Greek and Roman Mythology: Gods and Goddesses: Aphrodite

[ Aphrodite ]  [ Apollo ]  [ Ares ]  [ Artemis ]  [ Athene ]  [ Hades ]  [ Hephaestus ]  [ Hera ]  [ Hermes ]  [ Hestia ]  [ Poseidon ]  [ Zeus ] 

Aphrodite was known as the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. She represented the values of sacred love and marriage as well as female sensuality and desire.

Pronunciation: a-fro-DYE-tee

Story of Birth: She is sometimes called "Foam Born." This is because some want to associate her as a child of Gaea and Uranus. She was supposed to have emerged from the sea foam of the castrated Uranus. She was not thought to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione until she was migrated into the Greek religion. They then placed her with the other olympians.

Depicted: She is sometimes depicted riding a shell in many different pieces of art. One of the famous paintings is that of the Birth of Venus. She was also often depicted with the god Eros as an infant. The most famous statue of her was by the Greek Praxiteles and the Venus de Milo. There is also the painting by Botticelli called The Brith of Venus that is known around the world.

Origin: Possibly West Asia

Father: Zeus or Uranus

Mother: Dione or no woman

Husband: Hephaestus

Lovers: Ares, Poseidon, Hermes, Dionysus, Anchises, Adonis, Pygmalion, Nerites, Phaeton

Children: Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, Eros, Rhodus, Herophilus, Eryx, Hermaphroditus, Priapus, Aeneas, Golgos, and Beroe

Other Names: Venus, Cyprian, Paphian, Anadyomene, Peligia, Dione, Pandemes, Ouranos, Androphones, Melainia, Epitymbridia, Kallipygos, Hera, Enoplios, Morphos, Ambologeia, Genetyllis

Special Objects: Magic Girdle

Plants: Myrtle Tree, Rose

Birds: Swan and Sparrow

Cult Center: Cytheia, Phoenicia

Myths: The Illiad

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Copyright: Nikki Kuehl 2000-2011
Website Content Last Updated: September 26, 2011
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