Reference
- Aphrodite....in the Homeric version (see homer) daughter of *Zeus and Dione (Il. 5. 370–417), Aphrodite is the the first anthropomorphic female form and she emerges in a mythical context of desire and violence, tension and appeasement, mirroring the ambivalence of her powers: seductive charm, the need to procreate, and a capacity for deception, elements also present in the person of the first woman, Pandora (Hes. Op. 60–8). There is no agreement on her historical origins; the Greeks themselves thought of her as coming from the east (Hdt 1. 105, Paus. 1. 14. 7), and in literature she is frequently given the name Cypris, ‘the Cyprian’. (See cyprus.) The double tradition of her birth shows how the Greeks felt Aphrodite to be at the same time Greek and foreign, but also, on the level of mythology, that they perceived her as a powerful goddess whom it would be prudent to place under the authority of Zeus...
- VenusRoman goddess of love; an old deity to the Italians and quite unimportant in ROME until the influence of the Greeks was felt. From that point, Venus took on the characteristics of Aphrodite, her Greek counterpart, and in that form she came to Rome, via the PUNIC WAR with CARTHAGE. Romans were entranced by a temple in honor of Venus on Mount Eryx in Sicily, when it fell to them in 217 B.C.E. She was called Venus Eurcina and was brought into Rome after the SIBYLLINE BOOKS granted approval to the establishment of her cult. She assumed a number of incarnations in Rome. As Venus Verticordia, she changed the human heart. As Venus Genetrix, her most popular form, she was part of a legend that Aeneas was the son of Venus and Mars. Thus JULIUS CAESAR and Octavian (AUGUSTUS), who both claimed descent from Aeneas's line (via the gens Julia), held Venus Genetrix in great esteem and allowed the goddess to be a part of the IMPERIAL CULT and the Roman state religion. Temples to the goddess were common throughout Rome. Julius Caesar made the Temple of Venus Genetrix the focus of his FORUM CAESARIS, while HADRIAN (ca. 135 C.E.) dedicated the Temple of Venus in Rome near the COLOSSEUM.
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The Homeric hymn to Aphrodite : introduction, text, and commentary
An edition, with introduction and commentary, of the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, which tells of the seduction of the shepherd Anchises by the love-goddess Aphrodite, and has long been recognized as a masterpiece of early Western literature. - ;The Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, which tells of the seduction of the shepherd Anchises by the love-goddess Aphrodite, has long been recognized as a masterpiece of early Western literature. This edition is designed as a reference tool to aid scholars and students in their study of the poem.
The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome
The essential illustrated guide to the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome, vividly retelling their stories and exploring their origins. Who were the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome? What did they mean to the people who worshipped them? Although their time of widespread worship has long passed, the Greek and Roman gods have fascinated and inspired writers and artists for millennia. From Aphrodite to Apollo, Poseidon to Zeus, these are some of the most recognizable characters in Western culture, yet there is a much richer past behind famous paintings of the birth of Aphrodite or the bold iconography of Zeus and his thunderbolts. The Greek and Roman gods are enthralling characters in the enduringly powerful Iliad, Odyssey and Metamorphoses. They are immortal and powerful yet also vain, vindictive and vulnerable. Moreover, as manifestations of death, fertility, love and war, the gods are also our key to understanding how the Greeks and Romans saw their world. Philip Matyszak presents this pantheon in all their complexity, guiding us from Mount Olympus to the depths of Hades. Each chapter focuses on an individual god or goddess, beginning with their 'biography' as understood by the Greeks and Romans and exploring the origins of the legends. Matyszak mixes history with vivid retellings of the myths in which the gods have a starring role, from stories of cosmic creation and universal war to disastrous weddings and freak discus accidents. This sumptuously illustrated guide to the gods of Greece and Rome is a must-have for anyone interested in mythology and classical civilization.
Aphrodite and Eros
This book offers a groundbreaking revision of the popular image of Aphrodite and Eros that lives on in Roman poetry (Venus and Cupid) and has inspired artists for centuries. An interdisciplinary analysis of the Archaic period - using literary, iconographical, and cultic evidence - shows the distinct concept behind the two deities of love. Aphrodite's character, sphere of influence, and function feature in her traditional myths and are well reflected in cult. Eros, however, was not yet a similarly personified mythical figure at that stage, nor did he have an individual cult. Breitenberger follows the different stages of the development of Eros's personality. Originally a cosmic entity and an unpersonified aspect of Aphrodite, he was given his mythical identity by successive archaic lyric poets who were particularly keen to mythologize a male counterpart to the established love-goddess Aphrodite. This male love-god turns out to be the divinized homoerotic ideal of the male aristocracy 'worshipped' at their symposia. The development of the male love-god is taken as an example to demonstrate that poets' artistic innovation as well as their social and historical background played an important role in creating Greek mythology.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite explores the many myths and meanings of the Greek goddess of love, sex and beauty. One of the most widely worshipped and popular deities in Greek antiquity, Aphrodite emerges from the imaginations of the ancient Greek writers and artists as a multifaceted, powerful and charismatic figure. This volume explores the importance of Aphrodite for the ancient Greeks, as well as her enduring influence as a symbol of beauty, adornment, love and sexuality in contemporary culture. In a wide-ranging investigation of the universality of Aphrodite s power and significance, this volume illuminates the numerous intricate levels of divinity embodied by the alluring figure of Aphrodite. Aphrodite offers new insights into the ancient texts and artistic representations of the goddess, as well as a comprehensive survey of the current scholarship about the origins and interpretations of Aphrodite, whilst also highlighting her eternal popular appeal across cultures and generations. A goddess of love who is not afraid to enter the battlefield; a goddess of bodily adornment who is the first to appear totally nude; a goddess born of the sea who emerges into the open sky: Aphrodite is a polyvalent deity, plural in nature, function and significance."
Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome
Represents a wide range of deities in the Greek and Roman pantheons, from Zeus and Jupiter to Eos and Quirinus. Includes discussions of the significance of the given deities, the mythology surrounding them, and the forms of worship associated with them.
Paphos, Cyprus: The Birthplace of Aphrodite
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Inhabited since the Neolithic Age, Paphos was a site of worship of Aphrodite and prehistoric fertility deities. Aphrodite's legendary birthplace was on this island, where her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century B.C. The remains of villas, palaces, theaters, fortresses and tombs give the site its exceptional architectural and historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world.
The Despised Olympian
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowAphrodite and Ares were lovers. Aphrodite's husband, Hephaestus caught them in bed and entangled them in an invisible net.
Aphrodite, Wife of Hephaestus
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowAphrodite was married to Hephaestus, son of Zeus. Aphrodite had numerous lovers while married to Hephaestus.
Aphrodite
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowContrary to modern views, Ancient Greeks viewed the powerful goddess’ sexuality as dark and dangerous. In 700 BC the elusive female poet Sappho wrote about her creation.
Online Resources
- Aphrodite and Iyogbo mythologies: A comparative study of New Testament Corinth and contemporary Urhobo cultural settingsThis article focuses on comparison of mythology of Aphrodite in New Testament Corinth and Iyogbo mythology in contemporary Urhoboland, in Nigeria. Using the comparative model as a method, the paper aimed at doing a comparative study on the First Century Graeco-Roman Corinthian cultural setting and the contemporary Urhobo cultural setting in Nigeria. The paper argues that Aphrodite, in first century Graeco-Roman Corinthian cultural setting, is similar to the Iyogbo festival in Urhobo cultural milieu of Delta State in Nigeria. The article asserts that their mythological love symbols in human society palliate indiscriminate sex and as such encourage promiscuity and thus possess health dangers for society because of the sexual promiscuity which it promotes and which is capable of promoting sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. The paper also posits that the Iyogbo festival can and should be modified into a social-cultural engagement that has educational value and must be devoid of indiscriminate sexual activities.
- Aphrodite as the Mother of Aesthetic PerceptionThe presence of Aphrodite in Art History is undeniable, both as an image and as a concept, but her roles and titles are often forgotten in the Art field. These titles widen Aphrodite’s domains – usually only associated to beauty – to much more: idealization, sense of community, persuasion, desire, and much more. Going through artists and thinkers that empower these qualities, such as Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica, both in their poetics and their philosophical points, here guided by the words of Marly Meira and Marilena Chauí, observing their relations with the contemporary world. This article, therefore, embraces some of these domains connected to this Greek goddess and their bonds with contemporary art, philosophy, image theory and daily life in the 21st century; as well as point the role of mythology, works of art and artists as potential influencers of an aesthetic experience in a post-modern society sedated by severity, aiming at instigating a more poetic look onto the late-capitalist world by retaking the image of Aphrodite as the mother of aesthetic and sensible perception.
- Foam-Born Aphrodite and the Mythology of TransformationHesiod's description of Aphrodite's birth in 'Theogony' includes a deliberately ambiguous use of the term "foam." This term can refer to either sea foam or semen, but is left to the reader's interpretation because Hesiod was more concerned with cosmological themes than biological details.