We explain who Aphrodite was in Greek mythology and how she was represented. Also, other gods from Greco-Roman mythology.
Who was Aphrodite?
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was the goddess of passionate love, the beauty and sensuality, equivalent to Venus in Roman mythology and possibly other ancient deities, such as the Sumerian Inanna or the Phoenician Astarte. It was associated with sexual infatuation and erotic ecstasy, to such an extent that the word “aphrodisiac” comes from its Greek name and others such as “venereal” come from its Roman name.
Aphrodite was an Olympian goddess, that is, belonging to the pantheon of the main Greek gods who were believed to live on Mount Olympus, and was capable of instilling passion not only in humans but also in gods and animals. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was considered her husband, but Aphrodite had many lovers, including Ares, the god of war, and the mortal Adonis, who stood out for his youth and beauty.
The Greeks thought that Aphrodite was born near Cyprus and there were two very different versions of his birth: the one told by Hesiod, in which he was born from the foam of the sea after the titan Cronus castrated his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea; and the one told by Homer, in which Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Dione.
Both myths circulated in Ancient Greece and there were those, like Plato, who tried to reconcile them with the argument that there were two different goddesses: Aphrodite Urania (“celestial”), representative of superior, spiritual and intellectual love; and Aphrodite Pandemos (“common”), associated with vulgar love and sensual pleasures.
Key points
- Aphrodite was the goddess of passionate love, beauty and sensuality in ancient Greek mythology, equivalent to Venus in Roman mythology.
- She was married to Hephaestus (god of fire and the forge) but had several lovers, including Ares (god of war) and the young mortal Adonis (with whom she fell in love for his beauty).
- She is usually represented as a female figure emerging from the sea foam, sometimes on a seashell.
- One version of the myth says that he was born when the titan Cronus threw his father's (Uranus) genitals into the sea. Another version says that she was the daughter of Zeus and the titan Dione.
- She was venerated throughout the Greek world, especially through festivals called aphrodisias, and a form of ritual prostitution was practiced in some temples dedicated to her.
What was the cult of Aphrodite like?
The cult of Aphrodite in Ancient Greece was particularly intense in her supposed birthplaces, Cyprus and Cythera, but also It had its own religious festivals, aphrodisias which were celebrated throughout Greece, especially in the cities of Athens and Corinth.
In fact, In the ancient city of Corinth there was an important temple dedicated to the goddess destroyed by the Romans during their conquest of the city. In that and other temples consecrated to Aphrodite, a form of ritual prostitution was practiced, carried out by courtesans who were part of the group of the hierodules (“sacred servants”).
In her numerous representations, Aphrodite It often appears accompanied by the Carites, that is, the three graces: Aglaia (“beauty”), Euphrosyne (“joy”) and Thalia (“abundance”).
Who were the children of Aphrodite?
Numerous children are attributed to Aphrodite, such as Aeneas, the Trojan hero; Eros, the god of passionate love; Hermaphrodite, the human being of both sexes resulting from his love affairs with Hermes; and the twins Phobos (“fear”) and Deimos (“terror”), fruit of their union with Ares.
See also: Greek Goddesses of Antiquity
Other gods of Greco-Roman mythology
Other central gods in Greco-Roman mythology were:
- Zeus. He was the main god and father of most of the Olympian gods, he reigned over the sky and controlled thunder and lightning. He was married to his sister Hera, but he had multiple lovers from whom the great demigods of Greek tradition were born. It was called Jupiter by the Romans.
- Poseidon. He was the brother of Zeus and ruled over the seas and waters. He was represented carrying a trident, with which he could summon waterspouts, hurricanes and typhoons to, for example, sink ships. It was called Neptune by the Romans.
- Hades. He was the brother of Zeus and the god who ruled in the world of the dead. He wore a helmet that made him invisible, so he must never be mentioned, or there was a risk that he would be listening. It was called Pluto by the Romans.
- Athena. She was the daughter of Zeus, born from a part of his head. She was a warrior and virginal goddess, associated with cunning, intelligence, wisdom and justice. She was associated with the owl and was almost always represented with a helmet and a shield, ready to defend the innocent. She was called Minerva by the Romans.
- Hermes. He was the son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maya, and a cunning and intelligent god, patron of messengers, thieves and merchants, in charge of leading the souls of the deceased to the underworld. It was called Mercury by the Romans.
- Apollo. He was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the god of divination, the arts and poetry, medicine (which he passed on to his son Asclepius), and the bow and arrow. He was a solar god, venerated in Delphi and leader of the muses. The Romans called him Phoebus.
- Sagebrush. She was a virginal goddess, associated with hunting, wildlife and birth. She was the twin sister of Apollo and therefore the daughter of Zeus and Leto. The deer and the cypress were consecrated to him. The Romans called her Diana.
- Ares. He was the god of war, son of Zeus and Hera, and was associated with brutality, violence and aggressive virility. He had numerous mortal and divine lovers, and around sixty children with them. The Romans called it Mars.
References
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2024). Aphrodite. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Cartwright, M. (2018). Aphrodite. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/
- Grimal, P. (1981). Dictionary of Greek and Roman mythology. Paidós.
