Apple of Discord

The term bone of contention (even apple of discord apple of discord or ) describes colloquially the core of a controversial topic, the central point of the discussion, the subject of a dispute.

Origin

The term goes back to Greek mythology. The bone of contention is, according to legend, as told by the Chrestomathy of Proclus, the epitome of Libraries of Apollodorus and a scholiast to Homer's Iliad, the golden apple of discord. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis ( parents of Achilles later ), is the goddess Eris (Roman Discordia ) a golden apple with the inscription " For the fairest " ( ancient Greek: καλλίστῃ, " kallistä ," latin " pulcherrimae " ) between the goddesses have thrown, and indeed from anger that she was not invited. Since Zeus refused to immediately caused controversy, who for now the apple fees to arbitrate between Hera, Athene and Aphrodite, had ( at the direction of Zeus) the Judgment of Paris decide this, which in turn triggered the Trojan War. The term can be demonstrated in the late antique writers Junianus Justin, that of a " malum Discordiae " speaks (XII, 15; XVI, 3) first.

Adaptation

The second volume of the Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea, entitled The Golden Apple, in allusion to the apple of Eris. This also plays a central role in Discordianism as a symbol of the chaos. In the book the words of the apple is erroneously stated in Modern Greek ( καλλίστι, kallisti ).