💘 Aphrodite

Attributes & Domains

Mythology & Stories

Aphrodite's mythology centers on love, desire, and the complications that arise from both. Her influence causes mortals and immortals to fall in love, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Key Myths:

• Birth from the Sea: According to Hesiod, when Kronos castrated his father Uranus and cast the genitals into the sea, Aphrodite emerged from the resulting foam near Cyprus. She floated ashore on a scallop shell, fully grown and radiantly beautiful.
• The Judgment of Paris: When Eris threw a golden apple inscribed "to the fairest" among the goddesses, Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena each claimed it. Paris, prince of Troy, was chosen to judge. Aphrodite promised him the love of the most beautiful mortal woman, Helen of Sparta. Paris awarded her the apple, leading to the Trojan War when he abducted Helen.
• Aphrodite and Ares: Though married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite had a passionate affair with Ares, god of war. When Hephaestus discovered their affair, he crafted an invisible net and trapped them in the act, summoning the other gods to witness their shame.
• Adonis: Aphrodite fell deeply in love with the beautiful mortal Adonis. When he was killed by a wild boar (sent by the jealous Ares or Artemis in various versions), Aphrodite's tears and his blood created the anemone flower. Zeus allowed Adonis to spend part of each year with Aphrodite.

Relationships

Family

• Parents: Born from Uranus's severed genitals and sea foam (Hesiod), or daughter of Zeus and Dione (Homer)
• Husband: Hephaestus (arranged by Zeus)
• Lovers: Ares (most famous), Adonis, Anchises, Hermes, Poseidon, Dionysus
• Children: Eros (Cupid), Harmonia, Phobos, Deimos (by Ares), Aeneas (by Anchises), Hermaphroditus (by Hermes), Priapus (by Dionysus)

Notable Relationships

• Eros: Her son, god of love, often depicted as her companion
• The Graces: Her attendants who personify beauty, charm, and grace
• Paris: She granted him Helen's love in exchange for the golden apple

Worship & Rituals

Sacred Sites

Aphrodite's primary cult centers were on Cyprus (especially Paphos, where she was said to have come ashore) and Cythera. Major temples also existed at Corinth (where temple prostitution was practiced), Athens, and throughout the Greek world. Her sanctuaries were often near the sea or in gardens.

Festivals

• Aphrodisia: Celebrated throughout Greece in midsummer, honoring Aphrodite with processions, offerings of flowers, and private celebrations of love and beauty.
• Adonia: Women-only festival mourning Adonis and celebrating his resurrection, featuring gardens planted in his honor that quickly bloomed and withered.

Offerings

Worshippers offered flowers (especially roses and myrtle), perfumes, incense, doves, and personal items of beauty. Her altars received garlands and wreaths. Unlike gods receiving blood sacrifices, offerings to Aphrodite emphasized beauty, fragrance, and sensual pleasure.

Prayers & Invocations

Aphrodite was invoked for matters of love, marriage, fertility, and beauty. Prayers often appealed to her power over desire and her ability to grant favor in romantic pursuits. Sailors also prayed to her for safe sea voyages, honoring her birth from the sea.