Greek Mythology:The gods and goddesses: About the Goddess Aphrodite

APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE AND BEAUTY

Also known to the Romans as Venus. the Greek goddess of Love, Beauty, Fertility, Procreation, Sexuality (in its legitimated way by society-marriage and its destructive aspect as well-rape of Helen by Paris), Seduction and Harmony.

It is also said that Aphrodite is from an older generation than Zeus (sky and thunder). But, from another origin, is consider a daughter of Dione (equivalent to to Rhea, the Earth Mother-fertile soil), who was the original oracular goddess. And Dione simply means too the feminine form of "Dios", "god"-Zeus which was sometimes called at Dodona. But once the worship of Zeus has usurped the oak-grove oracle at Dodona, some poets made him out to be the father of Aphrodite.

She was believed to have rise from the foam of the wave of the sea of the island of Cyprus or Kythira; which bubbled around the cut genitalia of Ouranos/Uranus (sky God) by when Kronos/Cronus. In Hesoid's Theogony, it was described that the genitals "were carried over the sea a long time, and white foam arose from the immortal flesh; with it a girl grew" to become Aphrodite.

And after her birth, the West Wind, Zephyrus, used a gentle breeze to push her out of the sea on a large shell where the Hores (seasons of the year) made dresses for her out of purple silk embroidered with flowers. This particular event is depicted most elegantly by Botticelli's painting.

After she was properly made up, she was taken to Mt. Olympus where all the gods marveled at her beauty and accepted her into their ranks. She would later prove to be an valuable ally. Because, she was an eternally young woman with a beautiful gorgeous perfect body, who enchanted anyone who sees her and inciting feelings of love and lust wherever she goes. Like for example in the war against the Giants when she charmingly lure many of them into a trap where they were slaughtered by Herakles.

Due to her immense beauty, Zeus was frightened she might cause arguements/violence between the other gods. So he married her off to Hephaestus, the dour humorless lame smith-god.

Another version is also say that Hera, mother of Hephaestus, threw him off Olympus. He revenged by trapping her in a magic throne, then demanding Aphrodite's hand in return for Hera's freedom. He was overjoyed at being married to the goddess of beauty and forged her beautiful jewelry, including the cestus, a girdle that made her even more irresistible to men. Which was soon to be recognized too as her symbol for its magical powers to compel love strengthen her potent sexual attractiveness.

But Aphrodite, was unhappy with her marriage, which caused her to seek out companionship from others, most frequently Ares, but also Adonis, Anchises and more.

She seems to prefer Ares, the volatile god of war, which quite mirror her vain, ill-tempered, egocentric and easily offended characteristics too, thus her weaknesses.

To the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (eventual parents of Achilles). Only the goddess Eris (discord) was not invited, but she arrived and trew among the goddesses a golden apple inscribed with the words "to the fairest".

Aphrodite was also a contender along with Athena and Hera for the Golden Apple. Paris, a passing sheperd and turned out to be the prince of Troy, was bribed by Hera with the Asia minor, by Athena with Glory and Fame in battle.

But Paris choose her as the fairest of the three goddesses. she decided to reward him the most beautiful mortal woman, for giving her the Golden Apple (which is believe to be the prototype of most modern awards). She gave him the Love of Helen of Troy that led to the Trojan War because Helen was already married to a Greek. Some said it was not really Love but more an abduction accomplished by Paris, for seeing Helen for the first time and he was inflamed with desire to have her(Aphrodite's realm-It is also said that her domain may involve love, but it does not involve romance, rather it tends more towards lust/desire.)

Therefore, Aphrodite's seductions and temptations were a constant source of pleasure and danger for both Gods and mortals who fell under her spell. They were robbed of their wits and enticed into actions they would not normally take when in full possesion of their senses. She was a combination of pleasure and danger.

But, she also believed that not all human sexuality need to be fruitful, and despite the need for human reproduction for a community to survive, reproduction is something that was needed to be avoided. That's why Aphrodite was honored also in the context of non-reproductive sexuality, worshipped for her role over seduction and physical pleasure, though without the attending fruitfulness.

Eros(love) is said to be the son of Aphrodite, a cupid-like figure, who promotes union and reproduction and who also submitted to the Goddess as soon as she appears. He is the god of love, in particular erotic, romantic, love. He is sometimes represented blindfolded because, love is often "blind". His weapon are darts or arrows of gold and lead, which the tips been magically treated produve an uncontrolable love or unsurmountable interest in the first person seen by Ero's wounded hearts of his mortals and immortals victim as well.

Aphrodite was jealous of the beauty of a mortal woman named Psyche(soul). She asked Eros to use his golden arrows to cause Psyche to fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. He agreed, but fell in love with Psyche, by accidentally pricking himself with a golden arrow.

And by consulting an oracle, Psyche's parents were told she was destined for a no mortal lover but a monster who lived on top of a particular mountain. Resigned to her faith, she climbed the mountain, and there Zephyrus, gently floated her downward to a cave which was full of jewellery and finery.

Eros visited her every night, they made love but demanded her never to light any lamps for his wings made him distintive from others. But to the prompting of her two jealous sisters, one night Psyche, lit a lamp and recognize Eros instantly. A drop of hot oil from the lamp fell on Eros' chest and he awoke, then fled.

Her two sisters rejoiced. And each separately walked to the top of the mountain, hoping Eros would chose them instead. But Zephyrus didn't pick them and they fell to their deaths.

Psyche searched for her lover across much of Greece and from the temple of Demeter, where the floor was covered with piles of mixed grains. She sorted, organized them into piles. And Demeter told her the best way to find Eros was to find his mother Aphrodite and earn her blessing.

Psyche found a temple to Aphrodite and then she assigned her a similar task to Demeter's temple, but with an impossible deadline. But for he still loved her, Eros intervened by causing some ants to help her organize the grains.

Aphrodite was outraged of her success and told her to go to a field where golden sheep grazed and get some golden wool. The river-god stopped and told her that the sheep were mean and vicious and would kill her. She had to wait for noontime while the sheeps were sleeping at the other side of the shaded field. And then she could collect some wool that were stuck to the branches and bark of the trees.

Once again, Aphrodite was outraged by her survival and assigned her another task. She claimed that as a result of her caring for her son, depressed and ill as a result of Psyche's unfaithfulness, had caused her to lose some of her beauty. So she had to go to Hades and ask Persephone, the queen to the underworld, for a bit of her beauty in a black box that Aphrodite gave Psyche. She was going to take the quickest way to the underworld, but would have die, not for the voice that stopped her. And who told her how to pass Cerberus (three-headed dog) and Charon, tossed them honey cakes as offerings. Persephone was glad to do Aphrodite a favor.

Psyche left the underworld, decided to open the box and take a little bit of beauty for herself, thinking that if she did Eros would surely love her. But inside was a "Stygian sleep" which overtook her. Eros, who had forgiven her, flew to her body and wiped the sleep from her eyes, and begged Zeus and his mother for their consent to his wedding. They agreed and Zeus made her immortal. Aphrodite danced at the wedding of Eros and Psyche and their child was named Pleasure or Volupta in Roman Mythology.

ADONIS - APHRODITE'S BELOVED

Aphrodite urged Myrrha/Smyrna to commit incest with her father Theias, the king of Assyria, or Cinyras of Cyprus. Myrrha's nurse help with the scheme and they Myrrha coupled with her father in the darkness. When Theias discovered the despicable plot by means of an oil lamp. In rage, he chased his daughter with a knife. And Aphrodite turned her into a Myrrh tree. And Adonis was born when Theias shot the tree with an arrow or when a boar used its tusks to tear the tree's bark off.

Aphrodite took him under her wing or it is said she placed him into a closed chest. Adonis, still of a young age,  captivated her and she was so entranced by his unearthly beauty. to keep him safer, she gave him to Persephone, wife of Hades to watch over. But she was also amazed at his beauty and refused to give him back to Aphrodite. Which sprang an argument between the two goddesses. Zeus settled it, with Adonis spending four months of the years with Aphrodite, who seduced him with the help of Helene, her friend and four months with Persephone and four months with whomever he chose. He always chose Aphrodite because Persephone was the cold unfeeling goddess of the underworld.

Adonis was killed by the jealous Ares. Aphrodite was warned of its jealousy and tried to persuade Adonis to stay with her at all time. But for his love of hunting which was his downfall, Ares found him and transformed as a bull, gored him to death. Aphrodite arrived just in time to hear his last breath. It said she bore a daughter, Beroe. Another version of the story say that the goddess Artemis sent the wild boar that killed Adonis.

Adonis,is also described as an annually-renewed, ever-youthful vegetation god, a life-death-rebirth deity.

But Aphrodite was not really that bad. Maybe we can say, she was just so in love with love. So passionate with love and also a helpless romantic. There is a lot of contradiction between romance and passion being her domain. But I think both involve love in a way. And despite her many affairs, she would always help others to find the love they seek. She was known to have an irresistible touch that could shape someone's life history.

There are many more stories related to Goddess Aphrodite. There are full of passion, intrigues, love and magic. I will hopefully, soon, write another hub about those stories and share them with you. Until then, I hope you would like this hub. Thank you for reading. (^^,)