Learn About the Goddess of Love in Greek Mythology
The Greek Goddess of love called Aphrodite with a Roman name Venus was the goddess of beauty, love, and fertility. Also, she was known as the protectress of sailors. One poet, Hesiod said that Aphrodite came from white foam that arose from Heaven (Uranus)’s cut genitals. It is said Cronus, Uranus’ son cut them and threw them in the sea after which they produced a white foam from which Aphrodite came.
On the other hand, Homer believes she was a daughter of Dione and Zeus. She was an Olympian goddess together with the other two; Athena and Hera. Of the tree, she was considered the most beautiful. Also, she was highly revered since she was the goddess of seafaring and the sea. In Sparta, Cyprus, and Thebet, Aphrodite was honored as the goddess of war.
Primarily, Aphrodite was known as the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. However, on some occasions, she presided over marriage. Also, prostitutes considered her their patron though her public cult was austere and solemn. She is believed to have had a number of lovers, primarily because of her beauty. Tighten your seatbelt as we discover more about Aphrodite further in this article.
Origin
The Ancient Greeks believed that Aphrodite was both foreign and Greek. For example, Homer refers to her as ‘the Cyprian’ and is believed most of her attributes could have originated from Asia through and Cythera and Cyprus in Mycenaean times. Other attributes of Aphrodite recall the Middle Eastern Phoenician goddess Astarte and East Semitic kindred goddess kindred Ishtar. Ishtar’s cult is said to have been based on Inanna’s Sumerian cult. Aphrodite’s leading festival was the Aphrodisia which was an annual celebration in midsummer.
Much as she was revered as a goddess of prostitutes, her association prompted early scholars to suggest a ‘sacred prostitution’ concept in Greco-Roman culture. Up until today, the sacred prostitution idea is generally considered inaccurate. In the lliad, it is said Aphrodite’s parents were Diona and Zeus while in Theogony, she is believed to have originated from Uranus’ cut genitals.
In Plato’s symposium 180e, he asserts that Aphrodite’s lliad and Theogony origins, in reality, belong to separate entities. They are ‘Aphrodite Pandemos’ which is the Aphrodite common to all people and the ‘Aphrodite Ourania’ that is the transcendent heavenly Aphrodite. Other early mythologists don’t agree with Aphrodite’s Near Eastern origin. They instead believe that she came into existence as a part of the Greek dawn goddess Eos. Both Aphrodite and Eos are widely known for their aggressive sexuality and erotic beauty.
Lovers and Children
Given her beauty and sexuality, Aphrodite is known to have a number of lovers with whom she bore a number of children. It is said Aphrodite had sexual affairs with both mortals and gods. She had a relationship with Tojan shepherd Anchises, with whom she bore Aeneas and the handsome Adonis. He was believed to be a Semitic nature deity in origin and the consort of Ishta-Astarte. While hunting, it is said Adonis got killed by a boar and was mourned by women at the Adonia festival. Her other lover is Hephaestus, whose relationship did not last long.
It was an arranged marriage organized by Hephaestus’ mother, Hera, and Aphrodite’s father Zeus. The enchantingly beautiful, insatiable, and sensual Aphrodite’s marriage with the ugly, lame, gruff but powerful Hephaestus did not last long. She just couldn’t be faithful to one man. She is said to have cheated on Hephaestus with both mortals and gods which ended their marriage.
The most significant and long-standing relationship she had was with Ares. It is said she loved him more than any of her other lovers. However, one night, the two lovebirds stayed too long together. When Helius hitched his golden chariot, the sun, he spotted the two lovers in Ares’ palace and told Hephaestus what he had seen. He secretly arranged a net beside their bed to trap Ares and Aphrodite. It was intended to ridicule and publicly shame the two lovebirds.
Last Word
Aphrodite is said to be the goddess of beauty, sexuality, and fertility. Some myths believe she originated from East Asia, hence some Greeks believed she was both Greek and foreign. There are two stories behind her birth; one is the belief that she came from Uranus’ cut genitals and the other is the belief that she was born of Zeus and Diona. Given her beauty, Aphrodite had numerous lovers with whom she had a number of children.