Shrinking Banshee Presents:

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love

In Myth

Originally Aphrodite was an Asian fertility goddess whose domain embraced all nature--vegetable and animal, as well as human. She evolved into the Greek Goddess of Love, Beauty, Laughter and Reproduction. As Aphrodite Urania (Celestial Aphrodite) she was the goddess of ideal love; as Aphrodite Benetrix she protected marriage, however this is usually considered the domain of Hera, and as Aphrodite Porne was the goddess of lust and the patroness of courtesans, or prostitutes.

There are several versions of the story of Aphrodite's birth in mythology. Some versions say that she is the daughter of Zeus and either Eileithyia or the nymph Dione. The most famous myth is that after Cronos castrated his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea Aphrodite washed ashore with the sea foam, where she was attended to by the Graces. Here is a paraphrase of Second Homeric Hymn from the seventh century B.C.

I sing of beautiful Aphrodite of Cyprus and the sea, where the camp force of Zephyr (wind-gods) breath carried her along on waves of the resounding sea and soft foam. The hours (or Seasons, the daughters of Zeus and Themis) happily received her and put divine garments around her. On her immortal head they placed a crown, carefully made of gold. In the pierced lobes of her ears they placed flowers of copper. On her delicate neck and silver-white breasts they pu t necklaces of gold. Then they led her to the immortals who welcomed her and reached out their hands to her. They gawked at the figure of the Cytherean crowned in violets. Farewell, quick-blinking, sweet-smiling goddess, grant me victory in this contest--favor my song and I'll remember you in another.

Unlike the dignified or maidenly beauty of the other Olympian goddesses, Aphrodite's beauty is purely feminine and loveliness itself. Upon her arrival on Olympus all of the gods vied for her attention, including Zeus. When Aphrodite refused his affection, Zeus punished her by marrying her to the lame god Hephaestus. However, Aphrodite was less than faithful to Hephaestus, giving birth to children by many other lovers. She is the mother of Anteros, Deimos, Eros, Harmonia and Phobos by Ares, who is the most famous of her lovers, Hermaphroditus by Hermes, Eryx by Poseidon, Priapus by Dionysus, Aeneas and Lyrus by the mortal Anchises, whom Zeus made her fall in love with as punishment for her mockery of the gods, and un unnamed boy and girl by Adonis.

Despite Aphrodites many infedelities she could always win back Hephaestus' affections thanks to her enchanted girdle, which could make the lame beautiful and cause passionate love in all that saw it. It is even believed that Hera borrowed Aphrodite's girdle to win back Zeus' affections.

She is a powerful enchantress. In Sophocles' Antigone (796 ff.) the chorus sings: "the just themselves have their minds warped by you, for their ruin . . . for the goddess Aphrodite is unconquerable." In Euripides' Medea ( 623 ff) "May you never launch at me, Lady of Cyprus, your passion-poisoned arrows, which no man can avoid. May moderation content me."

Aphrodite could be generous to her favorites, she helped Jason find the Golden Fleece, but she could be rathful as well. She made Myrrha fall in love with her father, Pasiphae, queen of Crete, falls in love with a bull and conceives the Minotaur, Theseus's son Hippolytus, who believes himself above the power of love, is falsely accused by his stepmother and cursed by his father. When the women of Lemnos neglect the rites of Aphrodite she makes them smell so foul that their husbands leave them, she relented when the Argonauts arrive and Hephaestus intervenes. The Muse Calliope, who mediates in a dispute between Aphrodite and Persephone over their rival claims to Adonis, is punished by the death of her son, Orpheus. Aphrodite also made Eos, the goddess of the dawn, fall in love with two mortals, Cephalus and Tithonus, after she learns that she had had an affair with Ares.

In the Iliad, Helen of Troy speaks of the accursed passion that led her from her home, husband, and child into a strange land. In a contest to win a golden apple thrown down by Eris and designated for the fairest, Aphrodite, competing with Athena and Hera, promises the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta, to Paris, whom Zeus has declared the judge of the contest. What Aphrodite does not tell Paris, until after she is declared the winner of the apple, is that Helen is already married. Against the warnings of the Prophetess Cassandra, Paris goes to Sparta as an ambassador. While there, Aphrodite makes Helen fall in love with Paris, and together they run away to Troy together, followed by Helen's husband Menelaus. This is how the Trojan war was began.

To the modern mind the strangest aspect of the cult of Aphrodite was the practice of temple prostitution. One Xenephon of Corinth, having won an Olympian victory, established a group of prostitutes dedicated to Aphrodite. While the celebrations (Aphrodisia) of returning sailors seems to us understandable, they are not commendable.

In Art

The birth of Venus painted by Botticelli in the late 15th century hangs today in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. This picture has become the modern symbol of Western Europe's rediscovery of the Classical World.

The above gorgeous photos of Aphrodite were taken by my dear friend Mary at the British Museum in London.

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love Aphrodite Today
Alexandra Tydings is the Actress who portrays Aphrodite. Alexandra was born on, December 15th, and raised in Washington DC and has been acting since age 11. She attended the Sidwell Friends school and graduated from Brown University in 1993.

The Aphrodite Episodes

Xena: Warrior Princess

Hercules: The Legendary JourneysAphrodite, Queen of the Gods

Alexandra Tydings has also appeared in:

You can find more information about Alexandra at the following sites:

Aphrodite, Goddess of Love : A nice little site with some pictures, etc.

Aphrodite, Goddess of Luv has some images, montages and an in character bio of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite's Flower Patch is a very small page with a few pictures of Dite with others.

Aphrodite's Temple is a very fun site with all things Alex and Dite. Lots of content.

My Thoughts on Mom is a page done by 'Cupid' with his reflections on his mother. A simple but fun page

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