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Home » Ancient History

Aphrodite Greek Goddess of Love Facts

Published: Jul 11, 2018 · Modified: Nov 9, 2023 by Russell Yost · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Aphrodite Greek goddess of love, beauty, sexual pleasure, and fertility in the Greek culture. Her children, the Erotes, also played a role in Greek mythology when they stirred up passions in both mankind and gods. She was born near the coast of Cythera out of the foam that Uranus castrated genitals created. Being created from the foam of genitals must explain Aphrodite's lean towards sex and beauty. 

Aphrodite Greek Goddess
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  • Aphrodite Greek Goddess: Affairs
  • Aphrodite Greek Goddess: Online Resources

Aphrodite Greek Goddess: Affairs

Aphrodite married Hephaestus, but like many of the Olympians, had multiple affairs with other gods and mortals.

Gods

  • Hephaestus - He was the husband of Aphrodite and was hand-picked by Zeus when she showed up at Mount Olympus. All the other gods were so allured by her beauty that Zeus quickly married her off, which only disrupted but did not stop the problem. She had no plans to stay faithful to the ugliest of the Olympians.
  • Ares - Her affair with the God of War is probably the most notorious of her liaisons. She and Ares shared the bed many times, which also resulted in jealousy. Such was the case when Ares allegedly killed Adonis for his love of her. She went on to bear Ares eight children.
  • Poseidon - Upon halting the affair of her and Ares, Poseidon caught a glimpse of the bare flesh that caused him to fall in love with her again. The two had one daughter together.
  • Hermes - The two bore Hermaphrodites together.

Only Zeus and the virgin deities did not fall for her charm.

Mortals

  • Adonis - Born in secret and protected by Aphrodite, Adonis became one of her favorite lovers. He was killed by a boar that some believed to be sent by Ares out of jealousy.
  • Anchises - He was a Trojan prince. She pretended to be a princess herself and seduced him. Only afterward, she revealed herself, promising him a noble son and warning him to keep the affair to himself. Anchises wasn’t able to, so he was struck by Zeus’ thunderbolt, which blinded him. And he wasn’t able to see his son, Aeneas, found the mighty Roman Empire.
  • Paris - Another Trojan prince who saw Aphrodite naked. He was given the task to decide which of the Greek goddesses was the fairest. She tipped the scales in her favor when she promised Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose her and was awarded the love of Helen of Sparta, which ignited the Trojan War.

Each of her lovers fell into her trap, and if they crossed her, she did not show any mercy. She was as ruthless as she was seductive.

Aphrodite Greek Goddess: Online Resources

  • Wikipedia - Goddess of Love
  • Greek Mythology - Story of Aphrodite
  • Theoi - Aphrodite's 5 Loves
  • The History Junkie's Guide to the Ancient World
  • The History Junkie's List of Greek Gods and Goddesses
  • The History Junkie's Timeline of Ancient Greece

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