Aphrodite is one of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses in Greek mythology, standing out as the goddess of beauty, love, and desire.
Her allure and influence over both gods and mortals make her a central figure in numerous Greek myths. As you would guess, she is surrounded by a flashy family thanks to her centrality.
Table of Contents
Aphrodite’s Parents and Unusual Birth
Aphrodite’s entrance into the world of Greek mythology is as dramatic and unique as one might expect from the goddess of beauty. According to one popular myth, chronicled by Hesiod in his Theogony, Aphrodite was born from the sea foam. This remarkable event followed a violent episode where Cronus castrated his father, Uranus, and threw his severed genitals into the sea. From this white foam arose Aphrodite, fully grown and breathtakingly beautiful.
The location of Aphrodite’s birth further underscores her connection to beauty and love. She emerged near the island of Cyprus, a place that would later become one of her major centers of worship. As Aphrodite set foot on the island, the beauty of the surroundings was said to reflect her own divine loveliness. This origin story emphasizes her elemental ties to both the ocean and the concept of beauty springing from chaos, marking her as a potent and revered figure from the moment of her birth.
Moreover, Aphrodite’s ascent to divinity was immediate. Upon her birth, she was welcomed among the Olympian gods, establishing her status and power. Her beauty and charm were such that other gods were instantly drawn to her, setting the stage for numerous myths involving her romantic escapades and entanglements.
READ MORE: 41 Greek Gods and Goddesses: Family Tree and Fun Facts
Aphrodite’s Siblings
Aphrodite had several notable siblings who also held places of power within the Greek pantheon. Key figures among these were Athena, Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes. These gods were born from Zeus, the god of the sky, who wielded significant influence in Greek mythology. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, emerged fully grown and clad in armor from Zeus’s forehead. Apollo and Artemis, the twin gods of the sun and the hunt, respectively, were born to Zeus and the Titaness Leto. Hermes, the cunning messenger of the gods, was the son of Zeus and Maia.
READ MORE: The 12 Greek Titans: The Original Gods of Ancient Greece
These siblings often appeared alongside or in stories involving Aphrodite, each adding a different dynamic to the myths. Athena’s strategic mind often contrasted with Aphrodite’s more emotive and spontaneous nature, while Apollo’s association with artistic pursuits like the Greek lyric sometimes aligned with Aphrodite’s domain of beauty and love.
Artemis’s fierce independence and connection to the natural world provided a counterpoint to Aphrodite’s often relationship-focused myths. Hermes, ever the trickster, would sometimes cross paths with Aphrodite in tales where cunning and charm were pivotal.
The relationship between Aphrodite and Athena was particularly complex due to their contrasting domains. While Aphrodite ruled over love and beauty, Athena was the embodiment of wisdom and military strategy. Their most famous interaction came during the judgment of Paris, where Aphrodite’s promise of the most beautiful mortal woman led to the Trojan War, a conflict that Athena opposed.
Despite their differences, both were revered in Greek mythology, with temples such as the temple to Aphrodite and numerous dedications to Athena across Greece showcasing their importance.
Apollo and Artemis, as twin siblings of Zeus, shared a closer bond with each other than with Aphrodite, yet their interactions in myths often highlighted the intersection of their realms with hers. Apollo, as a god of prophecy, music, and healing, occasionally found his paths crossing with Aphrodite’s in matters of heart and art. For instance, Aphrodite’s son Aeneas was protected by Apollo during the Trojan War In contrast, Artemis, a virgin goddess, often stood apart from Aphrodite’s themes of romance and beauty, representing a stark divergence in their divine functions.
Hermes and Aphrodite shared a lighter, more playful relationship compared to her interactions with other siblings. Hermes’s role as a messenger and facilitator of transitions often complemented Aphrodite’s influence over emotions and relationships. Their combined myths speak to themes of communication and connection, such as when Hermes helped Aphrodite in her various romantic endeavors.
Aphrodite’s Relationships and Crushes
Aphrodite had many romantic relationships:
Aphrodite’s Relationship with Anchises
One of Aphrodite’s most famed romantic entanglements was with Anchises, a mortal Trojan prince. This love affair is best chronicled in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, where the goddess herself falls victim to the whims of love. Zeus, perhaps to humble her or merely out of mischief, caused Aphrodite to fall passionately in love with Anchises. Disguising herself as a mortal maiden, Aphrodite seduced him, and from their union was born Aeneas, who would go on to be a hero of the Trojan War and later a mythical founder of Rome.
Aphrodite and Adonis
Aphrodite’s affair with Adonis is one of the most tragic in Greek mythology. Adonis was an incredibly handsome youth, born from a myrrh tree and destined to be desired by goddesses. Aphrodite hid him in a chest and entrusted him to Persephone, who also fell in love with him. This led to a dispute between the two goddesses, resolved only by Zeus’s intervention, which decreed that Adonis would spend part of the year with each. Unfortunately, Adonis’s fate was sealed when a boar killed him, a tragic event that caused Aphrodite immense grief.
Aphrodite and Ares
Aphrodite’s affair with Ares, the god of war, represents one of the most passionate and well-known relationships in Greek mythology. Despite being married to Hephaestus, the goddess of love found herself irresistibly drawn to Ares’s vigorous and fiery nature. Their union was marked by fervor and secrecy, yet it was famously exposed by the sun god Helios, who saw them together and alerted Hephaestus. In an infamous episode described by Homer, Hephaestus crafted a finely woven net to trap the lovers in the act, exposing them to the ridicule of the other gods. This story not only highlights the passionate nature of Aphrodite but also her vulnerability and the complex interplay of emotions and power among the Olympians.
Aphrodite and Hephaestus
The marriage between Aphrodite and Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, was more a matter of convenience and arrangement than romantic affection. Hephaestus, renowned for his skill at the forge, was not Aphrodite’s choice but rather a decision imposed by Zeus to settle the divine conflict over her beauty.
Their union is often depicted as tumultuous and unfulfilled, with Hephaestus working long hours at his forge and Aphrodite seeking companionship elsewhere, notably with Ares. Despite the lack of a loving connection, Hephaestus still always attempted to please Aphrodite with gifts, including a girdle that made her even more irresistible.
Divine Offspring of Aphrodite
Just like other Greek gods, Aphrodite had several divine offspring:
Hermaphroditus
According to Greek myths, Hermaphroditus was an extraordinarily beautiful youth who merged forms with the nymph Salmacis, resulting in a being embodying both male and female qualities. This transformation, as detailed in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, occurred when Salmacis, overwhelmed by love and desire, clung to Hermaphroditus as he bathed in her pool and prayed they would never be separated. The gods granted her wish, and their bodies fused, creating a dual-gendered figure.
Priapus
Aphrodite became the mother of Priapus through her union with Dionysus, the god of wine and festivity. According to one popular version of the myth, as found in the writings of Pausanias and other classical authors, the birth of Priapus did not go as expected.
While Aphrodite was pregnant with Priapus, Hera, jealous and seeking to undermine Aphrodite’s happiness, touched Aphrodite’s belly during the pregnancy. This act was imbued with Hera’s spite and led to Priapus being born with his distinctively large and permanent erection, which became his defining characteristic. This physical attribute, while often the subject of humor and ridicule, also symbolized abundant fertility and was believed to ward off evil—traits that made Priapus a protector of livestock and gardens.
Interestingly, the reaction to Priapus’s appearance was mixed among the gods and goddesses. His deformity caused him to be shunned in Olympus, leading him to reside on Earth among nymphs and satyrs, who were more accepting of his unusual form.
Eros
Eros, one of the most renowned divine offspring of Aphrodite, is universally recognized as the god of love and desire. Often depicted as a mischievous young boy with wings, Eros wielded the power to make both gods and mortals fall in love by shooting his magical arrows.
According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Eros was one of the primal forces of the universe, existing from the beginning of creation and playing a crucial role in the ordering of the cosmos by igniting love and passion among beings. In other tales, particularly those influenced by later poets and authors, Eros is specifically described as the son of Aphrodite and Ares. His close association with Aphrodite is depicted in numerous artworks like the fresco from Pompeii.
Harmonia
Harmonia, the goddess of harmony and concord, was another significant offspring of Aphrodite, born through her union with Ares. Harmonia’s role in Greek mythology is emblematic of her name, representing the peaceful agreement and balance among the conflicting elements of life and society.
Her most famous myth involves her marriage to Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, which was marked by a grand wedding attended by many gods. As a wedding gift, she received a cursed necklace made by Hephaestus, which brought tragedy to her descendants, linking her story to themes of fate and the interconnectedness of joy and suffering.
Phobos and Deimos
Phobos and Deimos are two lesser-known but significant mortal offspring of Aphrodite, born from her union with Ares, the war god. Unlike their celestial siblings, these two figures are not often spotlighted in mainstream Greek mythology but play crucial roles as personifications of the emotions they represent— fear and terror, respectively.
According to myths, Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror) would accompany their father, Ares, into battle, driving his chariot and spreading fear among his enemies.
Mortal Offspring of Aphrodite
Mortal offspring of Aphrodite include:
Aeneas
Aeneas, one of Aphrodite’s most celebrated mortal offspring, was born from her union with the Trojan prince Anchises. Aphrodite, having been made to fall in love with Anchises by Zeus as a lesson in humility, secretly visited him, disguised as a mortal. From their encounter, Aeneas was born, destined to become one of the heroes of the Trojan War and later the legendary founder of Roman progeny.
His story is extensively chronicled in Virgil’s Aeneid, where he is portrayed as a paragon of piety and duty, carrying his father from the burning ruins of Troy and undertaking a journey destined by the gods to found Rome.
Golgos and Beroe
Lesser-known among the mortal children of Aphrodite are Golgos and Beroe, each unique in their mythological roles and stories. Golgos was associated with the founding myths of the city of Golgi in Cyprus, a region deeply connected to the worship of Aphrodite.
According to legend, it was his name that the city adopted, reflecting the close ties between Aphrodite’s divine influence and the geographic spread of her cult. On the other hand, Beroe, born from Aphrodite’s liaison with Adonis, was celebrated in ancient myths as the nymph of the city of Beroea in Syria. Her story is intricately linked to the legend of Aphrodite and Adonis, where she emerges as a symbol of local cultic practices merging the mortal and divine worlds.
Wrapping Up the Family Tree of the Ancient Greek Goddess of Love
So there you have it – the goddess of love, beauty, and desire, born not from a mother’s womb but from the sea foam itself.
Aphrodite’s origin story sets the stage for her presence on Mount Olympus and her many adventures in Greek mythology. From her relationships with other gods and mortals to her role in the Trojan War, Aphrodite’s influence is indeed felt throughout the ancient tales.
References
Apollodorus. Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Includes Frazer’s notes
Ovid. Metamorphoses. Brookes More. Boston. Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922.
Aeschylus. Aeschylus, with an English translation by Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph. D. in two volumes. 2. Suppliant Women. Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph. D. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926.
Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Theogony. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
Anonymous. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Homeric Hymns. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.