We have decided to name our baby girl Eris Kelley. Twice now the doctor has said he is certain this is a girl by looking at the ultrasund, so if 'she' turns out to be a 'he' then I will have a lot of changes to make on this page, but I am certain this is Eris, our first baby, and a girl.

My mate decided long ago that if he ever had a baby girl he wanted to name her Eris, and I, liking the name, agreed. He has an interest, though not a cult fanatic worship, in Erisianism, Discordianism, The Principa Discordia, and several books by Robert Anton Wilson. I can't explain it exactly, but in these works there is a strong belief in the occurances of 23's and the number in a manner represents the beliefs.

The reason I am now certain this is a little girl is that all the chaos and discord that has occurred during my pregnancy has revolved around the number 23. We found out we were pregnant 23 days after conception, and I was in the hospital for all of my 23rd week. For a week or so we toyed around with other names, thinking perhaps we shouldn't go with Eris. I liked Colleen, Olivia, Brigit, and Una, and Liam Kelley is our boy choice just in case, but finally we decided to stick with Eris.

Though I am due on 9/3/99, I think it will be interesting if she arrives 8/23/99, or even on 7/23/99 as I am having problems and a preterm labor might not be out of the question.

MINERVA (Athena) was the goddess of wisdom, but on one occasion she did a very foolish thing; she entered into competition with Juno (Hera) and Venus (Aphrodite) for the prize of beauty. It happened thus: At the nuptials of Peleus and Thetis all the gods were invited with the exception of Eris, or Discord [article]. Enraged at her exclusion, the goddess threw a golden apple among the guests, with the inscription, "For the fairest." Thereupon Juno, Venus, and Minerva each claimed the apple. Jupiter (Zeus), not willing to decide in so delicate a matter, sent the goddesses to Mount Ida, where the beautiful shepherd Paris was tending his flocks, and to him was committed the decision.

[webmaster's note: "When he grew to be a young man, Paris... was afterwards surnamed Alexander (Alexandros).", Library of Apollodorus 2.47] [see Library of Apollodorus and Notes - Judgement of Paris (Alexander)]

The goddesses accordingly appeared before him. Juno promised him power and riches, Minerva glory and renown in war, and Venus the fairest of women for his wife, each attempting to bias his decision in her own favour. Paris decided in favour of Venus and gave her the golden apple, thus making the two other goddesses his enemies. Under the protection of Venus, Paris sailed to Greece, and was hospitably received by Menelaus, king of Sparta. Now Helen, the wife of Menelaus, was the very woman whom Venus had destined for Paris, the fairest of her sex. She had been sought as a bride by numerous suitors, and before her decision was made known, they all, at the suggestion of Ulysses (Odysseus), one of their number, took an oath that they would defend her from all injury and avenge her cause if necessary. She chose Menelaus, and was living with him happily when Paris became their guest. Paris, aided by Venus, persuaded her to elope with him, and carried her to Troy, whence arose the famous Trojan war, the theme of the greatest poems of antiquity, those of Homer and Virgil.

[see also: Causes of the Trojan War - The Persian version, Herodotus, Book I] [see also: Conflicting Views of Helen] [see image 121K: Paris and Helen - painting by Jacques Louis David (1748-1825)] [see image 156K: The Judgement of Paris (circa 1638) - painting by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

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