Aphrodite  

(Venus)

The Birth of Aphrodite

      There are several myths and stories involving the birth of the famous Greek goddess Aphrodite. However, there are two more popular than all of the rest. One states that she was formed from Uranus, rising from a foamy sea in a shell, fully grown. This story explains the origin of her name, "aphro," meaning "foam." However, another commonly told story explains how she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione.^[1]

Aphrodite the Goddess of Love

     Aphrodite is mainly known to be the goddess of love, desire, beauty, and fertility. Like any other Greek god, she is represented around the world by certain symbols such as:                 

• The Dolphin
• Doves
• The Scallop Shell
• Lovebirds
• Swans                                                                     
• Pomegranates
• Roses
• Golden apples ^[2]

At this moment, you may be asking yourself why one of Aphrodite's symbols would be a golden apple. Your answers are found in the story of "The Judgment of Paris."

 ^[3]

The Judgment of Paris

     "The Judgment of Paris" is one of the most famous stories involving Aphrodite in Greek mythology. When Eris was the only mortal not invited to the wedding of Thetis (a sea nymph), he thought of rolling a golden apple across the floor that was marked for "the Fairest," and did so. All three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite claimed the apple to be theirs and as a result, started fighting for for it.

     Zeus decided to let Paris, an unknown person at the time who was later revealed as the Prince of Troy, decide on who the apple rightfully belonged to. The three goddesses each made promises to Paris, Aphrodite's being the most convincing; promising him the most beautiful woman on earth, Helan of Sparta. Paris announced the apple to be Aphrodites and in return, she helped him abduct Helen. The abduction eventually led to the start of the Trojan War.^[4]

Family Life

     Being the goddess of love, Aphrodite obviously had several lovers, her first husband being Hephaestus, the god of fire. He was supposedly hideous and she did not care for him. Because of her independence, she was always in serch of a new lover, her later husband was Ares, the god of war. With her spouses and partners she had many children, the more famous of them being Eros (aka Cupid), Rhodos, Herophilus, Hermaphroditus, Priapus, and Aneas. Eros followed closest in the footsteps of his mother, becomeing the god of love. ^[5]