Reference
- Aphrodite: Credo Reference...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...
- Venus: Credo ReferenceRoman 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.
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.
Perspectives
Divine Might
New York Times bestselling author Natalie Haynes returns to the world of ancient Greek myth in this scintillating follow-up to Pandora's Jar. Few writers today have reshaped our view of the ancient Greek myths more than revered bestselling author Natalie Haynes. Divine Might is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies, focusing on the goddesses whose prowess, passions, jealousies, and desires rival those of their male kin, including: Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father's brow (giving Zeus a killer headache in the process), the goddess of war and provider of wise counsel. Aphrodite, born of the foam (and sperm released from a Titan's castrated testicles), the most beautiful of all the Olympian goddesses, the epitome of love who dispenses desire and inspires longing--yet harbors a fearsome vengeful side, doling out brutal punishments to those who displease her. Hera, Zeus's long-suffering wife, whose jealousy born of his repeated dalliances with mortals, nymphs, and other goddesses, leads her to wreak elaborate and often painful revenge on those she believes have wronged her. (Well, wouldn't you?) Demeter, goddess of the harvest and mother of Persephone; Artemis, the hunter and goddess of wild spaces; the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory; and Hestia, goddess of domesticity and sacrificial fire. Infused with Haynes's engaging charm and irrepressible wit, Divine Might is a refreshing take on the legends and stories we thought we knew.
Pandora's Jar
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!"--Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea. The tellers of Greek myths--historically men--have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil--like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world's suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over. In Pandora's Jar, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman's perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus' mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. She considers Helen of Troy, whose marriage to Paris "caused" the Trojan war--a somewhat uneven response to her decision to leave her husband for another man. She demonstrates how the vilified Medea was like an ancient Beyonce--getting her revenge on the man who hurt and betrayed her, if by extreme measures. And she turns her eye to Medusa, the original monstered woman, whose stare turned men to stone, but who wasn't always a monster, and had her hair turned to snakes as punishment for being raped. Pandora's Jar brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place--and so eager to accept the stories we've been told?
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.
Streaming Media
- Athene and Aphrodite: Wisdom and LoveIn this program, we discover that Athene sprang full-grown and fully-armed from Zeus’s head, and that Aphrodite emerged from the sea where the physical evidence had landed of Cronus’ castration of Uranus. Also explored are love stories of Aphrodite, the myths of Neritis, Anchises, Pygmalion, and Galatea, the mythological roots of the Trojan War, and the lives of Ares and of Adonis. Athene gives mortals the olive tree, becomes patroness of Attica, and invents the chariot, the potter’s wheel, and the plow. In the Trojan War, Aphrodite favors the Trojans, while Athene uses her wisdom to help the Greeks. Zeus assumes the role of mediator between the goddess of wisdom and the goddess of love. (26 minutes)
- Handmaids of the Gods: Divine WomenIn this program, Bettany Hughes explores the lost era of the priestess as she explains the primacy of women in classical religion and in early Christianity. Visiting the Acropolis and other key sites, Hughes describes aspects of Aphrodite that go beyond gentle love goddess and discovers that Sappho may have been a priestess as well as a poet. She also discusses ancient Rome, where the fate of the world was believed to lie in the hands of six sacred virgins, and learns the truth about the centuries of Christian doctrine that forbid women to become priests. A BBC Production. Part of the series Divine Women. (48 minutes) A BBC Production.
- Paphos, Cyprus: The Birthplace of AphroditeInhabited 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.