Greek Mythology 101: Who is Aphrodite?
Ready to learn about the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology and what makes them so special? Welcome to Greek Mythology 101! Today’s topic: the beauty who rose from the sea, Aphrodite.
General Info
Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. She is unique amongst the gods because she is not a child of the Titans nor a child of one of the other gods. Instead, she was born from sea foam, specifically from where the castrated genitals of Ouranos (the Sky) were thrown into the sea by his son Kronos when the Titans came into power.
As such, Aphrodite is technically the oldest of the gods even if Kronos’ children (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia) are seen as the original Olympians.
Symbols & Sacred Animals
Aphrodite is often associated with seashells, symbolic of her birth from the sea and representative of beauty and fertility. In many artistic depictions of her, the most famous of which is Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, she is seen standing on or emerging from a seashell.
The hand mirror is another symbol of Aphrodite. At its base level, it’s representative of beauty and vanity, but if you dive a little deeper, it also represents self-reflection and self-acceptance.
Did you know that the symbol for female (♀) is actually Aphrodite’s mirror? She is the feminine divine after all.
In terms of sacred animals, the dove is Aphrodite’s most prominent symbol. It should come as no surprise, then, that the dove represents love and beauty, and if Aphrodite is ever depicted on a chariot, you better believe that chariot is being pulled by gorgeous white doves.
Relationships
If we went through all of Aphrodite’s relationships, we would probably be here all day, so this a short run-down of the main ones:
Aphrodite is reluctantly married to Hephaestus, but everyone knows that her real love is Ares. They do absolutely nothing to hide their affair, having been caught in the act by Hephaestus himself, and have at least four children together, though some sources claim there are more. This, of course, does not include the other children she has by other gods and mortals.
Aphrodite’s most famous child is Eros, better known as Cupid. And no, Eros is not a cherubic baby in a diaper, but he does wield a bow and arrow, shooting people and forcing them to fall in love. If Aphrodite is love incarnate, Eros is desire.
Final Thoughts
As the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite is often seen as frivolous, but love is one of the most powerful elements in the world; it’s at the center of everything and can be wielded as a weapon just as easily as a sword or spear.
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