The Judgement of Paris (1599) by Hendrick van Balen the Elder. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
[As this anecdote references the Judgement of Paris that features in Illuminatus!, I thought I would share it. This is from an interesting book I have begun called A Cabinet of Byzantine Curiosities: Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from History's Most Orthodox Empire by Anthony Kaldellis, a leading Byzantine historian. -- The Management.]
A poor man brought an enormous "Phrygian" apple to the emperor Theodosius II. He marveled at its size and gave it to his empress Eudokia. She, in turn, gave it to her husband's friend Paulinos as a gift, and Paulinos, not knowing its history, regifted it to the emperor. Theodosios now suspected an affair between the two (apples were given as declarations of romantic interest, and Phrygia alluded to the Judgement of Paris). Theodosios asked Eudokia what she did with the apple, and she said that she ate it. Thereupon the emperor executed Paulinos and Eudokia left the capital for Jerusalem, devoting herself to good works. (Ioannes Malalas, Chronicle 14.8.) This story, which is probably not entirely historical, was very popular among later Byzantines.
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