Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, lust, beauty, and sexuality. This love spoken of is not the romantic form but purely physical and sexual attraction.
Aphrodite’s Birth
The story of Aphrodite’s birth has taken two paths. Hesiod’s Theonogy states that she was born of Uranus alone. Uranus, Heaven, would not let his children play in the light, so his son, Cronus, castrated him and threw his testicles into the sea. This story is a Uranian story and links Aphrodite’s birth with the creation of the world. This story says that Aphrodite is one of the oldest divinities and that when the heavens and earth were created and separated she was created and has been here since the beginning of time.
The second story states that she is one of the younger divinities and this story is related to the Iliad by Homer. It states that Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and the Titan goddess, Dione. This union was completely for physical satisfaction.
Her Powers
Aphrodite’s powers were unlike the powers of any other god or goddess. The most famous story that shows the strength of her powers is the story of Helen of Troy and Paris. In this story she indirectly causes the Trojan War. This story shows the power of love over human control. She helped all that didn’t incur her wrath. She helped Meilanion in the overtake of Atalanta. She gave him golden apples to distract the owner of this place and he was able to defeat them and give Atalanta to his wife. Aphrodite also wanted the Golden Fleece which her father had so she had her son, Eros; shoot Medea with an arrow so that he would fall in love with Jason, who resulted in the fall of her father, Aeetes.
She also used her powers to do harm to some. Those who tried to disrupt the natural attraction of love and sexuality were not friends of Aphrodite and she let them know this. Glaucus would not let his mares breed so she made the horses throw him from his chariot in a race, they then ate him. The Siren wanted to be virgins so she made them grow wings. She was insulted by six of Poseidon’s sons so she made them go insane and they gang-raped their mother. She also made the women of Astypalaea grow cow horns because they claimed to be more beautiful than her.
Her Sexuality
Aphrodite was known as a very promiscuous woman because of her liberal sexuality. Her powers were so strong that every god wanted her as their wife, even Zeus. She was a very proud woman and refused all of them. In anger Zeus made her marry Hephaestus, the lame smith-god. Aphrodite did not get mad and she did not want him to share her addiction to being unfaithful because of her respect for him. Her most famous affair was that with Ares, the god of war.
Our reaction to Aphrodite
Aphrodite may have had powers beyond our recognition but she is no different then the women of today. Not comparing her to the trashiest but Aphrodite’s story depicted her as a woman scorned. You crossed her and you had to deal with her wrath, she liked you and you were very fruitful. So the best bet of the ancient Greeks was to stay on her good side.
Informational links about the goddess of love:
www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/lombardiaphrodite/aphro
www.pantheon.org/articles/a/aphrodite.html
www.mythweb.com/gods/Aphrodite.html
www.messagenet.com/myths/bios/aphrodite.html
10 comments:
I'm not a die-hard feminist, but I do like the idea of a female goddess. I wonder if she had more female worshippers than male? It also would be interesting to know if men favored the male gods more than the female gods. And why couldn't a WOMAN have been the ruler of all the gods??? (Obviously a man wrote the stories!!!)
I loved Aphrodite. I found this read very interesting. I totally agree with Robin, you can definitely tell that a man wrote these stories!
I agree with both robin and jennifer that you can tell that a man wrote these stories. Robin asked a good question about why a WOMAN wasn't the ruler over the gods, if she was everything probably would have turned out better than it did.
I agree that the idea of a female goddess is a good idea. There are many things that women do better than men. Good Job.
I thought Aphrodite's birth was somewhat strange. I also found her to be selfish (giving the women horns, that claimed to be more beautiful than her. She did do some good, but in what I read she seemed more deceiving than anything and wrapped up in sexual behavior. It was also disturbing to me that she turned poesidons sons crazy and they gang rapped their mother.
thanks for the comment robin if you wan to find out more info. we have websites for you.
Well the fact that she was woman enough to stand up for herself was good enough for me call it what you want to but I call it courage.
thanks for tne comment jen i like aphrodite also thats why i picked the topic. it is a very interesting story if you in to that kind of stuff.
I wonder what it would be like if a woman was the ruler of all gods also robin but I don't think it would work out because she probably wouldn't want any competition.
Brandi is right, women do many things better then men. Its aways seems that a man is asking a woman what needs to be done.
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