AN APPLE FOR APHRODITE

 

By Linda Lee Greene

You could see that the three jealous goddesses were spoiling for a fight. The elaborately patterned marble floor of the grand hall of the temple almost shuddered under the weight of the war among them. “Husband! Need I remind you again that this is the night you will decree me as the most beautiful woman of the kingdom?” Zeus pulled his head away from his wife, Hera’s whisper, pretending not to have heard her. Without warning, a deep tremor of thunder harkened a lightning bolt that strobed through the space at the thrust of Zeus’ hand, snapping the guests to attention. Pitching forward on her throne next to his on the raised dais at the pivotal side of the room, Hera let loose an indelicate bray like a startled donkey. Zeus jerked his massive head in her direction and scowled his discontentment at her. He was weary of the adolescent competition among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Hera tilted her head defiantly on her lovely neck and looked down her regal nose at Zeus, her capable hands smoothing the goatskin cloak that swathed the round proportions of her body. Although he was king of all the gods, Zeus knew better than to push Hera too far, for after all, as queen of the realm, she had an iron grip on the purse strings of the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses.

At the center of the grand hall, reminiscent of a diva surrounded by adoring fans at the backstage entrance of an amphitheater, Athena was glorious in her imposing stature, made even more commanding by the tall shield-shaped helmet on her head and the coat of mail that sheathed her powerful body shoulder to toe. Androgynous, intoxicating, the goddess drew to herself like a magnet an assembly of animated soldiers, artisans, and musicians. The group paid no heed to Zeus’ command, and the lofty marble walls echoed with their metallic clamor. Annoyed by the insubordination, Zeus shot to his feet and strode with fierce purpose on his mighty legs to Athena and her entourage. In an imitation of the Red Sea parting for Moses, Athena’s comrades silenced and backed off, making way for their master. Swiveling toward Zeus, Athena reached up and straightened the breastplate that shielded her torso, a large bronze plate stamped with a likeness of Medusa, the winged Greek priestess, whose venomous snakes in place of her hair appeared to writhe menacingly in the fever pitch of Athena’s flared temper. Zeus stopped short in his tracks and shifted his gaze away at once, wary of the Medusa Curse that might turn even him to stone.

A peal of voluptuous laughter from a far corner snatched Zeus’ mind in its sensual grasp. “Aphrodite,” Zeus asserted below his breath. Although a regular visitor to the temple, the whereabouts of the goddess was frequently a mystery to her contemporaries. Zeus thought of her as living in a different world—devoted only to rules of her own making, and giving quarter to her wanderlust. He was too often taken with concern about the purity of her virtue and frustrated by the impact of her romantic entanglements on her reputation. He had invited to the affair, Paris, a handsome young Trojan prince, who was visiting the kingdom on a mission of diplomacy. Zeus entertained the hope that Paris would capture Aphrodite’ affection and inspire her to settle down. Such a dynastic marriage would be a valuable political asset. Espying Paris only a few paces away, Zeus closed the distance between them and tapped the prince on the shoulder and took him in tow across the room. Time was fleeting and nigh for the introduction. The great god had gained word that Aphrodite had recently returned from a journey to Sparta, there to visit with her friend, Helen, and he was anxious to sound Aphrodite on her impressions of the place. He had thoughts of recruiting her to spy on Sparta through Helen. A bit of grownup responsibility couldn’t hurt Aphrodite in the least. Her perpetual toddler-like son, Cupid, the offspring of the heated liaison between herself and Ares, could benefit from some discipline, as well. Aphrodite taught Cupid nothing of the real world. Their heads were always in the clouds and their hearts aswoon with nothing but romance and love.

The progress of the god and the prince was interrupted by a loud scuffle at the entrance. “Eris! That goddess troublemaker! That infernal pain in my neck!” Zeus spat. “I made a point of making sure she was not invited. She sows nothing but discord and strife wherever she shows her sneering face!”

Eris struggled with the burly guards who held her by her arms. She squirmed and kicked and wailed like a banshee. “Free me, you brutes!” she screamed and then wriggled free. “Pox on this house, Zeus!” her acid tongue spewed. And then she pulled a glowing golden apple from beneath her garment and rolled it across the floor. As if steered perfectly by an unseen hand, it came to a stop at the exact tip of Zeus’ big right toe. She twirled triumphantly and disappeared into the night. Paris reached down and retrieved the apple. FOR THE FAIREST! was scrolled across its skin.

“I want nothing to do with this beauty contest set in place by my wife and Athena and Aphrodite. It will only bring trouble on this house. The Oracle told me as much this afternoon.” Zeus appealed to Paris, “Will you come to my aid and proclaim the winner, my Boy? I would cancel the whole thing, but Hera would never let me hear the end of it. Her rants are worse than the Oracle’s harried warnings. Never marry if you value your peace, my Boy!”

The magical apple pulsating in his palm, Paris trembled with concern over being wrangled into such a delicate situation. He opened his mouth to decline Zeus’ plea, but the words stuck in his throat at the touch of a soft and warm hand upon his arm. “Deem me the most beautiful and prize me with the golden apple. You have my promise that I will give you powers and riches beyond imagining,” Hera whispered seductively in his ear.

Athena edged a long and shapely leg against Paris’ thigh. Her mighty hand buried into Hera’s long hair, she yanked the queen away from Paris. “Choosing me will guarantee you glory and renown in war, Your Highness Prince Paris,” Athena assured the befuddled young man.

A swarm of pheromones wafted into Paris’ nostrils and set him dizzy on his feet. “Make way, Athena!” Aphrodite commanded. “That golden apple is mine! On my oath, my gift to Paris cannot be outmatched.” Aphrodite swept in and folded the naïve young man into her arms. His knees buckled and his head reeled in an emotional swirl. Aphrodite drew her luscious lips to his and kissed him. She pulled away and whispered, “Give the golden apple to me and in return I promise you the fairest female in all the world for your wife. No, not I, my Darling, but my friend, Helen.”

“Helen?”

“Wife of King Menelaus of Sparta! Is she not the fairest of us all?”

“Yes, but…”

“You must place the golden apple in my hand to show everyone that you favor me, and then I will take you to Helen.” Their long, sharp fingernails bared and dangerous, Hera and Athena closed in on the pair, but Zeus stepped in and held them back.

“You want me to willingly submit myself to the lap of the king of Sparta whose wife I am to steal? I can think of nothing more foolhardy and perilous. No, madam! I will return to the safety of Troy.”

“I and my minions, one of whom is the crafty Ulysses, assure your well-being. The lovely Helen is in Sparta, and there we must go. She is your destiny. All is fair in love and war, my Darling Boy.” The golden apple firmly in hand, Aphrodite steered Paris to the doorway.

And so, the universe wheeled a fatal cog toward the Trojan War, set in motion by Eris, that devil’s handmaiden, that natural destroyer, that orchestrator of humanity’s deadliest sins.  “Evil be thou my good…” Her spawn lives on—still.©

 

#Zeus, #Hera, #Athena, #Aphrodite, #Paris, #Eris, #GoldenApple, #AncientSparta, #AncientTroy, #KingMenelaus, #HelenofTroy, #TrojanWar, #GreekMythology, #RomanMythology, #Ulysses, #apples, #Covid-19

 

The above essay is a work of fiction inspired by elements of both Classical Greek and Classical Roman mythology stories.

                                                                                     

Grain-free, Sugar-free, Gluten-free Fried Apple Ring Pancakes

 

 

Ingredients – serves 4

·         1 cup (250 mL) almond flour

·         ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

·         ¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda

·         4 large eggs

·         1 tsp (5 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

·         3 large apples

·         1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon

·         a dash of nutmeg

·         a dash of cloves

·         ½ cup (125 mL) water

·         1 cup (250 mL) honey

·         1 tsp (5 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

·         Olivio or other olive oil-based solid spread for frying

 

Instructions

1.      Mix almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the batter. If a thicker batter is desired, refrigerate for 15 minutes and add more almond flour.

2.      To make honey syrup, heat water in pot over medium heat. Add honey just before water boils and turn heat to low. Stir well, but do not boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool while finishing the rest of the recipe. Refrigerate leftover syrup.   

3.      Remove the core of peeled or unpeeled whole apples. Slice the apples into chunky rings.

4.      Add the Olivio (or its equivalent) to the non-stick sauté pan (iron skillet and iron griddle get too hot for this batter) and bring to medium-high heat until it melts. Remove from heat if you aren't ready to add the apple pancakes.

5.      Dip the apple rings into the batter until they are completely covered. Transfer to sauté pan. Spoon extra batter into the apple core holes.

6.      Flip once the pancakes are bubbly and golden brown on the bottom.

7.      Transfer to a serving plate and repeat until all the pancakes are made. For a low-sugar option, sprinkle sparingly with powdered sugar, or drizzle with honey syrup. Other delicious toppings are Yogurt or low-sugar ice cream or melted brie.

 

Note – Apples are relatively high in carbohydrates, so this is a recipe to serve as a special treat only once in a while. Freeze the extra batter for another day. Freezing extras and leftovers is a good practice during these days of Covid-19.

                                                                                

Multi-award-winning author, Linda Lee Greene’s novel, CRADLE OF THE SERPENT, which is a finalist in the 2018 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS FOR CROSS-GENRE FICTION, is given 5 stars in a reader review that states: “This [novel] is primarily billed as a romance/relationship story but it holds much more including archaeology, Native American Indian history, and strong insights into the life-changing challenges posed by spinal cord injury. As such, it provides much food for thought and the detail underpinning the topics reveals a great deal of thorough research, which adds substantial credibility to the story. I also enjoyed the descriptions of America's natural landmarks and Native American customs, and astrology. The characters are well described and their emotions are palpable to reflect love, pain and despair. Highly recommended.”

 

Purchase Link for CRADLE OF THE SERPENT: goo.gl/i3UkAV