Ancient Greeks Proposed Marriage by Throwing Apples

Forget getting down on one knee with a diamond ring. In ancient Greece, all you needed was a piece of fruit and decent aim. Tossing an apple at the object of your affection wasn't rude—it was basically asking "Will you marry me?"

If she caught it? Congratulations, you're engaged. If she let it drop? Well, at least you still had a snack.

Blame It on Aphrodite

The apple's romantic reputation traces back to Greek mythology and the goddess of love herself. Apples were sacred to Aphrodite, making them the ancient equivalent of roses and chocolates rolled into one.

The most famous mythological apple incident? The Judgment of Paris, where a golden apple inscribed "For the Fairest" sparked a divine beauty contest between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris awarded it to Aphrodite, who bribed him with the most beautiful woman in the world—Helen of Troy. That worked out great for everyone involved. (It didn't.)

More Than Just Marriage Proposals

Apple symbolism in ancient Greece went far beyond proposals:

• Declaring love — Tossing any fruit, but especially apples, signaled romantic interest
• Wedding ceremonies — Brides would bite into an apple before entering the bridal chamber
• Fertility blessings — The many-seeded fruit represented abundance and children
• Poetry fodder — Greek poets constantly referenced apple-throwing in love verses

The poet Theocritus wrote about a girl pelting her lover with apples to get his attention. Plato mentioned the custom in his dialogues. This wasn't some obscure tradition—it was the Tinder swipe of the ancient Mediterranean.

The Catch Was Everything

Here's where it gets interesting. The proposal only counted if she caught the apple. Letting it fall meant rejection. This gave women a remarkably elegant way to decline—no awkward conversations necessary, just conveniently bad hand-eye coordination.

"Oh, it slipped! What a shame. Anyway, nice knowing you."

Some scholars believe the catching ritual added an element of consent that was progressive for its time. The woman had to actively participate in accepting the proposal, not just passively receive it.

Why Apples, Though?

Beyond the Aphrodite connection, apples made practical sense. They were common enough to be accessible, sturdy enough to throw without splattering, and just valuable enough to show you weren't completely broke.

The Greek word for apple, melon, was also used loosely for several round fruits. So technically, some ancient proposals might have involved quinces, pomegranates, or citrus. But "apple" stuck in the popular imagination.

This tradition influenced Roman culture too, and echoes of fruit-as-romance appeared throughout medieval European customs. Some historians even connect it to the tradition of catching the bride's bouquet—another airborne object signaling romantic destiny.

So next time someone tells you romance is dead, remind them it used to involve throwing produce at people's heads and hoping they had good reflexes.