Aphrodite: The Goddess of Love and Beauty in Ancient Greek Mythology

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is one of the 12 Olympians and was born from the sea foam created when the Titan Cronus severed Uranus’ genitals and threw them into the sea.

This goddess is known as the unwilling wife of the god Hephaestus, the lover of Ares, and the divine spark that started the Trojan War. Most of her myths have her meddling with emotions, given her power to arouse desire. Thus, she is notorious for swaying the hearts of men and gods alike, often to their detriment.

Whoever said the goddess of love played fair?

Table of Contents

Meaning of Aphrodite’s Name

There is no unified meaning behind Aphrodite’s name. Given her origins and the Greek “aphrós” meaning sea foam, many have rallied behind the meaning of her name being something along the lines of “goddess of sea foam.” It makes sense, but given Aphrodite’s power, it is a bit lackluster.

Aphrodite’s name could instead relate to her uncanny ability to make people “lose their minds,” so to speak. Professor and author Craig Jendza has previously suggested Aphrodite’s name could mean “one associated with mindlessness” on account of her abilities. When we consider the saying “love makes you do crazy things,” Aphrodite’s name makes much more sense.

The Birth of Aphrodite and Her Beauty

There are several tales of Aphrodite’s birth. Some say she was the daughter of Zeus, others that she existed before the King of the Gods.

Before the gods and goddesses, there was primordial Chaos. From the primordial chaos, Gaia, or Earth, was born.

In the before times, Uranus lay with Earth and produced the 12 Titans, three cyclopes, one-eyed giants, and three monstrous Hecatoncheires with fifty heads and 100 hands. But Uranus hated his children and was furious at their existence.

The insidious Uranus would still force Earth to lie with him and when each monster that was birthed of their union appeared, he would take the child and shove them back inside her womb, leaving her in constant labor pain, and giving her no choice but to beg for help from the children that resided within her.

Only one was brave enough: the youngest Titan, Cronus. When Uranus came and lay with Earth again, Cronus took the sickle of adamant that Earth created for the task and in one fell swoop sliced off his father’s genitals, tossing them into the sea where the current carried them to the island of Cyprus.

From the sea foam created by Uranus’ genitals grew a beautiful woman who stepped out onto the island, grass springing from beneath her feet. The Seasons, a group of goddesses known as the Horae, placed a gold crown on her head, and bequeathed earrings of copper and golden flowers, and a golden necklace that drew the eye to her beckoning cleavage.

And so, Aphrodite was born. She was the Lady of Cythera, the Lady of Cyprus, and the goddess of love.

From birth, the Greek Aphrodite was beloved by all. She calmed the seas, caused the meadows to spring forth with flowers, and the storms to abate. Even wild animals followed her in submission.

The most sensual and sexual of all the Greek gods and goddesses, Aphrodite appears nude in many paintings and sculptures, her golden hair flowing down her back. When she is not nude, she is portrayed wearing her magic girdle, which is said to imbue mortals and Gods with unabashed passion and desire.

Aphrodite’s Powers and Skills

Aphrodite is a force to be reckoned with. Sure, she may not regularly see combat, but that doesn’t mean she was without her own power and skill. Aphrodite could manipulate the heart in ways no other deity could. Her love was one that bordered on obsession.

With her girdle, she could compel affection from just about anyone. Without it, she was equally as persuasive. Aphrodite’s power didn’t come from physical might or quick wit, but it came from her uncanny ability to exploit one’s heart and mind. She knew what drove people and, more importantly, Aphrodite knew how to influence those around her.

Symbols, Sacred Items, and Animals

Aphrodite’s symbols include the dove, swan, and myrtle, and she is often depicted in art as a beautiful woman adorned with jewels and flowers. Seashells, pearls, and roses are also popular iconography used when portraying the goddess of romance.

Among her most popular imagery, we can similarly find Aphrodite’s sacred items and animals. Her most sacred animal, the one that would represent her the most, would be the swan. Meanwhile, no one can argue over the value placed on Aphrodite’s girdle, which allowed the wearer to seduce or enchant anyone they wished.

Swans
Doves
Sparrows
Rams
Dolphins
Roses
Myrtle
Seashells
Pearls
The Girdle of Aphrodite

Aphrodite’s Husbands and Lovers

As the goddess of all things sensual, it is not surprising that Aphrodite had a long list of lovers. That being said, she had only one husband, Hephaestus; one that, according to myths, she didn’t like all that much. These other men, both mortal and divine, go down in history as being Aphrodite’s paramours.

Legends say that Aphrodite was truly only in love with one of them. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t her husband. Instead, it is widely believed that Aphrodite was only ever in love with the god Ares and he with her. She even bore Ares’ multiple children, a feat unrecorded regarding her spouse.

Aphrodite and Hephaestus

Hephaestus was nowhere near Aphrodite’s usual type. The blacksmith god of fire was born hunched and ugly, filling his mother Hera with such disgust that she flung him from the heights of Mount Olympus, permanently crippling him so he forever walked with a limp.

Where other gods lounged on Olympus drinking and cavorting with humans, Hephaestus remained below, toiling on weapons and intricate devices that none could replicate, stewing in the cold, bitter resentment of what Hera had done to him.

Forever the outsider, he decided to take revenge. He crafted a throne for Hera that trapped her as soon as she sat upon it and none could free her.

Enraged, Hera sent Ares to capture Hephaestus, but he was chased away. Next, Dionysus went and bribed the other god with drink until he agreed to return. Once back on Mount Olympus, he told Zeus that he would only free Hera if he could marry the beautiful Aphrodite. Zeus accepted, and the two were wed.

But Aphrodite was unhappy. Her true soul partner was Ares, the god of war, and she wasn’t attracted to Hephaestus in the slightest, continuing to secretly cavort with Ares whenever she was able.

Aphrodite and Ares

Aphrodite and Ares are one of the truest pairings of gods in all of mythology. Both loved each other fiercely and continually came back to each other despite their other lovers and dalliances.

But one of their most famous affairs includes a third partner, Hephaestus. At this point, Aphrodite and Hephaestus were wed by Zeus, despite Aphrodite’s disgust with the arrangement.

Throughout their marriage, she and Ares continued to meet and sleep together, away from the prying eyes of the other gods. But there was one God they could not avoid: Helios, for Helios was the sun god, and spent his days hanging high in the sky, where he could see all.

He told Hephaestus that he had seen the lovers in flagrante, causing the fire god to fly into a rage. He hatched a plan to capture and humiliate Aphrodite and Ares, using his own talents as a blacksmith. In anger, he forged a net of fine strands, so thin they were invisible even to the other gods, and hung it across Aphrodite’s bedchamber.

When the beautiful goddess of love, Aphrodite, and the god of war, Ares, next entered her chambers and fell laughing together into the sheets, they suddenly found themselves trapped, the net weaving tightly around their naked bodies.

The other gods, who were unable (and unwilling) to pass up the chance to see the beautiful Aphrodite in the nude, ran to stare at her beauty and laugh at the furious and also naked Ares.

Eventually, Hephaestus released the couple, after eliciting a promise from Poseidon, god of the sea, that Zeus would return all Aphrodite’s marital gifts to him.

Ares immediately fled to Thrace, a region in modern-day southern Turkey, whereas Aphrodite traveled to her Great Temple in Paphos.

Aphrodite’s Children

Stories of the gods’ offspring are often confused and unsure. While one ancient text may declare two as a family, another may not. But there are some children certain to come from the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite:

The Erotes
- Eros (Cupid)
- Anteros
- Himeros
- Pothos
- Hymenaios
Phobos and Deimos
Harmonia
Hermaphroditus
Rhodos
Aeneas
Beroe
Golgos

Below are those children credited to Aphrodite, but also to several other goddesses. Their fathers vary depending on the source:

Priapus
Peitho
The Charites

Festival of Aphrodite

The ancient Greek festival of Aphrodisia was held annually in Aphrodite’s honor. Although not much fact remains from the time of the festival, there are several ancient rituals we know it upheld. It was popularly celebrated throughout the ancient cities of Corinth and Athens, with major festivities being staged across Cyprus.

On the first day of the festival (which scholars think was held around the third week of July, and lasted for 3 days), Aphrodite’s temple would be purified with the blood of a dove, her sacred bird. Then, the festival goers would carry images of Aphrodite through the streets before taking them to be washed.

During the festival, no one could make blood sacrifices on Aphrodite’s altar, except for the sacrifice victims for the festival itself, usually white male goats. Aphrodite would watch as the humans brought her offerings of incense and flowers, and fiery torches lit the streets, bringing cities alive at night.

Myths Surrounding Aphrodite

As one of the more important gods in ancient Greek mythology, Aphrodite appears in countless myths. Some of the most important, and those that have had the biggest impact on Greek history and culture, involve her quarrels and romantic entanglements with other Greek gods.

The Judgement of Paris and the Trojan War

One period that pops up time and again in Greek mythology is the Trojan War. And it is indeed here that Aphrodite plays a prominent role, for it is she, Athena, and Hera who can be blamed for the start of the whole affair.

That being said, it is arguably Eris, the goddess of chaos, who lit the match that set the gunpowder aflame.

The Initial Banquet

When Zeus held a banquet celebrating the marriage of Achilles‘ parents, Peleus and Thetis, all the gods were invited, except Eris. Angered by the snub, Eris set about to do exactly what her title as “Goddess of Discord” suggests – cause mayhem.

Arriving at the party, she took a golden apple, now known as the Golden Apple of Discord, inscribed it with the words “to the fairest” and rolled it into the crowd, where it was immediately spotted by Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.

All three goddesses immediately assumed the message would be for them, and in their vanity began bickering over who the apple was referring to. Their quarreling destroyed the mood of the party and Zeus soon stepped in to tell them he would decide the true owner of the apple.

Paris of Troy

Later, Zeus chose a way to decide the apple’s owner. For some time, he had been keeping an eye on young Paris, a shepherd boy from Troy with a secret past. You see, Paris was born as Alexander, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy.

Just before his birth, Hecuba had dreamt that her son would bring about the fall of Troy and the city would burn. So in their fear, the king and queen sent their Trojan prince to the mountains to be torn apart by wolves. But, instead, the baby was saved, first by a bear who recognized a baby’s hungry cries, and later by shepherds who took him in as their own and named him Paris.

He grew up to be a kind-hearted, innocent, and astonishingly good-looking young man, who had no idea of his noble lineage. Thus, Zeus made the perfect choice to decide the apple’s fate. Hermes soon appeared to Paris and told him of the job Zeus had assigned him.

Paris’ Judgement

First, Hera appeared before Paris, promising him worldly power beyond anything he could imagine. He could be the ruler of vast territories and never fear rivalry or usurpation. Tempting, but perhaps not for a boy raised as humbly as he was.

Next came Athena, who in her huntress guise, promised him invincibility as the greatest warrior, the greatest general the world had ever seen. That is to assume that Paris was ambitious – a prince, the second born, no less may have been.

Finally came Aphrodite, and as the goddess was unsure of what to do, so she used all the tricks in her arsenal to ensnare her victim. Scantily clad, Aphrodite appeared to Paris, letting loose her beauty and invincible charms, so that the young man could barely keep his eyes off her. Her promise? That Paris would win the love and desire of the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.

Conveniently, Aphrodite left out the bit about Helen already being married. And that wasn’t her only secret. Helen’s father had previously forgotten to lay sacrifice at the goddesses’ expectant feet and so she cursed his daughters – Helen and Clytemnestra to be “twice and thrice married, and yet husbandless.”

Paris, of course, did not know of the secret layer of Aphrodite’s plan.

The Trojan War Begins

The trials and tribulations of humans were nothing more than playthings to gods, and Aphrodite cared little for the relationships on earth, providing she got her way. She made Paris irresistible to Helen, imbuing him with gifts that made her unable to tear her eyes away. And so, the couple ransacked Menelaus’ home and fled together to Troy to be wed.

Thanks to Aphrodite’s manipulation and meddling, the Trojan War, one of the greatest events in Greek mythology, began.

Aphrodite During the Trojan War

Hera and Athena, embarrassed and angry at Paris’ choice of Aphrodite over the two of them, quickly took the side of the Greeks during the conflict. But Aphrodite, now considering Paris a favorite of hers, backed the Trojans in their defense of the city. And we’re sure, in no small part, to continue to rile up the other goddesses who she delighted in frustrating.

Paris’ Challenge

After many broken and bloodied bodies, Paris issued a challenge to Menelaus. Only the two of them would fight, the victor would declare victory for their side, and the war would be over with no more bloodshed.

Menelaus accepted his challenge, and the gods watched in amusement from up on high. But Aphrodite’s amusement was short-lived as Menelaus quickly gained ground in their one-on-one battle.

Frustrated, she watched as the beautiful, but naïve, Paris buckled under the superior warrior’s skill. But the final straw was when Menelaus seized Paris and dragged him back to the Greek troop line, choking him as he went. Aphrodite quickly snapped Paris’ chin strap, causing him to fall back, free of Menelaus, but before the young man could react, Menelaus seized a javelin, aiming it straight for his heart.

Enough was enough. Aphrodite had chosen the side of Paris and so, as far as she was concerned, that side should win. She swept onto the battlefield and stole Paris away, depositing him safely in his home in Troy. Next, she visited Helen, to whom she appeared to be a serving girl, and bade her to see Paris in his chambers.

But Helen recognized the goddess and initially refused, saying she belonged once again to Menelaus. Challenging Aphrodite was a mistake. At once Helen felt the power shift as Aphrodite’s eyes narrowed at the mortal who dared refuse her. In a calm but icy voice, she told Helen that if she refused to go with the goddess, she would guarantee that whoever won the war wouldn’t matter. She would ensure Helen would never be safe again. And so Helen went to Paris, where the two then stayed.

Despite Menelaus’ clear win on the battlefield, the war did not end as promised, simply because Hera did not want it to. With some manipulation from up high, the Trojan War once again resumed – this time one of the greatest Greek generals, Diomedes took center stage.

The Issue with Diomedes

After Diomedes was injured in battle, he prayed to Athena for help. She healed his wound and restored his strength so he could return to the fray, but when doing so, warned him not to try to battle any gods that appeared, except Aphrodite.

Aphrodite wasn’t usually in the thick of battle, preferring to wage war with her sexuality. But upon seeing her son, trojan hero Aeneas engage in battle with the general, she took note. As she watched, Diomedes killed Pandarus and Aeneas immediately stood over his friend’s body to face Diomedes, unwilling to let any at his fallen friend’s body, lest they steal the armor his corpse still adorned.

Diomedes, in a roar of strength, picked up a boulder larger than both men and hurled it at Aeneas, sending him flying to the ground and crushing his left hip bone. Before Diomedes could strike a final blow, Aphrodite appeared before him, cradling her son’s head in her arms before taking him and fleeing the battlefield.

But unbelievably, Diomedes chased Aphrodite, and leaping into the air, struck a line through her arm, drawing ichor (divine blood) from the goddess.

Aphrodite had never been handled so harshly! Shrieking, she fled to Ares for comfort and begged for his chariot so she may return to Mt. Olympus, fed up with the Trojan War and the trials of humans.

That does not mean the goddess let Diomedes get away free, however. Immediately Aphrodite planned her revenge, using her more traditional means of sexuality to get her revenge. For, when Diomedes returned to his wife, Aegialia, he found her in bed with a lover that Aphrodite had so generously provided.

Aphrodite and Adonis

Adonis was the only human mortal Aphrodite truly loved.

Long before his birth, in Cyprus, where Aphrodite felt most at home, reigned King Pygmalion. But Pygmalion was alone, horrified by the prostitutes on the island he had refused to take a wife. Instead, he fell in love with a white marble statue of a beautiful woman. At the festival of Aphrodite, she granted Pygmalion his desire and brought the statue he admired to life. And so, the couple were happily married and had many children.

But years later Pygmalion’s grandson Cinyras’ wife made a terrible mistake. In her arrogance, she claimed her daughter Myrrha was more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.

Aphrodite, like all the gods, was proud and vain, and hearing these words caused such a rage that she henceforth cursed poor Myrrha to lie awake each night, with a restless passion for her own father. Eventually, unable to deny her longing any longer, Myrrha went to Cinyras, and unbeknownst to him, in the darkness of night, fulfilled her desire.

When Cinyras found out the truth, he was both horrified and furious. Myrrha fled from him, begging the gods for help, and was turned into the myrrh tree, doomed to forever shed bitter tears.

But Myrrha was pregnant, and the boy continued to grow inside the tree, eventually being born and tended by nymphs. His name was Adonis.

Adonis as a Child

Even as a child, Adonis was beautiful and Aphrodite immediately wanted to keep him, hiding him away in a chest. But she made the mistake of trusting Persephone, goddess of the underworld with her secret, asking her to safeguard the child. Upon peeking inside the chest, Persephone also immediately wanted to keep the child, and the two goddesses quarreled over fair Adonis so loudly that Zeus heard from up on Mount Olympus.

He henceforth declared that the child’s time would be split. One-third of the year with Persephone, one-third with Aphrodite, and the final third wherever Adonis himself chose. And Adonis chose Aphrodite.

Aphrodite Falls in Love

As Adonis grew, he became even more beautiful, and Aphrodite couldn’t keep her eyes from the young man. She fell so deeply in love with him that she actually left the halls of Mount Olympus and her lover Ares behind to be with Adonis, living among humanity and joining her beloved in daily hunts.

But up on Olympus, Ares grew angrier and angrier, eventually sending a wild boar to fatally gore Aphrodite’s young human lover. From afar, Aphrodite heard her lover’s cries, racing to be by his side. But tragically she was too late, and all she found was poor Adonis’ body, which she wept over, sending a prayer to Persephone and sprinkling nectar on his spilled blood.

From their grief sprang the frail anemone, a tribute to Adonis’ short time on Earth.

Aphrodite and Anchises

Before Adonis came, there was Anchises, a handsome young shepherd who was manipulated by the gods to fall in love with Aphrodite. And although her love for him was true, their tale is not the pure one, as is the love shared between Aphrodite and Adonis.

Aphrodite enjoyed manipulating her fellow gods and getting them to fall in love with humans. In revenge, the gods picked handsome Anchises as he tended his cattle and showered him with virility so Aphrodite would find the young shepherd irresistible.

She was immediately smitten and flew to her great temple at Paphos to have the Graces bathe her and anoint her with oil of ambrosia to present herself to Anchises.

Once she was beautified, she took on the form of a young virgin, and that night appeared to Anchises on the hill above Troy. As soon as Anchises laid eyes on the goddess (although he did not know what she was), he fell for her and the two lay together under the stars.

Later, Aphrodite revealed her true form to Anchises, who immediately feared for his potency, as it was said those who lay with gods and goddesses immediately lost their sexual vigor. She reassured him of his continued legacy, promising to bear upon him a son, Aeneas.

But as the years drew on, Anchises became boastful of his union with Aphrodite and was later crippled for his arrogance.

The Trials of Psyche

Psyche was a mortal princess full of beauty, grace, and charm. So much so that she was a direct threat to Aphrodite’s “fairest of them all” title. As any rational goddess would do, Aphrodite sent her favorite son, Eros, to strike Psyche with an arrow of love and make her enthralled by a hideous creature. Eros couldn’t say “no” to Mother Dearest but fumbled terribly in his execution of the task.

Instead of hitting Psyche with the arrow, he accidentally pricked himself with it. And in her presence no less! Now, Eros was hopelessly in love with Psyche and was determined to woo her – he visited her under the guise of darkness each night until she was equally in love with him.

As the story goes, a rift is drawn between the couple, and Psyche has to fulfill a handful of seemingly impossible tasks to gain Eros’ and the gods’ favor once more. Once complete, Psyche became immortal and was able to spend eternity with Eros as the goddess of the soul.

The Story of Hippomenes and Aphrodite

Atalanta, daughter of Schoeneus of Boeotia, a region to the north of Athens that was dominated by Thebes, was renowned for her beauty, amazing hunting abilities, and swift-footedness, frequently leaving a trail of swooning courtiers in her wake.

But she feared them all, for an oracle had warned her that she should beware of marriage. And so Atalanta announced that the only man she would marry would be one who could beat her in a foot race and that those who failed would face death at her hand.

Hippomenes, a son of King Megareus of Thebes was determined to win Atalanta’s hand.

But after watching Atalanta defeat one suitor after another, he realized he had no chance to beat her in a foot race without help. And so, he prayed to Aphrodite, who took pity on Hippomenes’ plight and gifted him with three golden apples.

As the two raced, Hippomenes used the apples to distract Atalanta, who could not resist picking each up. As each apple caught her attention, Hippomenes bit by bit caught up, at last overtaking her to the finish line.

True to her word, the two were happily married.

But the story of Hippomenes and Atalanta does not end there. Aphrodite is the goddess of love, but she is also proud and demands grace and thanks for the gifts she bestows upon mortals, and Hippomenes, in his foolishness, forgot to thank her for the golden apples. So Aphrodite cursed them both.

She tricked the two lovers into lying together at the shrine of the Mother of All, who, appalled by their behavior, cursed Atalanta and Hippomenes, turning them into sexless lions to draw her chariot. Not the best end to a love story.

Lemnos Island and Aphrodite’s Stench

All ancient Greek citizens knew the importance of giving thanks, prayers, and feasts to the Gods on Mount Olympus. The gods may have delighted in watching and manipulating humanity’s exploits, but they also created humans so that they themselves could enjoy their lavish attentions.

That’s why Aphrodite delights in spending so much time at her Great Temple in Paphos, catered to by the Graces.

And it’s why, when she felt the women on the Island of Lemnos had not given her proper tribute, she decided to punish them for their transgression.

In simple terms, she made them smell. But this was no ordinary smell. Under Aphrodite’s curse, the women of Lemnos smelled so bad that none could bear to be with them and their husbands, fathers, and brothers turned from them in disgust.

With no man brave enough to bear the stench of Lemnos’ women, instead, they turned their attentions elsewhere, sailing to the mainland and returning with Thracian wives.

Furious that they were treated as such, the women murdered all the men of Lemnos. After news of what they did spread, no man dared step foot on the island again, leaving it solely inhabited by women, until one day when Jason and the Argonauts dared step upon its shores.

Temples in Greece Dedicated to Aphrodite

Aphrodite was one of the most celebrated goddesses across the Greek world. Naturally, there were a ton of temples dedicated to her. She was especially venerated in Corinth, with several temples having been erected in her honor. After all, Aphrodite was their city god.

Temples that were dedicated to Aphrodite in the ancient world:

Temple of Aphrodite (3rd century BCE) at Rhodes Old Town
Temple of Aphrodite Kytherea (6th century BCE) at Kythira
Temple of Aphrodite (5th century BCE) at the sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion
Temple of Aphrodite (3rd century BCE) at Aphrodisias
Temple of Aphrodite (5th century BCE) at Acrocorinth
Sanctuary of Aphrodite Paphia (~3rd millennium BCE) at Paphos

Aphrodite’s Roman Goddess Equivalent

Roman mythology took a lot from the ancient Greeks. After the Roman Empire expanded across continents, they looked to associate their Roman gods and goddesses with the ancient Greeks to combine the two cultures as a way to assimilate them into their own.

The Roman goddess Venus was Greek Aphrodite’s equivalent, and she too was known as the goddess of love and beauty.

Aphrodite in Art

Aphrodite has been a popular subject in art for eons. There’s a certain timelessness to being the goddess of love and beauty, as they are ever-evolving things.

In art, Aphrodite is represented as a great beauty, usually with a curvaceous figure and flowing hair. To highlight her sensuality, artists oftentimes show the goddess as being nude. It is rare to find her clothed, and even more rare to find depictions of her armored.

Finer details of Aphrodite, such as her hair, eyes, and skin color, tend to fall to the artist. Again, being the goddess of something as rapidly changing as beauty has its perks. In this case, beauty is in the eye of the beholder – that beholder being the artist.

Aphrodite of Rhodes (2nd century BCE)
Crouching Venus (3rd century BCE)
Venus de Milo (2nd century BCE)
Venus de Medici (1st century BCE)
Statuette of Aphrodite (~2nd century BCE)
Aphrodite, Pan, and Eros (1st century BCE)
Venus Anadyomene (1520)
Venus and Anchises (1890)
The Birth of Venus (1486)
The Pearls of Aphrodite (1907)