In Greek mythology, aphrodite she is the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality.
She was considered the personification of the ideal of beauty of the Greeks in antiquity. And, in the Modern Age it served as an inspiration for several Renaissance artists.
In ancient Greece, especially in the cities of Sparta, Athens and Corinth, it was worshiped and associated with carnal pleasures. Therefore, she was also considered the protector of prostitutes and hence the term “aphrodisiac”.
The Greek gods were part of the spirituality of the people who were revered and worshiped with rites, festivals and offerings. In Roman mythology, Aphrodite corresponds to the goddess Venus.
History: Summary
Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus, the god of gods and men, and Dione, goddess of nymphs.
She was born on the island of Crete with stunning beauty, being very vain, seductive, charming and vindictive.
Legend has it that she was born an adult in the sea and that's why the name “Aphrodite” means “born of foam”.
Its main rivals were:
- goddess hera: goddess of the skies, motherhood and marriage, and one of the women of Zeus;
- goddess athena: goddess of wisdom and favorite daughter of Zeus;
- Goddess Persephone: goddess of herbs, flowers, fruits and perfumes, and also daughter of Zeus.
With a marriage arranged by her father, she married hephaestus, god of fire, however, had no children. To Aphrodite, who excelled in beauty and love, he was ugly and lacking in a sense of humor.
Therefore, she seduced several men, having many lovers, and these unions were born several children.
Aphrodite fell in love with Ares, god of war, and with him he had children:
- Eros: God of love;
- Anteros: god of unrequited love;
- Deimos: god of terror;
- Phobos: god of fear;
- Harmony: goddess of harmony;
- Himeros: god of sexual desire;
- Pothos: god of passion.
When Hephaestus discovers his lover's betrayal, he traps them in a magical net, which resulted in the lovers fleeing.
Also related to Hermes, messenger god, with whom he had the son Hermaphrodite. He was born with both sexual organs and his name represents the union of the names of the gods: Hermes and Aphrodite.
had an affair with Apollo, god of light, and from this union was born Hymeneus (god of marriage). In addition to them, she had a relationship with Dionysus, god of pleasure, feasts and wine, and with him, the son Priapus (god of fertility).
In addition to the gods, he had affairs with mortal men, from which Adonis stands out. He was a handsome young man who caught the attention of both daughters of Zeus: Persephone and Aphrodite.
When Ares, Aphrodite's lover, discovers she is in love with Adonis, he sends a large wild boar to kill his rival.
After being attacked by the animal, Adonis turns into an anemone. When he reaches the underworld, Persephone, wife of Hades, falls in love with him and thus, becomes one of Aphrodite's rivals.
In addition to this mortal, she had a relationship with Anchises, a Trojan prince, and with him had two children: Aeneas and Lyrus. The first was one of the heroes of Trojan War.
Read too:
- Greek mythology
- Greek gods
- greek goddesses
- Gods of Olympus
- goddess venus
- Venus de Milo
