War.

The expression apple of discord to mean the subject of a dispute was first used by the Roman historian Justin back in the second century AD.

A similar version of this event can be seen in ancient mythology Rome.

The meaning of phraseology

It follows that phraseology apple of discord means the subject of hostility or the cause of a dispute. Therefore, do not and do not allow anyone to introduce apples of discord in your environment, and you will not have enmity and disputes among yourself.