The ancient Hellenes revered many gods, among whom was the beautiful Aphrodite. It is known that she was part of the pantheon of the twelve supreme gods.

According to mythology, there are several versions of the birth of the goddess of beauty and love. So, in the myths of the ancient Greeks, you can find information that Aphrodite is the daughter of the nymph Dione and the supreme god Olympus. Another version is that she is the daughter of the goddess Artemis and the main god Zeus. The ancient Greeks recognized both the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus as parents.

How did she differ from other gods in the pantheon?

With her beauty, the goddess Aphrodite surpassed all the goddesses in the pantheon. She differed in that she was the only goddess who was depicted naked. Of incredible beauty, she won the hearts of not only the gods, but also ordinary mortal men.

The girl was often depicted among many blooming flowers, surrounded by birds and plants, next to dolphins. Her main attribute was considered a belt - bringing love and passion, which she gave to women in order to reunite hearts. Therefore, it is associated with fertility, beauty and love.

Aphrodite in mythology

Ancient Greek myths tell that she was the wife of a god who was engaged in blacksmithing. The goddess's husband did not possess special beauty, and she sought solace on the side. So, she fell in love with the god of war. From him she bore children. Hephaestus found out about his wife's betrayal, and decided to teach them a lesson. He forged invisible nets, and caught his wife and Ares in them.

The heart of the goddess of beauty was also conquered by a mere mortal youth named Adonis. He instilled in her a love of hunting. One day while hunting a boar, Adonis died. The woman was very worried about the death of her lover. In the place where drops of Adonis's blood fell, beautiful white flowers grew - anemones. Zeus saw how she was suffering for her beloved, and asked Hades, the god of the kingdom of the dead, to allow Adonis to stay there in the winter and meet with her beloved in the spring.

The Greeks often associated Aphrodite and, considering them the feminine and masculine beginnings of life.

The ancient Romans liked the goddess of love and beauty so much that they began to call her Venus. The famous Roman commander Gaius Julius Caesar associated his relationship with the goddess Venus.

Legends also tell about the conflict between Athena and Aphrodite because of the lock. The first caught the goddess of beauty in an encroachment on her possessions and powers. The girl, not wanting to quarrel with the goddess of war, promised that she would never sit down for a lock again.

The beautiful goddess was admired by many. The god of winemaking Dionysus has long been in love with a beauty. But it was not so easy to achieve her location. From communication with Dionysus, the son Priam was born, who was abandoned by his mother because of his deformity.

Myths and legends

• The charming goddess did not tolerate competitors, and when she heard about the earthly beauty Psyche, she decided to deal with her. To realize her insidious plan, she sent her son - Eros. Psyche fell in love with Eros, but he left her. Without losing hope of returning her beloved, Psyche turned to the mother of Eros, Aphrodite, for help. In turn, she came up with very cruel tests, which Psyche successfully passed. For the care of the god of love - Eros asks Zeus to give Psyche immortality.
• Miraculously, the beauty was also fascinated by Homer. In his work The Iliad, he mentioned her when it was about which of the three goddesses: Aphrodite, Athena or Hera is the most beautiful. Hephaestus gave the apple to Paris and asked the women to judge. Each of the women offered her own to Paris. He settled on the proposal of Aphrodite - to get the love of Elena the Beautiful. Gave the apple of discord to Aphrodite. She, along with Paris, stole Elena and helped their union. Thus began the Trojan War.
• The sea god Poseidon also could not resist her beauty. For a long time he tortured light feelings for her, but she did not reciprocate him. Wanting Ares to be jealous of her, the goddess responded to Poseidon's love feelings. They had a daughter, Rhoda, who became the wife of the sun god, Helios.

The image of the goddess of love, abundance and beauty has also penetrated other peoples and cultures. Whatever it is called, but it is always associated with love, harmony and beauty, which connect loving hearts and give them joy.

The image of a deity in world culture

Ancient Greek mythology penetrated very deeply into all branches of culture. The image of the goddess can often be found in literature, sculpture, painting, music. She represents luxury, fertility, is the patroness of lovers.

The Greeks claimed that the goddess has two images: on the one hand, she acted as the patron saint of her beloved, and on the other, she brutally dealt with those who did not recognize bright feelings or ignored them.

Nothing is known about her death. She is believed to be immortal.

One of the twelve great Olympian gods. She was the most beautiful of the goddesses. Poets sang of the golden color of her hair and shining eyes, the beauty of her face and body, the softest delicate skin, beautiful breasts.

Aphrodite was born, according to Hesiod's Theogony, near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (in Greek - afros, hence the nickname "foam-born"). The wind brought her to the island of Cyprus, where the goddess, who emerged from the sea waves, met Ora.

Aphrodite arose near Cyprus naked from an airy sea shell - hence her nickname "Cyprida". Ores in golden diadems crowned her with a golden crown. The image of Aphrodite emerging from the sea foam is captured on Botticelli's immortal canvas "The Birth of Venus". This is Hesiod's version.

She is ruthless to those who reject love.

Aphrodite was not only the patroness of love, but also the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life. In myths, Aphrodite was the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Struck by her beauty, many of the Greek gods vied as contenders for her hand and heart. She chose Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and blacksmithing. Aphrodite and Hephaestus had no children. Their marriage may represent the union of beauty and craftsmanship from which art is born. Hephaestus worked in his forge, and Aphrodite, basking in the bedchamber, combed her curls with a golden comb and received guests - Hera and Athena. She often cheated on Hephaestus.

Aphrodite with pleasure inspired love feelings in gods and people and fell in love herself.

An indispensable attribute of the goddess's attire was her famous belt, in which love, words of seduction, desire were enclosed; he made anyone in love with his mistress. The death of her beloved Adonis, a passionate hunter, brought great grief to Aphrodite. He dies from the fangs of a boar sent by a jealous Ares.

Hephaestus found out about her connection with Ares and was very angry. The jealous husband forged a thin, like a cobweb, but surprisingly strong golden net, which, lowering from the ceiling, attached it imperceptibly to the foot of the bed, and then announced to his wife that he was going to rest for a while on his beloved island of Lemnos. As soon as her husband left, Aphrodite sent for Ares, who immediately appeared. In the morning, the lovers found themselves lying entangled in a net - naked and helpless. Hephaestus appeared along with the other gods invited by him to stare and laugh (the goddesses remained at home out of delicacy). Only thanks to Poseidon Ares got freedom. Aphrodite returned to Cyprus, where, having bathed in the sea, she regained her virginity.

Aphrodite and Ares had three children: a daughter, Harmonia, and two sons, Deimos (terror) and Phobos (fear), who accompanied their father in battles along with the goddesses Eris and Enyo. Aphrodite and Ares represent the union of two of the least controlled passions - love and war, which, being in perfect balance, could create harmony.

Aphrodite's lover was Adonis.

The myth of Aphrodite and Adonis

(Ovid. Metamorphoses. X, 529–739)

Retelling by Georg Stoll

Aphrodite loved no one so much as the wonderfully beautiful Adonis, the son of the Syrian king. Paphos, Knidos and the metal-bearing Amaphunt, where the goddess so willingly used to be, are forgotten by her; for Adonis she forgot the sky itself.

She did not dress up and did not undead herself, as before: picking up clothes to her knees, she wanders with a young man through the mountains, forests and rocks overgrown with thorny plants; with dogs she pursues fallow deer, hares and other non-dangerous animals, but she avoids a powerful boar, bear and wolf and advises Adonis to stay away from these animals.

“Oh my dear! It is good to be brave before those who run; courage is dangerous. Do not be recklessly brave: do not attack the beast to which nature has given dangerous weapon. Neither a lion nor a bristly boar will regret, as I would regret, neither your youth nor your beauty. Beware of them: your courage can be dangerous to me and you. So the goddess spoke - and more than once - and the young man followed her advice while the goddess was with him.

But once, in Cyprus, moving away from her for a while, Adonis forgot about her advice. The dogs drove him out of the thicket into a clearing of a terrible boar, and Adonis threw his hunting dart at him. The wounded, furious boar turned around and rushed at the young man; did not save the unfortunate flight. With its fangs, the boar inflicted such a wound on him that he instantly fell, expiring, to the ground. From afar, Aphrodite heard the moans of a dying man and, in a chariot drawn by swans, hurried to the place where the misfortune happened. Seeing the murdered young man, she quickly descends from the chariot, tears her clothes, torments her chest and sobs bitterly. But cries do not resurrect the dead.

So that the memory of the young man would not completely perish, Aphrodite mixed his blood with the divine nectar and turned it into a flower red like blood. Briefly, like the life of a young man, the time of its flowering, the wind soon blows away its rapidly fading leaves, and therefore they called it anemone, anemone.

Aphrodite through the eyes of artists

Venus with a mirror Painting by D. Velasquez, 1657, London, National Gallery

Adolphe William Bouguereau "Aphrodite"

Artist Eugene-Emmanuel Amaury-Duval. Aphrodite.

D.Engre. Birth of Venus

Beautiful traditions and legends about the ancient gods, when people lived in harmony with nature, and in everything that happened they saw a divine reason and plan, to this day excite the imagination creative people. The goddess Aphrodite, the most beautiful inhabitant of Olympus - this article is dedicated to her.

Who is Aphrodite

The influence of neighboring peoples, as well as trade with other countries, left their mark on the beliefs and religion of the ancient Greeks, sometimes similar cults merged and existing gods were enriched with new ones. characteristic features. Who is Aphrodite in Greek mythology - historians and archaeologists believe that the cult of the Cypriot goddess was originally of Semitic origin and was brought to Ancient Greece from Ascalon, where the goddess Aphrodite was called Astarte. Aphrodite is included in the pantheon of 12 main gods of Olympus. Spheres of influence and functions of the goddess:

• fertility of nature;
• endows people with beauty at her own discretion;
• patronizes lovers, marriages and the birth of children;
• voluptuousness;
• love;
• sensuality;
• sends erotic fantasies and dreams;
• punishes those who reject the feeling of love.

What does Aphrodite look like?

With the advent of the cult of the goddess of love, there was a leap in the development of art: the Greeks began to pay great attention to the reproduction of the naked body in paintings, frescoes and sculpture. The goddess Aphrodite, at the initial stage, differed from the images of other gods of the Greek pantheon in that she was completely naked. The appearance of the goddess spoke for itself:

• beautiful, with long hair the color of gold maiden;
• gentle and delicate facial features;
• forever young;
• elegant and graceful as a doe;
• eyes the color of emeralds.

Attributes of Aphrodite:

1. A golden cup of wine - a person who drank from the cup became immortal and gained eternal youth.
2. Belt of Aphrodite - bestowed sexual charms and strengthened the one who put it on. In myths, Aphrodite would sometimes lend the girdle to other goddesses at their request to seduce husbands or lovers.
3. Birds - doves and sparrows, a symbol of fertility.
4. Flowers - rose, violet, narcissus, lily - symbols of love.
5. The apple is the fruit of temptation.

The goddess of beauty Aphrodite is often accompanied by companions:

• nymphs - spirits of nature;
• choirs - goddesses of time and order in nature;
• Eros - archer deity striking with arrows of love;
• Charites - goddesses of fun and joy serve the goddess, dress her in beautiful outfits and comb her golden hair.

Aphrodite - mythology

The myths, according to which the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite appeared, interpret this event in different ways. The traditional way of birth described by Homer, where the mother of Aphrodite is the sea nymph Dion, and the father is the supreme thunderer Zeus himself. There is a version in which the goddess Artemis and Zeus are the parents of the goddess - as a union of male and female principles.

Another myth, more archetypal. The Goddess of the Earth, Gaia, was angry with the husband of the god of Heaven, Uranus, from whom terrible children were born. Gaia asked her son Kronos to castrate his father. Kronos cut off the genitals of Uranus with a sickle and threw them into the sea. A snow-white foam formed around the severed organ, from which an adult goddess of love appeared. This event took place at Fr. Cythera in the Aegean. The wind delivered her on a sea shell to Cyprus, and she went ashore. The choirs put on her a golden necklace, a diadem and took her to Olympus, where the gods looked at the goddess in amazement and everyone wanted to take her as their wife.

Aphrodite and Ares

Aphrodite in Greek mythology is known for her love of love, among her lovers are both gods and mere mortals. Historical sources indicate that the husband of Aphrodite, the god of blacksmithing, Hephaestus, was lame and did not shine with beauty, so often the goddess of love was comforted in the arms of the courageous and warlike. One day, Hephaestus, wishing to convict Aphrodite in connection with the god of war, forged a thin bronze net. In the morning, waking up, the lovers found themselves entangled in a net. Hephaestus, in retaliation, invited those wishing to stare at the naked and helpless Aphrodite and Ares.

From love with the god of destruction and war, the children of Aphrodite were born:

1. Phobos is the god of fear. Faithful companion of his father in battles.
2. Deimos is the personification of the horror of war.
3. Eros and Anteros are twin brothers responsible for attraction and mutual love.
4. Harmony - patronizes happy marriage life in unity and harmony.
5. Gimeroth is the god of fiery passion.

Aphrodite and Adonis

Aphrodite - the Greek goddess knew in love and the torment of suffering. The beautiful young man Adonis, who surpassed even the gods of Olympus in beauty, won the heart of Aphrodite at first sight. The passion of Adonis was hunting, without which he did not understand his life. Aphrodite accompanied her lover and herself became interested in hunting wild animals. One rainy day, the goddess could not go hunting with Adonis and asked him to heed her pleas to take care of herself, but it so happened that the dogs of Adonis attacked the trail of a wild boar and the young man hurried in anticipation of prey.

Aphrodite felt the death of her beloved, went in search of him, wading through the thickets, all wounded by thorns of thorns and sharp stones digging into her tender legs, the goddess found Adonis, lifeless with a terrible lacerated wound left by the fangs of a boar. In memory of her beloved, Aphrodite created an anemone flower from drops of his blood, which became her attribute. Zeus, seeing the grief of the goddess, agreed with Hades that Adonis spends half a year in the kingdom of the dead - this is winter time, the awakening of nature personifies the time when Adonis reunites with Aphrodite for half a year.

Apollo and Aphrodite

The myth about Aphrodite, the most beautiful of the goddesses of Olympus, is opposed to the myths about Apollo, who personifies the most beautiful of the divine Greek pantheon. Apollo - the god of the sun is dazzling in his beauty and loving. The son of Aphrodite Eros, fulfilling the will of his mother, often hit the brilliant Apollo with his arrows. Apollo and Aphrodite were not lovers, but were a kind of standards for men and women, which were reflected in the Hellenic art of sculpture.

Athena and Aphrodite

The goddess of Greece Aphrodite decided to try herself in some other craft, except for love, and opted for spinning. Athena, the goddess of war and crafts, found the goddess behind a spinning wheel, from which her indignation knew no bounds. Athena considered this an encroachment and interference in her spheres and powers. Aphrodite did not want to quarrel with Athena, apologized and promised not to touch the spinning wheel again.

Aphrodite and Venus

The ancient goddess Aphrodite liked the militant Romans so much that they adopted the cult of Aphrodite and named her Venus. The Romans considered the goddess to be their progenitor. Guy Julius Caesar was proud and constantly mentioned that his family comes from a great goddess. Venus the Victorious was revered as giving victory to the Roman people in battles. Aphrodite and Venus are identical in function.

Aphrodite and Dionysus

Dionysus, the god of fertility and winemaking, vainly sought the favor of Aphrodite for a long time. The goddess often consoled herself in casual relationships, and luck smiled at Dionysus. The son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, Priapus, who appeared as a result of a fleeting passion, was so ugly that Aphrodite abandoned the child. The huge genitals of Priapus, which the vengeful Hera endowed him with, became a symbol of fertility among the Greeks.

Aphrodite and Psyche

The ancient Greek Aphrodite had heard about the beauty of the earthly woman Psyche and decided to destroy her by sending Eros to hit Psyche with an arrow of love for the most ugly of men. But Eros himself fell in love with Psyche and made her his own, sharing a bed with her only in complete darkness. Psyche, persuaded by her sisters, decided to look at her husband while he was sleeping. She lit the lamp and saw that Eros himself was in her bed. A drop of wax fell on Eros, he woke up and left Psyche in a rage.

The girl is looking for her lover all over the world and is forced to turn to the mother of Eros Aphrodite. The goddess gives the poor girl impossible tasks: to sort different types grains dumped into one huge pile, get the golden fleece from the mad sheep, draw water from the Styx and get a potion in the underworld to treat the burn of Eros. With the help of the forces of nature, Psyche copes with difficult assignments. The recovered god of love, touched by care, asks the celestials of Olympus to legalize marriage with Psyche and grant her immortality.

Aphrodite and Paris

The "Apple of Discord" is the most ancient Greek myth about Aphrodite, Athena and Hera. Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was having fun playing the flute and admiring the beauties of nature, when he suddenly saw that the messenger of the gods Hermes himself was walking towards him, and with him the three great goddesses of Olympus. With all the agility, Paris ran out of fear, but Hermes called out to him, saying that Zeus orders the young man to judge which of the goddesses is the most beautiful. Hermes gave Paris a golden apple with the inscription "To the most beautiful".

The goddesses decided to bribe Paris with gifts in order to receive the fruit. Hera promised Paris power and rule over Europe and Asia. Athena promised eternal glory among the sages, and victory in all battles. Aphrodite approached and affectionately promised love to the most beautiful of mortals - Elena the Beautiful. Paris, who desired Helen, gave it to Aphrodite. The goddess helped kidnap Elena and patronized their union. For this reason, the Trojan War broke out.

Aphrodite and Poseidon

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was also not indifferent to the god of the sea element, Poseidon, who lusted after her when he saw her naked in bed with Ares, at the moment when they were caught in the net of Hephaestus. Aphrodite, to shake up feelings of jealousy in Ares, answered Poseidon with a mutual flash of short-term passion. The goddess gave birth to a daughter, Rod, who became the wife of Helios, the solar deity.

There are many legends about Aphrodite of Ancient Greece. Is it true that she had several husbands, one of whom was her father? Did the magnificent city of Troy fall because of her machinations? What names are associated with Aphrodite in the myths of various civilizations of antiquity?

Myths of Ancient Greece about Aphrodite

Aphrodite in Greek mythology patronized beauty and love. She was the daughter of the almighty Zeus, and Dione, who lives at the bottom of the ocean, became her mother. It was generally accepted that Aphrodite also arose from sea foam.

Aphrodite was close in position to the cult of Astarte - in she was revered as the keeper of fertility. Her symbol was worshiped in the cities on the coast of Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea. The image of the idol was also found in the Greek colonies in the Black Sea region. In Roman mythology, Aphrodite was embodied as Venus. The most famous cults in ancient times were Aphrodite of Cnidus Praxiteles from the 4th century BC. BC. and Venus de Milo from the 2nd century. BC.

The purpose of Aphrodite was only one - the creation of love. Once there was a dispute between Athena and Aphrodite, when the latter was seen at the spinning wheel. Athena considered that the other was interfering in her affairs and predicted, after which Aphrodite left this craft and took up her duties.

The meaning of the name Aphrodite in ancient Greece

The name Aphrodite came from Asia Minor. Its meaning is unknown, but there are two versions of its origin. According to early tradition, she was born from marriage and Dione. According to a later theory, Aphrodite was created from the blood of the Urals killed by Kronos, who fell into the sea, after which foam formed. In this regard, her second name was Anadyomena, which means "appeared on the sea."

The religious cult was assigned the functions of a complex cosmic mechanism endowed with the most powerful energy of love. She was given the following epithets:

• "Mistress of the Mountains";
• "Defender of the Seas";
• "Patron of Mothers"

Aphrodite married people and made childbirth successful. Her power covered both mortal people and heavenly inhabitants. The subjugation of the cult did not include only Athena and Hestia with Artemis.

Those who did not obey the cult were under the threat of wrath. On the island of Lemnos, women refused to worship this idol, for which they were endowed with a goat smell. Husbands ran away from them, taking other spouses as wives.

Incarnations of the Greek Aphrodite

Cults were endowed with a similar meaning in antiquity:

• Astartes - in ancient Phoenicia;
• Ishtar - in the Babylonian-Assyrian tradition;
• - in Egypt.

The cult of Aphrodite was depicted surrounded by wild animals - a bear, a wolf, a powerful lion. All of them were subdued by love caress. The evolution of the characteristics of a religious symbol is gradually taking place. From a fertile ruler, she becomes playful and shy, in this form she takes a place on Olympus.

Born, according to legend, Aphrodite near the coast of Cyprus. This event is reflected in Homer's hymn to Hellas. From here comes her middle name - Cyprus, which means "born in Cyprus."

The belt became a symbol of her power. It contains magical love spells, all-encompassing love, desire. Even the inhabitants of Olympus could not resist this witchcraft cult.

The first place of residence of Aphrodite, who reached the shore on a sea shell completely discovered, was the island of Cythera. But over time, his lands seemed too cramped to her, and she moved to the Peloponnese. Her last place of residence was Paphos on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It was there that she created her first sanctuary, surrounded by fragrant gardens. The daughters of the patroness of justice - Themis, took care of her clothes and jewelry. Today in Paphos, in the walls of an ancient Roman temple, you can find the image of Aphrodite surrounded by priestesses, bathing in the sea for youth, beauty and renewal.

In the Knossos Palace, which has survived to this day, you can have a relief floor laid out in the form of shells. Numerous ancient burials contained cuttlefish shells, typical of Aphrodite's surroundings. Some of them were made of terracotta.

Family and love affairs of Aphrodite

Aphrodite's father found her good husband- the blacksmith of Hephaestus, a resident. She gave birth to three children Harmony, Deimos and Phobos from marriage. In fact, the father of her children was Ares - an irreconcilable cult of war. Helios found them in the Frankish palace of Ares, but was in no hurry to reveal the secret to Hephaestus.

It was believed that Aphrodite invented brothels. Several hundred people lived in its temples. beautiful women, delighting men.

Hephaestus suspected the adventures of his wife and forged a thin, inconspicuous bronze net attached to the foot of the bed. She hung in a thin cobweb from the ceiling. During the next absence to Corinth, according to Aphrodite "on business", the betrayal was discovered, and Hephaestus told his wife that he was going to the island of Lemnos to rest.

The woman sent for Ares instantly, and they reclined on the couch. Hephaestus found them naked and helpless, wrapped in a thin bronze net. In this form, he presented them to the inhabitants of Hephaestus. He asked for back all the gifts from Zeus, handed over to the wedding, and only after that he promised to release Aphrodite from the marriage bonds.

Hephaestus limped and was ugly. Gave him in marriage Hera - the wife of Zeus. Her goals included a plan of revenge. A number of sources mention the marriage of Ares and Aphrodite.

The sources of antiquity also contain information about the love affairs of the daughter of Zeus with Dionysus and Hermes. There is certain information about the relationship with Zeus, for example, the origin of Eros is questioned. His father is Ares, Hermes or Zeus according to different versions.

In the art of ancient Greece, the statues of Aphrodite were depicted as a woman stepping on a turtle. The philosopher Plutarch argued that in antiquity this gesture meant humility, silence and domesticity.
Aphrodite was distinguished by fertility. The children she bore were both the descendants of mortal men and the inhabitants of Olympia. Among them were Hymenius, the Amazons and Charit. Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War, was considered the ancestor of Julius Caesar.

Eros, who in the Roman tradition is Cupid and Cupid, born from the union of Aphrodite and Ares, patronized the war. He was armed with a bow with gold and lead arrows. Launching gold, he bestowed love, lead - he killed feelings. In addition to joy and happiness, he brought torment to lovers.

Hymen became the companion of Aphrodite, creating the bonds of marriage. He descended from Aphrodite and Dionysus creating wine.

He lit the flame of the torch of the marriage union, gave blessing to young people.

Role of Aphrodite in the Trojan War

Every man who approached Aphrodite dreamed of becoming the spouse of the daughter of Zeus. There are mythological sources indicating the unleashing of a war by a Greek progenitor.

She started a dispute with Hera and Athena, which of them is more beautiful. Paris was chosen as their judge, who was promised the most beautiful of women and her love, Elena, as a reward. At that moment, the woman had already been married to the king of Sparta, which led to the military campaign of the Greeks against Troy and the destruction of the city.

It may seem strange to some that Grekoblog addresses such a hackneyed topic as Greek mythology, but since we have the prefix Greko, the position obliges. And if we start, then, of course, with the most interesting deity. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that this is Aphrodite.

Appearance: Gorgeous forever young woman with a beautiful face and body
Symbols and attributes:

A belt with magical powers to make you love. Of the plants associated with this goddess, it is worth highlighting myrtles, roses, poppies, apples, violets, daffodils and lilies, from animals and birds - sparrows, doves and dolphins.

Force: Powerful sex appeal, dazzling beauty

Weaknesses: A little self-centered, but with such an appearance, who can judge her?

Parents:

There are several versions about the parents of Aphrodite. For example, according to Homer, Aphrodite's parents were Zeus and the oceanid Dione. According to Hesiod, Aphrodite was born from the seed and blood of Uranus, which fell into the sea and formed foam. Epimenides believed that the goddess was the daughter of Kronos.

Place of Birth:

There is no consensus about the birthplace of Aphrodite. Although most sources associate her with Cyprus, nevertheless, the inhabitants of Cythera are convinced that in fact Aphrodite was born to them. In the modern era, there is also a misconception that Milos was the birthplace of Aphrodite, which is largely due to the popularity of the statue of Venus de Milo discovered here.

The intrigues of Hera - the wife of Zeus - became the reason for the marriage of the goddess with Hephaestus - although the most skillful of the gods, but still lame and ugly. Some sources also mention marriage with Ares, but this is a much less common version, although Aphrodite gave birth to many children from Ares. But the love of the Greek gods is well known: Hermes and Dionysus also sought connections with Aphrodite, and also very successfully. The existence of a connection with Zeus is not known for certain: although ancient sources deny it, nevertheless, the origin of Eros, one of the children of Aphrodite, raises certain doubts. According to various versions, his father was Hermes, Ares or Zeus.

Children:

There were a great many of them, and different men both gods and mere mortals. Of the most famous children of Aphrodite, in addition to the Eros already mentioned above, it is also worth mentioning Hymenia, Charit, the Amazons and even the mortal Aeneas - one of the heroes Trojan War and the mythical ancestor of Julius Caesar.

Main temples: In addition to the famous one we have already mentioned, her main sanctuaries were also located in the places of her alleged birth: in Cythera and Cyprus.
Main myths:

Aphrodite was born from the sea foam and was the object of desire for all who dealt with her. The most famous story associated with Aphrodite is that she caused the death of Troy. Being a rival of Hera and Athena in the famous dispute about the most beautiful of the three goddesses, Aphrodite promised the "judge" - Paris of Troy - the love of the most beautiful of earthly women - Helen. It must be said that she fulfilled her promise, but the feeling that arose between the young people, as well as the fact that Elena was already the wife of the Spartan king, led to the Greek campaign against Troy and, ultimately, the fall of the city.

Interesting Facts:

The island of Cyprus still shows many places associated with both the birth of Aphrodite and her rest from divine duties when she was on earth. AT last years enterprising Cypriots even returned from oblivion an adapted version for tourists of some festivals in honor of Aphrodite in.