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Hellenic HeritageClub

ἈOne of the Twelve Olympians

Aphrodite

Ἀφροδίτη

The irresistible goddess of love, beauty and desire, born from the foam of the sea, whose power even the gods could not escape.

Goddess of Love, Beauty & Desire

Born from the sea

Hesiod tells that when Cronus overthrew his father Uranus and threw his remains into the sea, a white foam arose from which Aphrodite was born, coming ashore on Cyprus. Homer gives a gentler version in which she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Either way, the gods were captivated the moment she arrived on Olympus.

The power of love

Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the lame smith god, but she loved Ares and the beautiful mortal Adonis. Her embroidered girdle made anyone who wore it irresistible, and her son Eros carried arrows that could make gods and mortals fall in love against their will.

Key myths

  • The Judgement of Paris and the golden apple
  • Her love for Adonis, mourned each year at the Adonia
  • The sculptor Pygmalion, whose statue she brought to life
  • Helping Hippomenes win his race against Atalanta

Worship

Her most famous sanctuary was at Paphos on Cyprus, near the spot where she was said to have come ashore, and sailors prayed to her for calm seas. The Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, the first life-size statue of a fully nude woman in Greek art, was so famous that travellers came from far away to see it.

Epithets

The Greeks called on their gods by many titles, each one a different side of their power.

  • Kypris, the Cyprian
  • Kythereia, of Kythera
  • Ourania, the heavenly
  • Pandemos, of all the people
Back to the pantheon

Keep exploring

More gods of the pantheon

  • Roman Vulcan

    Hephaestus

    God of Fire, the Forge & Craftsmanship

    The master smith of Olympus, who forged the thunderbolts of Zeus, the armour of Achilles and wonders of metal that moved by themselves.

    • Hammer
    • Anvil
    • Tongs
    Read the myths
  • Roman Mercury

    Hermes

    Messenger of the Gods, Travellers & Trade

    The swift and clever messenger of the gods, patron of travellers, merchants, shepherds and thieves, and the guide of souls to the underworld.

    • Caduceus
    • Winged sandals
    • Traveller’s hat
    Read the myths
  • Roman Bacchus

    Dionysus

    God of Wine, Festivity & Theatre

    The god of wine, ecstasy and theatre, twice born and the only Olympian with a mortal mother.

    • Thyrsus
    • Grapevine
    • Ivy
    Read the myths
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