In ancient Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. She was one of the 12 gods who were believed to live on Mount Olympus. In Roman mythology Aphrodite is associated with the goddess Venus because the two share many of the same characteristics. The symbols of Aphrodite are the dove, the rose, the myrtle tree, and the swan.

Origins

In Homer's epic poem The Iliad, Aphrodite was said to be the daughter of Zeus, the ruler of all the gods, and Dione, a Titan goddess. Other stories tell how Aphrodite sprang, fully grown, from the foam of the sea. Her name comes from Aphros, which means “foam” in Greek. According to this story, the wind carried Aphrodite gently on a shell to the island of Cyprus, which became her home. Since she came from the sea, sailors prayed to her to calm the wind and the waves.

Stories about Aphrodite

Because of her beauty, Aphrodite was greatly desired by gods and humans. However, she was very proud and rejected these admirers. To punish Aphrodite, Zeus gave her hand in marriage to Hephaestus , the blacksmith of the gods. (The Roman counterpart of Hephaestus was Vulcan.) Although Hephaestus was good-natured, Aphrodite was unhappy because he was ugly. Hephaestus tried to please her by building her a splendid palace on Cyprus.

Aphrodite's feelings for Hephaestus did not improve, and she soon left him for Ares, the handsome god of war. One of their children was Eros, the winged god of love. Zeus later arranged for Aphrodite to fall in love with Anchises, a handsome shepherd. From this union Aeneas was born. He was said to be an ancestor of the Roman people.

Aphrodite is mentioned in many Greek legends. Although she often helped those who were in love, she was also quick to punish those who went against her. Her son Eros shot arrows into the hearts of those Aphrodite wanted to unite in marriage. She had a magic belt that made the wearer irresistible, and she sometimes loaned this to others. It was Aphrodite who helped Paris win the beautiful Helen, thus starting the Trojan War.

Aphrodite in art

The poets of Greece and Rome wrote verses praising Aphrodite, sculptors carved figures of her, and painters included her in their works as well. The most famous sculpture that remains today is the Venus de Milo. This sculpture, which is missing its arms, is in the Louvre art museum in Paris, France. The early Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli created the famous painting The Birth of Venus (1485), which shows the goddess on a large shell being gently blown toward the shore by the wind gods. This painting can be seen in the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy.