Marriage to Peleus and the Trojan War

Zeus had received a prophecy that Thetis's son would become greater than

his father, like Zeus had dethroned his father to lead the succeeding pantheon.

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.

Proteus, an early sea-god, advised Peleus to find the sea nymph when she was

asleep and bind her tightly to keep her from escaping by changing forms. She did

shift shapes, becoming flame, water, a raging lioness, and a serpent. Peleus held

fast. Subdued, she then consented to marry him. Thetis is the mother of Achilles

by Peleus, who became king of the Myrmidons.

According to classical mythology, the wedding of Thetis and Peleus was celebrated

on Mount Pelion, outside the cave of Chiron, and attended by the deities: there

they celebrated the marriage with feasting. Apollo played the lyre and the Muses

sang, Pindar claimed. At the wedding Chiron gave Peleus an ashen spear that had

been polished by Athene and had a blade forged by Hephaestus. Poseidon gave

him the immortal horses, Balius and Xanthus.

Eris, the goddess of discord, had not been invited, however. In

spite, she threw a golden apple into the midst of the goddesses

that was to be awarded only "to the fairest." In most interpretations,

the award was made during the Judgement of Paris and eventually

occasioned the Trojan War.