Aphrodite is the nubile, beautiful goddess of love, beauty, and sexual desire. She has been celebrated in a festival throughout Greece known as the Aphrodisiac, where men would have sexual intercourse with Aphrodite’s priestesses in order to pay homage to her. Her unending beauty and beguiling ways were the source of much consternation and bloodshed, including the Trojan War.

Mythology

There are two distinct beliefs as to where and how Aphrodite was born. Her name means “risen from the foam,” in reference to her body rising from the swirling waters after Kronos castrated his father, Uranus, and cast the genitals into the sea. The water began to bubble and swirl, and Aphrodite was created. The sea carried her to either Cyprus or Cythera, both laying claim as her home.

The Greeks also believe Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Aphrodite was so beautiful Zeus feared the gods would fight over her, so he married her off to the homely, craftsman god Hephaestus. He was so overcome by his luck that he fashioned a golden filigree girdle for Aphrodite that was interwoven with magic. It is said that anyone who dared look at the golden girdle fell instantly in love with Aphrodite.

As steady and quiet as Hephaestus was, Aphrodite was not satisfied and longed for glamour. She had affairs with gods and mortals alike, and was of quite a jealous nature.
At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of the Olympian goddesses was the fairest. Each bribed Paris for his vote, but Aphrodite won by promising him the hand of Helen of Sparta in marriage. At the time, Helen was married to King Menelaos of Sparta. Paris declared Aphrodite the most beautiful of the women, earning him the wrath of the other women. He abducted Helen, who then became known as Helen of Troy. This also launched the Trojan War.

Later, Aphrodite fell in love with Helen of Troy’s consort, Alexandros. She rescued him from the battlefield as he fought with King Menelaos, then demanded that Helen go to Alexandros’ bedside to comfort him.

Aphrodite was a steadfast supporter of the Trojans during the war, and was wounded when she tried to rescue her son, Aeneas, as he was being attacked by Diomedes. Aphrodite was stabbed in the hand, and fled to Mount Olympus to heal and receive comfort from Dione. Aeneas was rescued and eventually marched to Italy, where he became the mythological progenitor of a line of Roman emperors.

The many consorts of Aphrodite include Adonis, Ares, Dionysus, and Hermes.

Aphrodite in Popular Culture

• Actress Alexandra Tydings played the troublesome Aphrodite in a recurring role on the television series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

• Singer Tori Amos created five personalities for her 2007 album American Doll Posse, which are represented by different Greek gods or goddesses, including Aphrodite.

• The C.S. Lewis novel ‘Til We Have Faces: A Myth Retold relays Aphrodite’s perspective of her tumultuous interactions with Psyche. Aphrodite is given a different name in the book.

• The video game Zeus: Master of Olympus features Aphrodite as one of the gods who can be appealed to for help. She can protect the player’s city from attacks by Dionysus, Hermes, Ares, or Hephaestus.

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