Goddess Aphrodite with an apple in her hand. Aphrodite

Aphrodite (Anadiomene, Astarte, Venus, Ishtar, Ishtar, Cyprida, Cameo, Millita) is the goddess of beauty and love, sky, wind and sea.

The golden and eternally young Aphrodite (Venus), who lives on Olympus, is considered the goddess of the sky and the sea, sends rain to the earth, as well as the goddess of love, personifying divine beauty and unfading youth.

Aphrodite is considered the most beautiful of all the goddesses of Olympus and eternally abides there.

An eternally young girl, tall and slender, with pearlescent white skin and deep blue eyes. Aphrodite's face with delicate features is framed by a soft wave of long curly golden hair, adorned with a shining diadem and a wreath of fragrant flowers, like a crown lying on her beautiful head - no one can match the beauty of the most beautiful of all goddesses and mortals.

The goddess Aphrodite is dressed in flowing thin fragrant golden-weaved clothes, spreads a fragrance when she appears, and where her beautiful legs step, the Goddess of beauty (Ora) and the goddess of grace (Harita) everywhere accompany Aphrodite, entertain and serve her.

Wild animals and birds are not at all afraid of the radiant goddess, they meekly caress her and sing songs to her. Aphrodite travels on birds: swans, geese, pigeons or sparrows - the light wings of the birds quickly carry the goddess from place to place.

The goddess of love and beauty, sea and sky - Aphrodite gives happiness to those who serve her: she gave life to a beautiful statue of a girl with whom Pygmalion fell infinitely in love. But she also punishes those who reject her gifts: she punished Narcissus so severely, who fell in love with his reflection in a transparent forest stream and died of melancholy.

The golden apple from the distant herespid gardens is a symbol of Aphrodite, which she received in confirmation of her beauty from the mountain shepherd Paris (the son of the king of great Troy), who recognized Aphrodite as the most beautiful, who is more beautiful than Hera (the wife of her uncle Zeus) and Athena (sister of Zeus).

As a reward for his choice, Paris received the help of the goddess in the conquest of the most beautiful of mortals - Helen (daughter of Zeus and his beloved Leda, wife of King Minelai of Sparta) and constant support in all his endeavors.

The daughter of her parents - the goddess of the sea and sky - windy Aphrodite awakens love in hearts and love passion with her unearthly beauty, and therefore reigns over the world. Any appearance of Aphrodite in fragrant clothes makes the sun shine brighter and more magnificently bloom.

Aphrodite lives on Olympus, sits on a rich golden throne forged by Hephaestus himself, and loves combing her magnificent curls with a golden comb. Golden furniture stands in her divine home. Only love creates a beautiful goddess, completely without touching any work with her hands.

Birth of Afordita

The story of the birth of the goddess of love and beauty has several true versions, as well as answers to the question about the reasons for the appearance of feelings of love between people on Earth.

Aphrodite - daughter of Uranus

The beloved and last daughter of the sky god Uranus - Aphrodite was born near the island of Kythera from the snow-white foam of the sea waves. A light, caressing breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus.

Sea foam was formed from the mixing of the blood of Uranus, which fell into the salty waters of the Aegean Sea during the battle between the sky god Uranus and the treacherous Titan son Cronus (Kronos, Chronos), the god of agriculture and time.

This story of the birth of Aphrodite suggests her virgin conception from one father.

Aphrodite - daughter of Crohn

According to the Orphic version, the sea foam was formed from the blood of Kron himself during his bloody battle with his son Zeus - the god of thunder and lightning - for power in the sky.

Therefore, Aphrodite may be the last and beloved daughter of the god of agriculture and time, Cronus (Kronos, Chronos).

According to these two versions, we can conclude that love appears as a result of a struggle, it arises just like that ..

Aphrodite - daughter of Zeus and Dione

According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the daughter of the Thunderer Zeus and his beloved Dione (the rain goddess), who was born as a pearl from a mother-of-pearl shell.

Zeus is the son of Kron (Kronos, Chronos), that is, Aphrodite for him can be a half-sister (if she is the daughter of Kron) or an aunt (if she is the daughter of Uranus and half-sister of Kron).

When did love begin?

Wherever Aphrodite walked, flowers flourished there. The whole air was full of fragrance. Stepping on the island of Cyprus, young Aphrodite ascended to Olympus and began to help gods and mortals in matters of love and passion.

Love of Aphrodite and Adonis

Adonis (Adon, Dionysus, Tammuz) - the son of the king of the island of Crete named Minir and his daughter Mirra, who secretly sinned with her father without his knowledge and was forced to leave Cyprus.

Adonis is a wonderful man, but not a god, because he was born from mere mortals, albeit with the help of the gods.

The gods took pity on Myrrh and turned it into a "myrrh" tree with fragrant resin. From the trunk of the "myrrh" tree with the help of the goddess Aphrodite, the baby Adonis appeared, who "was reputed to be the most beautiful of babies."

Aphrodite instantly fell in love with him at first sight and hid the baby with a golden casket, and then handed Persephone (daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and the goddess of the underworld) to the kingdom of the invisible god Hades (Pluto), who also immediately fell in love with the beautiful boy and did not want to let go him back to earth.

Having matured, Adonis turned into a beautiful youth and none of the mortals was equal to him in beauty, he was even more beautiful than the Olympian gods. Two beautiful goddesses began to argue for the right to spend their time with Adonis and came to Zeus, and Zeus sent them to his daughter - the muse of science and poetry - Euterpe, who was more knowledgeable in matters of love.

The muse of science and poetry Euterpe, on the instructions of her father Zeus, decided that the young man would spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, the second third with Persephone, and the third at will.

For the sake of her beloved Adonis, Aphrodite abandoned her husband - the god of war Ares (the son of Zeus and his half-brother, according to the Greek version), forgot the goddess and shining Olympus, and the blossoming islands of Patmos, Kieferu, Paph, Cnidus, Amaphunt - she spent all the time with young Adonis , and only he began to matter to her.

Many gods sought her love: Hermes is the god of trade, Poseidon is the god of the ocean, and the formidable Ares tried to return his wife, but she loved only Adonis and lived only with thoughts of him.

The first husband of Athena, the blacksmith Hephaestus (the son of Gaia and Zeus), with a wide torso and strong hands, forged a divine belt for his beautiful wife, thanks to which any man, both God and mortal, went crazy with passion and love. After parting with Hephaestus, the magic belt remained with Aphrodite. The beautiful Aphrodite constantly put on her belt for meetings with her beloved Adonis, who forgot the goddess Persephone and completely stopped going to the underworld of her husband Hades.

Every morning Aphrodite opened her beautiful blue eyes with the thought of her beloved and every evening, falling asleep, she thought of him. Aphrodite strived to always be close to her lover, so she shared many of the hobbies of her dear friend.

The Hunt of Adonis

Adonis and Aphrodite hunted in the Lebanese mountains and in the forests of Cyprus, Aphrodite forgot about her gold jewelry, about her beauty, but she remained no less beautiful even in men's suit shooting from a bow, like the slender goddess of the hunt, the moon and a happy marriage, Artemis (Diana), and setting her dogs against flattering animals and animals.

Under the scorching rays of the hot sun and in bad weather, she hunted hares, fearful deer and chamois, avoiding the hunt for formidable lions and wild boars. And she asked Adonis to avoid the dangers of hunting lions, bears and boars, so that misfortune would not happen to him. Rarely did the goddess of the king's son leave, and leaving him, every time she prayed to remember her requests.

Once, in the absence of Aphrodite, Adonis got bored and decided to go hunting to have fun. The dogs of Adonis attacked the trail of a huge old and fearless boar (boar or wild pig) weighing under 200 kilograms and almost two (!) meters long. With a furious bark, the dogs raised the beast from the pit, where it slept sweetly, grunting softly after a glorious breakfast, and drove it through a dense forest among bushes and trees.

The young handsome man died for a reason, there are several versions about those responsible for his death. The god of war and strife, Ares, abandoned by Aphrodite, or Persephone (the wife of Hades and the goddess of the kingdom of the dead), rejected by Adonis, or angry with the murder of her beloved doe Artemis (Diana), the mistress of all animals on the island of Crete, could turn into a boar.

Hearing lively barking, Adonis was delighted with the long-awaited entertainment and rich booty. He forgot all the pleas and requests of his beautiful girlfriend and did not anticipate that this was his last hunt.

In excitement, Adonis began to urge his horse on and quickly galloped through the sunny forest to where he heard the barking barking. The barking of dogs was getting closer, and now a huge boar flashed among the bushes. The dogs of Adonis surrounded the huge beast, snarling with their teeth in its thick tarry skin.

Already Adonis is preparing to pierce the enraged boar with his heavy spear, raising it over the beast and choosing the best place to strike among the armor ("kalkan") made of resin and wool of an adult beast. The young hunter hesitated with a blow, could not keep the dogs of a strong fearless beast, and a huge boar rushed at Adonis, very angry and irritated by a sudden awakening and a rapid run through the forest.

No sooner had the young Adonis jumped away from the swift evil beast, and the "lonely" wild boar mortally wounded Aphrodite's pet with its huge fangs, severing the arteries on his beautiful thigh.

A handsome young man fell from his horse among the tall trees and his blood sprinkled the wet earth from a terrible laceration. A few minutes later, the fearless and courageous Adonis died from blood loss, and the trees rustled with their leaves above his bright head.

Aphrodite's sadness and the appearance of a rose

When Aphrodite learned about the death of Adonis, then, full of inexpressible grief, she herself went to the mountains of Cyprus to look for the body of her beloved young man. Aphrodite walked along the steep mountain rapids, among gloomy gorges, along the edges of deep abysses.

Sharp stones and thorns of thorns wounded the delicate legs of the goddess. Drops of her blood fell to the ground, leaving a trail wherever the goddess passed. And where drops of blood fell from the wounded feet of the goddess, everywhere Aphrodite. Therefore, the red scarlet rose is considered a symbol of eternal love at all times.

Finally, Aphrodite found the body of Adonis. She wept bitterly over the beautiful young man who died early, hiding his body for a long time in the thickets of lettuce, which to this day brings tears to everyone who touches him.

To keep the memory of him forever, with the help of nectar, the goddess raised from the blood of Adonis a delicate anemone of bloody color - a wind flower that looks like red

The ancient Greeks revered many gods, among whom was the beautiful Aphrodite. It is known that she was part of the pantheon of the twelve supreme gods of Olympus.

According to mythology, there are several versions of the birth of the goddess of beauty and love. So, in the myths of the ancient Greeks, you can find information that Aphrodite is the daughter of the nymph Dione and the supreme god of Olympus Zeus. Another version is that she is the daughter of the goddess Artemis and the main god Zeus. The ancient Greeks recognized as parents both the goddess of the earth Gaia, and the god of the sky Uranus.

How was she different from other gods in the pantheon?

With her beauty, the goddess Aphrodite surpassed all the goddesses in the pantheon. She was distinguished by the fact that she was the only goddess who was depicted naked. She won the hearts of not only gods of incredible beauty, but also mere mortal men.

The girl was often depicted among many blooming flowers, surrounded by birds and plants, next to dolphins. Her main attribute was considered a belt - bringing love and passion, which she gave to women in order to reunite hearts. Therefore, she is associated with fertility, beauty and love.

Aphrodite in mythology

Ancient Greek myths tell that she was the wife of the god Hephaestus, who was engaged in blacksmithing. The goddess's husband did not possess special beauty, and she sought solace on the side. So, she fell in love with the god of war Ares. She gave birth to children from him. Hephaestus learned about his wife's betrayal, and decided to teach them a lesson. He forged invisible nets and caught his wife and Ares in them.

The heart of the goddess of beauty was also conquered by a simple mortal youth named Adonis. He instilled in her a love of hunting. Once, while hunting a boar, Adonis died. The woman was very worried about the death of her lover. In the place where drops of blood of Adonis fell, beautiful white flowers - anemones - grew. Zeus saw how she was suffering for her beloved, and asked Hades, the god of the kingdom of the dead, to allow Adonis to stay there in winter, and to meet with his beloved in the spring.

The Greeks often associated Aphrodite and Apollo, considering them to be the feminine and masculine principle of life.

The ancient Romans liked the goddess of love and beauty so much that they began to call her Venus. The famous Roman commander Gaius Julius Caesar linked his relationship with the goddess Venus.

Legends also tell about the conflict between Athena and Aphrodite over the lock. The first caught the goddess of beauty in encroaching on her possessions and powers. The girl, not wanting to enter into a quarrel with the goddess of war, promised that she would never sit down for a lock again.

The beautiful goddess was admired by many. The god of winemaking Dionysus has long been in love with a beauty. But getting her favored was not easy. From the relationship with Dionysus, a son, Priam, was born, whom his mother abandoned because of his ugliness.

Myths and legends

• The charming goddess did not tolerate rivals, and when she heard about the earthly beauty Psyche, she decided to deal with her. To implement her insidious plan, she sent her son - Eros. Psyche fell in love with Eros, but he left her. Without losing hope of returning her beloved, Psyche turned to Eros's mother, Aphrodite, for help. In turn, she came up with very cruel tests, which Psyche successfully passed. For the care of the god of love - Eros asks Zeus to give Psyche immortality.
• Homer was also miraculously fascinated by the beauty. In his Iliad, he mentioned her when it came to which of the three goddesses: Aphrodite, Athena or Hera is the most beautiful. Hephaestus gave the apple to Paris, and asked the women to judge. Each of their women offered Paris their own. He stopped at the offer of Aphrodite - to get the love of Elena the Beautiful. I gave the apple of discord to Aphrodite. She, along with Paris, stole Elena and helped their union. And so the Trojan War began.
• Poseidon, the god of the sea, also could not resist her beauty. For a long time I tried to feel good feelings for her, but she did not reciprocate. Wanting Ares to be jealous of her, the goddess responded to Poseidon's love feelings. They had a daughter - Rod, who became the wife of the sun god - Helios.

The image of the goddess of love, abundance and beauty has also penetrated into other peoples and cultures. No matter how you call it, it is always associated with love, harmony and beauty that connect loving hearts and give them joy.

The image of a deity in world culture

Ancient Greek mythology has penetrated very deeply into all branches of culture. The image of the goddess can often be found in literature, sculpture, painting, music. She represents luxury, fertility, is the patroness of lovers.

The Greeks argued that the goddess has two images: on the one hand, she acted as the patron saint of lovers, and on the other, she cruelly dealt with those who did not recognize bright feelings or ignored them.

Nothing is known about her death. She is believed to be immortal.

The main gods in Ancient Hellas were recognized as those who belonged to the younger generation of celestials. Once it took away the power over the world from the older generation, who personified the main universal forces and elements (see about this in the article The Origin of the Gods Ancient Greece). The gods of the older generation are usually referred to as titans. Having defeated the titans, the younger gods, led by Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. Ancient Greeks honored 12 Olympian gods. Their list usually included Zeus, Hera, Athena, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hermes, Hestia. Hades is also close to the Olympian gods, but he does not live on Olympus, but in his underground kingdom.

- the main deity of ancient Greek mythology, the king of all other gods, the personification of the boundless sky, the lord of lightning. In Roman religions Jupiter matched it.

NSoseidon - the god of the seas, among the ancient Greeks - the second deity after Zeus. Like oliPoseidon was closely associated with earthquakes and volcanic activity. In Roman mythology, he was identified with Neptune.

Hades - the lord of the dark underworld of the dead, inhabited by the ethereal shadows of the dead and terrible demonic creatures. Hades (Hades), Zeus and Poseidon were the triad of the most powerful gods of Ancient Greece. As the ruler of the depths of the earth, Hades was also related to agricultural cults, with which his wife, Persephone, was closely associated. The Romans called it Pluto.

Hera - sister and wife of Zeus, the main female goddess of the Greeks. Patroness of marriage and conjugal love. Jealous Hera punishes severely for breaking the marriage bond. Among the Romans, Juno corresponded to it.

Apollo - originally the god of sunlight, whose cult then received a broader meaning and connection with the ideas of spiritual purity, artistic beauty, medical healing, retribution for sins. As the patron saint of creative activity, he is considered the head of the nine muses, as a healer - the father of the god of doctors Asclepius. The image of Apollo among the ancient Greeks was formed under the strong influence of Eastern cults (the Asia Minor god Apelyun) and carried refined, aristocratic features. Apollo was also called Phoebus. He was revered under the same names in ancient Rome.

Artemis - Sister of Apollo, virgin goddess of the forests and the hunt. Like the cult of Apollo, the worship of Artemis was brought to Greece from the East (the Asia Minor goddess Rtemis). The close connection of Artemis with forests comes from her ancient function of the patroness of vegetation and fertility in general. The virginity of Artemis also contains a dull echo of the ideas of birth and sexual relations. In ancient Rome, she was revered in the person of the goddess Diana.

Athena is the goddess of spiritual harmony and wisdom. She was considered the inventor and patroness of most sciences, arts, spiritual pursuits, agriculture, and crafts. With the blessing of Pallas Athena, cities are built and state life goes on. The image of Athena as a defender of the fortress walls, a warrior, a goddess who, at her very birth, emerged from the head of her father, Zeus, armed, is closely connected with the functions of patronage of cities and the state. Among the Romans, the goddess Minerva corresponded to Athena.

Hermes is the oldest pre-Greek god of roads and field boundaries, of all boundaries separating one from the other. Because of his primordial connection with the roads, Hermes was later revered as the messenger of the gods with wings on his heels, the patron saint of travel, merchants and trade. His cult was also associated with ideas about resourcefulness, cunning, subtle mental activity (skillful delineation of concepts), knowledge foreign languages... The Romans have Mercury.

Ares is the wild god of war and battle. In ancient Rome - Mars.

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sensual love and beauty. Its type is very close to the Semitic-Egyptian veneration of the productive forces of nature in the image of Astarte (Ishtar) and Isis. The famous legend about Aphrodite and Adonis is inspired by the most ancient oriental myths about Ishtar and Tammuz, Isis and Osiris. The ancient Romans identified with Venus.

Eros - the son of Aphrodite, a divine boy with a quiver and a bow. At the request of his mother, he shoots well-aimed arrows that kindle an incurable love in the hearts of people and gods. In Rome - Cupid.

Hymen - the companion of Aphrodite, the god of marriage. By his name, wedding hymns were also called hymenes in Ancient Greece.

Hephaestus - God, whose cult in the era of hoary antiquity was associated with volcanic activity - fire and roar. Later, thanks to the same properties, Hephaestus became the patron saint of all crafts associated with fire: blacksmith, pottery, etc. In Rome, the god Vulcan corresponded to him.

Demeter - in Ancient Greece she personified the productive force of nature, but not wild, like Artemis once, but “ordered”, “civilized”, one that manifests itself in regular rhythms. Demeter was considered the goddess of agriculture, who rules over the annual natural cycle of renewal and withering. She also directed the cycle of human life - from birth to death. This last aspect of the cult of Demeter was the content of the Eleusinian mysteries.

Persephone - the daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by the god Hades. Inconsolable mother after long searches found Persephone in the underworld. Hades, who made her his wife, agreed that she would spend part of the year on the earth with her mother, and the other with him in the bowels of the earth. Persephone was the personification of the grain, which, being “dead”, was sown in the ground, then “comes to life” and comes out of it into the light.

Hestia - patron goddess hearth, family and community ties. The altars of Hestia stood in every ancient Greek house and in the main public building of the city, all of whose citizens were considered one big family.

Dionysus - the god of winemaking and those violent natural forces that drive a person to insane delight. Dionysus was not one of the 12 "Olympic" gods of Ancient Greece. His orgiastic cult was borrowed relatively late from Asia Minor. The popular worship of Dionysus was contrasted with the aristocratic service of Apollo. Ancient Greek tragedy and comedy later emerged from the frenzied dances and songs at the Dionysus festivals.

Wake up with a wave of eyelashes, sleep will fly away naughty
Dawn, ruddy sister, yours will kiss the Lanita
Gold of your hair, Clear, the wind will comb, playful
And on your bright forehead there will be a wreath, twisted by a Pan.

Your eyes, radiant, shine with delicate beauty
The waves of your clothes are touched by the glow of a halo
Harps of Heaven, sweet-stringed with a hymn, fill the ether
With a light foot you step to the proud summit of Olympus.

Virgo, who endowed the Gods with the power of selfless love,
You meekly look as the multitudes of hearts are filled with joy,
Mortals, abandoned hope, give a smile, Immortal,
Oh, Aphrodite, souls flock to you with gratitude!

Do you see? Without remembering the name, trampling the ancient mysteries
Women look in the mirror, seeking your tender features,
They quietly sing your songs, which are nowhere more humorous,
Leaning over babies asleep, so serene ...

Oh, the lamps in the souls of the living will not go out, Blessed One!
For the eternal space of life is woven by love ...
So waking up in the morning, come to us, Transfigured!
Bless us, Venus, with your carefree smile.

Nikolay Kun - APHRODITE

Aphrodite- was originally the goddess of the sky, sending rain, and, apparently, and the goddess of the sea. The myth of Aphrodite and her cult was strongly influenced by the Eastern influence, mainly the cult of the Phoenician goddess Astarte. Gradually, Aphrodite becomes the goddess of love. The god of love Eros (Cupid) is her son.
Not the pampered, windy goddess Aphrodite to intervene in bloody battles. She awakens love in the hearts of gods and mortals. Thanks to this power, she reigns over the whole world.
No one can escape her power, not even the gods. Only the warrior Athena, Hestia and Artemis are not subject to her power. Tall, slender, with delicate features, with a soft wave of golden hair, like a crown lying on her beautiful head, Aphrodite is the personification of divine beauty and unfading youth. When she walks, in the splendor of her beauty, in fragrant clothes, then the sun shines brighter, flowers bloom more magnificently. Wild forest animals run to her from the thicket of the forest; birds flock to her as she walks through the forest. Lions, panthers, leopards and bears meekly caress her. Aphrodite walks calmly among wild animals, proud of her radiant beauty. Her companions Ora and Harita, the goddess of beauty to grace, serve her. They dress the goddess in luxurious clothes, comb her golden hair, and crown her head with a sparkling diadem.
Near the island of Kythera, Aphrodite, the daughter of Uranus, was born from the snow-white foam of the sea waves. A light, caressing breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus. There, young Ora were surrounded by the goddess of love who emerged from the waves of the sea. They clothed her in golden-weaved clothes and crowned her with a wreath of fragrant flowers. Wherever Aphrodite walked, flowers flourished there. The whole air was full of fragrance. Eros and Gimeroth led the wondrous goddess to Olympus. The gods greeted her loudly. Since then, the golden Aphrodite, forever young, the most beautiful of the goddesses, has always lived among the gods of Olympus.

On the island of Cyprus, Aphrodite was often called Cypriot.
Hymeroth is the god of passionate love.

Wikipedia

Venus, Cupid and Partridge (Titian, c. 1550)

Aphrodite(Old Greek. Ἀφροδίτη , in ancient times it was interpreted as a derivative of ἀφρός - "foam") - in Greek mythology, the goddess of beauty and love, included in the number of the twelve great Olympic gods. She is also the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life. She is the goddess of marriages and even childbirth, as well as a "baby-maker". Gods and people obeyed the love power of Aphrodite; only Athena, Artemis and Hestia were beyond her control. Was ruthless to those who reject love. Wife of Hephaestus and later Ares.

Attributes

Cupid Unleashing the Belt of Venus
(Joshua Reynolds)

Myrtles, roses, poppy and apple, as well as anemones, violets, daffodils and lilies were dedicated to Aphrodite, as the goddess of love; as the goddess of fertility - the sparrows and doves that made up her retinues; like a sea goddess - a dolphin. Aphrodite's attributes are a belt (see Aphrodite's belt) and a golden cup filled with wine, from which a person receives eternal youth.

Spring. (Botticelli 1477-1478) (* 1)

(*1) Venus, the goddess of love, stands in the center of the painting, slightly behind the other figures. On the right, Zephyr, a cold spring wind, overtakes the nymph Chloris. She escapes from him and turns into Flora, Spring, dressed as befits a married Florentine from a wealthy family.
Over Venus, Cupid marks his arrows at the dancing Graces (on the right is Beauty, in the center is Chastity, on the left is Pleasure). It is believed that the prototype of the figures of the Graces was Simonetta Vespucci, and the right Grace has the face of Catherine Sforza, also depicted by Botticelli in the famous portrait of Catherine of Alexandria from the Lindenau Museum.
The Garden of Venus is guarded by Mercury wearing a helmet and holding a sword, extending his hand to disperse the clouds of ignorance with a caduceus depicted as two winged dragons.

Companions of Aphrodite - Eros, charites, ora, nymphs. She resembles Ishtar, whose companions were Beauty and Passion. She (like Cybele) could often also be accompanied by wild animals - lions, wolves, bears, pacified by the love desire universes in them by the goddess.

Birth of Aphrodite

The Birth of Venus (Bouguereau Adolphe-William (1879)

The legendary birthplace of Aphrodite in Paphos (Cyprus).
There are different legends about the origin of Aphrodite. Homer considers her to be the daughter of Zeus and the oceanid Dione.
According to the "Theogony" of Hesiod, she was born near the island of Kiefer from the seed and blood of Uranus emasculated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed a snow-white foam (hence the nickname "froth-born"; for more details see Aphrodite Anadiomene). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she sailed there herself, because she did not like Kiefer), where she, emerging from the sea waves, was met by Ora.

The Birth of Venus, (D. Ingres, Condé Museum)

Saracen stone (foreground) and Aphrodite's Stone (background). View of the birthplace of Aphrodite from a hill - Aphrodite's Bay in Paphos (Cyprus (distant boulders)).
Classical Aphrodite emerged naked from an airy sea shell near Cyprus - hence the nickname "Cyprida" - and reached the shore on the shell. Oras in gold tiaras crowned her with a golden crown, adorned with a gold necklace and earrings, and the gods marveled at her charms and kindled with the desire to marry her.
According to Epimenides, she was the daughter of Kronos. According to the Orphic, the second Aphrodite was born from the sea from the seed of Zeus, possessed by a passion for Dione. She was nursed by Nere.

Myths associated with Aphrodite

Aphrodite, Eros and Pan

The wife of the Thunderer, Hera, arranged for Aphrodite to marry Hephaestus - the most skillful master among the gods and the ugliest of them. The lame-legged Hephaestus worked in his smithy, and Aphrodite, basking in the bedchamber, combed her curls with a golden comb and received guests - Hera and Athena. Aphrodite's love was coveted by Poseidon, Ares, Hermes and other gods.
Great grief was brought to Aphrodite by the death of her beloved Adonis, a passionate hunter. He is killed by the fangs of a wild boar sent by the jealous Ares. According to Ptolemy Hephaestion, Aphrodite was the first to throw herself off the Leukad rock to recover from her love for Adonis.
Aphrodite enjoyed inspiring love feelings to gods and people and fell in love herself, cheating on her lame spouse. An indispensable attribute of the goddess's attire was her famous belt, which contained love, desire, words of seduction; he made anyone in love with his mistress. This belt was sometimes borrowed from Aphrodite Hera, when she wanted to kindle passion in Zeus and thereby weaken the will of her powerful spouse (Canto XIV of the Iliad).
The story of Canto VIII of the Odyssey describes the reaction of Aphrodite's lawful husband, who learned from Hermes about her relationship with Ares. An angry Hephaestus forged a thin, like a spider's web, but surprisingly strong golden net, which he discreetly attached to the foot of the bed, lowering it from the ceiling, and then announced to his wife that he was going to rest a little on his beloved island of Lemnos. As soon as her husband was out of sight, Aphrodite sent for Ares, who was not long in coming. The next morning, the lovers found themselves entangled in a net, naked and helpless. Hephaestus appeared and the rest of the gods invited by him to gawk and laugh (the goddesses stayed at home out of delicacy). Ares got his freedom only thanks to Poseidon, who promised Hephaestus to arrange so that Ares would pay the ransom - in the end, Ares refused to pay and Hephaestus was left without a ransom. Aphrodite returned to Cyprus, where she regained her virginity by swimming in the sea.
Although Zeus never shared a bed with Aphrodite, even he was tempted by her magic belt. Therefore, one day he decided to humiliate her, arousing in her reckless love for a mortal. It was the beautiful Ankhis from the royal family of the Dardans.

Aeneas - son of Aphrodite and Anchises

For the fact that he boasted about it, she (or Zeus) sends a frustration of members on him. Their son is Aeneas, the ancestor of Julius Caesar.
Aphrodite's beloved was also the Argonaut Booth, who was saved by her from the sirens; some argue that the goddess spent several nights with Booth solely in order to awaken jealousy in Adonis.
Aphrodite turned the women of Kos into cows when Hercules' squad sailed away.

The Judgment of Paris (Joseph Hauber)

During a dispute caused by Eris about which goddess - Hera, Athena or Aphrodite - is the most beautiful, Paris decided in favor of Aphrodite and gave her a golden apple. For this, she promised Paris the love of Elena, helped him kidnap her and watched over the strength of their union, although Elena scolded her.

But, as soon as Elena saw the beautiful neck of Cypride ...
... I was horrified, turned to the goddess and said so:
"Ah, cruel! Seduce me again, you burn?
Or me even further, in some crowded city,
Phrygia hail or joyful Meonia want to captivate you,
What if your dear earthbound dwells there too?
Now, when Menelaus, having defeated Alexander in battle,
He wants to return me to the family again, hated,
Why do you appear to me, with a malicious deceit in your heart?
Walk to your favorite [Paris] yourself, renounce the immortals from the paths
And, with your foot never touching Olympus,
Always languish with him and caress the lord, until
You will be called by him either a spouse or a worker!
I will not go to him, to the fugitive; and it would be a shame
Decorate his bed; Trojan wives over me
Everyone will laugh; enough and so for my heart of suffering! "

(Homer Iliad III, 399-412)

In the Trojan War that broke out for this reason, Aphrodite defended the Trojans.

Diomedes attacks Aphrodite as she tries to protect Aeneas
(Reconstruction by Arthur Heinrich Wilhelm Fitger)

According to the Iliad, she saved Paris from death during his duel with Menelaus, as well as her son, the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was attacked by Diomedes; the latter fell on the goddess, wounded her and forced her to leave the battlefield.
The goddesses of fate endowed Aphrodite with only one divine duty - to create love, but one day Athena found her secretly sitting at a spinning wheel. Considering this interference in her affairs, Athena threatened to quit her duties altogether. Aphrodite apologized and has never touched any work since. There is also a story about how she competed in weaving with Athena.

Victims of Aphrodite

Helping those in love, Aphrodite persecuted those who neglected her cult and rejected love. She was the cause of the death of Hippolytus and Narcissus, instilled an unnatural love for Pasiphae and Mirra and endowed the women from Lemnos with a disgusting smell (see Gypsipila). Aphrodite severely punished Atalanta, who wanted to remain a virgin, and Glaucus, at the behest of Aphrodite, was torn to pieces by his horses for forbidding them to cover their mares. Aphrodite's revenge motive also developed in love poetry, especially in the Hellenistic period.

Lovers and children of Aphrodite

* Gods

O Hephaestus (husband)
o Ares. Children from Ares:
+ Anteros (Anterot)
+ Eros (love)
+ Himeroth
+ Harmony
+ Deimos, (horror)
+ Phobos, (fear)
+ Amazons
o Dionysus. Children from Dionysus (version):
+ Three Charites - Aglaya, Euphrosina, Talia
+ Hymen
+ Priapus
+ Hermes Chthonius
o Hermes. Children from Hermes
+ Eros (according to some sources)
+ Eunomia
+ Atlantis-Hermaphrodite
+ Peyfo
+ Priapus (according to some sources)
+ Sort. (version)
+ Quiet.

Eros, according to various versions, was born by her from Hermes, Ares, Zeus or Uranus.

* Mortals
o Adonis
+ Beroya, Histaps and Zariadr
o Anchises
+ Aeneas
+ Lear
o Phaon

Also her children:

* Ananke. Daughter of Aphrodite Urania.
* Eric. From Booth or Poseidon.

Many Aphrodites

According to Cotta's speech, there were four of them:

1. Born by Gemera from Uranus, her temple is in Elis.
2. Born from sea foam, gave birth to Eros II from Hermes.
3. Daughter of Zeus and Dione, wife of Hephaestus. Gave birth to Ares Anteros.
4. Daughter of Cyprus and Syria, called Astarte, wife of Adonis. Her sanctuary is in Byblos.

Herodotus reports on the veneration of Aphrodite (that is, the goddesses identified with her) by many peoples.

Aphrodite corresponds to the Roman Venus.

The Syrian goddess is identified with Aphrodite. A huge egg fell from the sky into the Euphrates, the fish rolled it ashore, and the doves incubated until Aphrodite emerged from it. At her request, Zeus transferred the fish to the number of constellations.

According to the story of Middle Eastern origin, Aphrodite and Eros are attacked by Typhon and are saved by turning into fish (the myth is associated with the constellation Pisces).

Aphrodite's entourage

* Harmony. Aphrodite's maid.
* Paregoron. ("Persuasion"). Deity, companion of Aphrodite. Statue by Praxiteles.
* Peristera. "dove". A certain nymph who helped Aphrodite collect many flowers and win the contest of Eros. Then Eros turned her into a dove.
* Potos ("Desire"). Deity, companion of Aphrodite. Statue by Scopas. See Lucian. Conversations of the Gods 20, 16; Nonn. Acts of Dionysus XXXIII 111.

Venus and Adonis (Francois Lemoine, 1729)

Cult of Aphrodite

The centers of the cult of Aphrodite were Cyprus, where her temple was located in the city of Paphos, and the island of Kiefer. Famous are the ancient Greek statues of Aphrodite - "Aphrodite of Cnidus" (c. 350 BC, Praxiteles, known in a Roman copy) and "Aphrodite of Milo" (II century BC, original in the Louvre, Paris).

Venus and Cupid (William Edward Frost)

Bisexual analogs of Aphrodite Androgyne

A bisexual image (VII century BC, faience figurine of a naked god) of the ancient Egyptian god-demiurge Thoth (breast and stomach of a young woman, as well as a penis) is known. In ancient times, the fact that the Mediterranean Aphrodite (Astarte) "was depicted not only in a woman's form, but also in a man's" was well known. Thus, in Cyprus, where many Canaanites and Greeks lived, there was a statue of a goddess with a beard, but with a woman's body and in women's clothing, with a scepter, "depicting the goddess as a male being, since she was believed to be" both a man and a woman. " (50.s62) ". Shifman notes that such indications can be found in the scholias to Virgil's Aeneid, as well as in the dictionary of Helichius. Levi (Macrobius), however, testifies that blessing Venus appears first in a male, then in a female guise: "Whoever worships Venus, a blessed deity, prays (without emphasizing) whether it is a woman or a man" (that is, to a single bisexual deity). The male deity "Aphrodite" is also mentioned by Aristophanes (according to Macrobius). On the Greek island of Kos, according to Plutarch, the priest of Hercules (Melkart) made a sacrifice to God, dressed in a woman's robe and with a bandage on his head. In Syria, priests and worshipers of a certain bisexual god came to worship in reddish, transparent women's shirts and other women's clothing; while women dressed in men's clothes and armed themselves with swords and spears. (Zilberman M. I. Religion of Canaan. Ch. 2. Ethnoses of ancient Canaan)

Epiclesis of Aphrodite

In places of worship, Aphrodite had epiclesis (epithets):

* Cyprus - from the island of Cyprus, where Aphrodite first came ashore. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Cyprogenia is the same. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Papia, Paphiyka, Paphos goddess - from the city of Paphos in Cyprus, where there was a temple of general Greek significance.
* Kythera (Cythera) - born near the island of Kythera, another center of worship; since at first she stuck to the Kiefer before being born in Cyprus;
* Idalia (Idalia) - from the city of Idalion and along Mount Idalia in Cyprus, where Aphrodite was revered as the main deity;
* Amathusia (Amathusia) - from the city of Amaphunt in Cyprus, the center of worship of the goddess;
* Akidalia - from the Boeotian source .. Also the name of a certain heroine.
* Erikina. (lat. Ericina.) Epithet of Aphrodite. Her sanctuary was not only in Sicily, but also in Psofida (Arcadia).

The connection with sea birth is reflected in the epiclesis:

* Afrogeneia ("frothy").
* Anadiomena (emerging) - appearing on the surface of the sea;
* Eupleia (Eupleia) (an epithet of Aphrodite as the patroness of navigation.);
* Pontius (sea).

In the epiclesis

* Melanida (black, gloomy),
* Scotia (dark, gloomy),
* Androfonos (destroyer of people) and, in contrast,
* possibly Sosandra (saving people),
* Epitimbia (funeral),
* Muheya - the goddess of secret places

The functions of a giver of love and a kindler of passion are reflected in the epiclesis:

* Dola (deceiver),
* Morph (giving beauty),
* Anfea (blooming),
* Peyto (persuasive, seductive),
* Heteria is the patroness of heterosexuals,
* Porn - patroness of unbridled passion source not specified 105 days,
* Darcetos is the patroness of idle laziness,
* Divarisatrix and
* Peribasia (performing a deviation sexual act),
* Callipiga (perfectly ass),
* Kastnia (Kastnietida) - the patroness of shamelessness. Only this goddess accepts pigs as a sacrifice.

And also two hypostases of the goddess associated with Greek philosophical categories (see above):

* Aphrodite-Pandemos. Theseus introduced her worship. A statue by Scopas in Elis.
* Aphrodite-Urania. It was first worshiped by the Assyrians; Aegeus introduced it to the Athenians. According to some, the eldest of the Moir. The LV Orphic hymn is dedicated to Aphrodite Urania as Ananka's mother. Presumably the translation of Meleket Aschamain "queen of heaven", Ezekiel's nickname for Astarte. Her temple in Kythera was erected by the Phoenicians.

Other epithets:

* Acreia. Epithet of Aphrodite on Cnidus.
* Alentiya. Epithet of Aphrodite in Colophon.
* Apaturos. Epithet of Aphrodite. Her temple is in Phanagoria. There is a myth that giants attacked Aphrodite here, she called Hercules for help and hid him in a cave, and then one by one brought them to Hercules.
* Arenta. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Areya. "Warrior". Temple of Aphrodite Area in Sparta. Sanctuary in Plataea, built after the victory at Marathon.
* Berbeya. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Dione. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Kindiada. Epithet of Aphrodite. Her sanctuary is near Bargiliy (Kariya).
* Coliada. Epithet of Aphrodite.
* Colotida. Epithet of Aphrodite in Cyprus.
* Morpho. Nickname for Aphrodite. Her temple is in Sparta, where she sits under a veil and with fetters on her legs, which Tyndareus put on.
* Philomedea. ("Loving shameful oud"). Epithet of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite in philosophy

Stung Cupid ("Cupid Stung by a Bee" by Benjamin West, 1802)

In Parmenides' poem, Aphrodite appears as the mother of Eros.

Empedocles repeatedly calls his cosmic power Aphrodite. Aphrodite creates the eidos of things.
Pausanias in his speech in Plato's dialogue "The Feast" sets out the theory of two Aphrodites: "popular", or "vulgar", and "heavenly." The question of the extent to which Pausanias' speech reflects the views of Plato himself is controversial. However, the mention of the heavenly and national Aphrodite is also contained in the speech of Socrates in Xenophon's "Feast", which shows that Socrates himself had this concept.

Obviously, Plato's ideal of love, defined as “the thirst for integrity and the pursuit of it” (Feast, 193a), is built on a homoerotic basis. The object of sensual love dating back to "Aphrodite of the People" (Pandemos), Plato believes, can be equally both young men and women. Eros "Aphrodite of Heaven" (Urania) goes back to the goddess involved only in the masculine principle, therefore "those possessed with such love turn to the male sex, giving preference to that which is stronger by nature and endowed with a great mind."
According to Eugemer, Aphrodite is the woman who invented prostitution.
The Stoic Zeno interpreted Aphrodite as "the force that properly binds the separate parts of something to each other."
In philosophy, Plotinus Aphrodite is a world soul that receives beauty from the mind-Kronos (Plotinus V 8, 13). Plotinus speaks repeatedly about the two Aphrodites. The first Aphrodite exists on an intelligible level (as "the life of the mind"), the second - on a cosmic level. The first is a philosophical interpretation of Crohn's daughter, the second is the daughter of Zeus. Plotinus also introduces the third Aphrodite, or rather, many Aphrodites, that is, individual souls, and each such soul gives birth to separate Eroses (Plotinus III 5, 4).
In the system of Proclus, among the twelve free gods, Aphrodite is included in the uplifting triad together with Hermes and Apollo, she is “the first active cause of erotic breath that permeates everything; it brings those souls that lead upward closer to the beautiful. " Six is ​​the number of Aphrodite. Iamblichus, however, calls Aphrodite the "five".
According to Proclus's commentary on "The State" (141-142) and "Timaeus" (I 79, II 54), both Hephaestus and Ares need Aphrodite, thanks to the marriage of Ares and Aphrodite in space, opposites are harmonized, Aphrodite is the principle of one and indivisible harmony ...
In the interpretation of Marsilio Ficino (commentary on Plato's "Feast"), the celestial Venus is "the thinking of the angelic mind", vulgar Venus is the generative force of the world soul.

Triumph of Venus (Francesco del Cossa (1436-1487)

In literature

Homer's hymns IV, VI and X are dedicated to her. The protagonist of Euripides' tragedy "Hippolytus".
In poetry, Aphrodite can embody love for women in opposition to Eros as a symbol of love for young men, but can also be associated with same-sex love (see also Homosexuality in Ancient Greece).

According to Apuleius' story in Metamorphoses, Aphrodite is jealous of the beauty of the earthly woman Psyche and sends her son Eros to make her fall in love with the ugliest man in the world. Eros falls in love with Psyche himself. Aphrodite pursues her daughter-in-law. It all ends well.

Aphrodite in antique sculpture

Most of the ancient Greek statues have come down to us in the form of Roman marble copies from Greek bronze originals.

Venus de Milo
(Venus de Milo Louvre)

* Venus de Milo- was found in 1820 in Milos, one of the Cyclades islands of the Aegean Sea, from which it got its name. Her hands were lost after the discovery, at the time of the conflict between the French, who wanted to take her to their country, and the Turks, who had the same intention. Venus de Milo is the most famous of all statues in the world, as well as the most famous of all paintings - Mona Lisa, is kept in the Louvre, and in the same way, she owes her fame not only to her artistic merits, but to the opinion, one might say, propaganda, of French authorities 19th century
* Venus de Medici(Medicis) - was excavated in 1677 at the portico of Octavian in Rome in the form of 11 fragments. Roman copy after the original by Cleomenes 1st century BCE. BC NS. From Rome, she was transported to Florence, the city of the Medici dukes, whose collection she became an ornament, while borrowing their family name. Before the acquisition of Venus de Milo, it was she who was considered a reference work, causing general admiration. From her, Sandro Botticelli took the pose of his nascent Aphrodite. In Diderot's Encyclopedia we find an analysis of the proportions of this female figure as exemplary. During the Italian wars, among other trophies, it was taken by Napoleon to Paris, for which a medal was even minted on the occasion. But in 1815 Venus Medici had to be returned to Italy, and all the enthusiasm of the French scientists switched to Venus de Milo, which no one needed to return. To describe the type, the epithet "Venus pudica" is also used - Venus is Shy, because the goddess in shyness tries to hide behind - the masters of the Renaissance will portray Eve this way.

* Aphrodite of Cnidus(see image below) - was the statue of the goddess most famous in ancient times. We find numerous enthusiasm for it in the literature of antiquity. It was created by Praxitel, the best of sculptors, who for the first time dared to depict the goddess completely naked (350-330 BC). According to legend, his beloved heterosexual Phryne served the master in kind, which caused a big scandal. Until now, the sculpture has not survived, reaching us only in repetitions and copies (about fifty). During the Byzantine Empire, she was taken to Constantinople, where she died. (See below for details)
* Venus Capitoline- type Venus Pudica, got its name from the place of its location - the Capitoline Museums (Palazzo Nuovo). The statue was found in Rome, on the Viminal Hill. Gift of Pope Benedict XIV (1754).
* Venus Callipiga(see image above) - means "having a great booty." The statue of the goddess, bearing the imprint of the Hellenistic era (original c. 225 BC), lifts the clothes, showing its beauty. The spiral construction of the composition allows the figure to look equally advantageous from any point. Stored in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples since 1802, donated by Pope Benedict XVII. During the Victorian period it was considered extremely indecent (one English artist needed special permission to be allowed to sketch it on an album); with the Rococo period is close thematically.
* Venus of Arles(see image above) - another of the statues that can be seen in the Louvre was found in 1651 on the ruins of the ancient theater of Arles (France) in the form of three scattered fragments. The head was severed from the body and the arms were lost. It was brought to its current form by François Girardon and, looking at the engraving of the 17th century, we see that if he had not done this, France could have had as many as two "Venus de Milo". Apparently, "Venus of Arles" goes back to the second famous Aphrodite of Praxiteles' work - Aphrodite of Kos. The story goes that the greatest Aphrodite of Cnidus was created by the order of the inhabitants of Kos, but the customers, frightened by the sculptor's too free decision, asked to make them a more chaste version. Aphrodite of Kos went to Kos, and Aphrodite of Cnidus went to Cnidus, glory, as well as a huge stream of Hellenes who loved the beautiful, which made the Cossians very much regret their mistake.
* Aphrodite in the gardens(Aphrodite I en Kipois) - came down to us only in not always intelligible remarks. The work of Phidias' pupil - Alkamena was a calmly standing goddess, slightly bowing her head and throwing the veil off her face with a graceful movement of her hand; in her other hand she held an apple, a gift from Paris. A long thin robe was wrapped around her body. The time of creation of the statue is the 2nd floor. 5 c. BC e., antiquity is also felt in the fact that the goddess is not completely exposed, even if the robes fit her quite openly.
* Venus the ancestor- (Venus Genetrix) The goddess acts here as the progenitor of the ruling family of Julia. It was to her that Caesar put a temple on the forum of his own name. Sometimes also called "Aphrodite Frejus" after the place of discovery. Belongs to the type of "Aphrodite in the Gardens", chosen, apparently, due to the noticeable modesty and chastity that distinguished the 5th century statue from the images of the goddess in another function. We see a well-preserved version of it in the Louvre.
* Venus of Cyrene- found in the North. Africa, represents a goddess emerging from the water and wringing out her hair, as she was depicted in the famous painting by Apelles - Aphrodite Anadiomene (Coming out of the water). Many losses still allow you to see her charm. OK. 310 BC NS. It was kept in Rome, but there were mentions that Italian President Berlusconi gave this beautiful thing at the place of the find - to Libya, as Gaddafi demanded.
* Venus of Capua- shows us a version of what Venus de Milo might look like before her adventures. With one foot, the goddess in this version rests on a helmet, which, apparently, should express the idea of ​​her victorious power - the idea that nothing can resist against her power (Aphrodite-Nikiforos, that is, the Winner). In her hand, presumably, she held a polished shield, which looked like in a mirror - typical for a woman to use a lethal weapon. Stored in Naples. It is believed that this statue may be a copy of the work of Lysippos. 330-320 biennium BC NS.
* Venus Mazarin- the goddess is accompanied by a dolphin, one of her attributes, a creature that helped her out of the abyss of the sea. Relating to about 100-200 years. G.E. this Roman copy was found on the territory of Rome around 1509 (controversial). In the same way, it is controversial that this sculpture once belonged to the famous Cardinal Mazarin, which did not prevent her from receiving such a nickname. It stands out, perhaps, by the fact that it is one of the few that has a name and is located in the United States. Getty Museum.
* Venus of Syracuse- A statue representing a goddess emerging from the water (Anadiomene), kept in the Syracuse Archaeological Museum. A dolphin accompanies Venus, and the folds of clothes are like a shell. Sometimes the statue is also called Venus Landolina after the archaeologist Saverio Landolina who discovered it in the ruins of the Sicilian nymph. 2 c. n. NS.
* Bathing Aphrodite- she is "Venus of Doydalsas" - after the name of the sculptor Doydalsas from Bithynia, the compatriot of the beautiful Antinous, who created it. Came in many copies of various preservation, the best of which are presented in the Vatican, Naples, Uffizi. The original was created in the 2nd floor. 3 c. BC e., a clear imprint of Hellenistic rearing is felt. Sometimes it is supplemented by various figures - a little Eros, a dolphin.

* Venus Esquiline(Venus Esquilina) - was excavated in Rome in 1874, and since that moment is in the Capitoline Museums (1st century BC). There is also an option in the Louvre. They did not restore her hands. English artist Edward Poynter tried to reconstruct them at least visually in his painting Diadumene, suggesting that the statue depicted a woman picking up her hair before bathing. The assumption is based on the fact that the remainder of the hand - the little finger - is visible on the back of the goddess's head. It is also worth mentioning the version that this statue is the image of Cleopatra - since the cobra, an attribute of the Egyptian queen, is depicted on the vase on which draperies are draped.
* Aphrodite sinuessa- found in 1911 in the town of Mondragone (the ancient city of Sinuessa) during the cultivation of a vineyard, this statue, which is attributed to the 4th century. BC NS. is currently in Naples, National Museum.
* Venus felix- the epithet Felix was acquired by the goddess Venus in Rome, as the patroness of Sulla, who believed that this goddess brought him good luck, and who took the nickname "Epaphrodite". Pio Clementino Museum, Vatican.

Aphrodite, Pan and Eros (c. 100 BC)

* Aphrodite, Pan and Eros- sculpture from the island of Delos. OK. 100 BC NS. National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
* Aphrodite of Rhodes
* Venus Tauride- the statue, found in the vicinity of Rome in 1718 and acquired by Peter I, is exhibited in the Hermitage and is a revised type of Aphrodite of Cnidus. According to written sources, the pope, who forbade the export of antiquities from Italy, eventually exchanged it for the relics of St. Brigid, returned by Peter. The name "Tauride" the statue acquired from the name of the Tauride Garden, in which it was exhibited upon arrival.
* Venus Khvoshchinsky- the second of the Venus located in Russia is stored on Volkhonka, in the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin and also goes back to the Praxitelean Aphrodite of Cnidus. She received her nickname by the name of the collector who acquired it.

Statues Known for References in Literature

* A statue of Aphrodite, sculpted by Phidias for the Eleans, trampled underfoot a turtle, which Plutarch interpreted as a sign that women should be at home and be silent.

Aphrodite of Cnidus(Wikipedia)

Aphrodite of Cnidus(Greek. Κνίδια Αφροδίτη Πραξιτέλη ) (350-330 BC) - one of the most famous works of Praxiteles, the most famous image of this goddess in antiquity. The statue has not survived, there are repetitions and copies. Aphrodite of Cnidus was the first sculptural representation of a nude female body in ancient Greek art.

History of creation and glory

Praxiteles for the first time dared to portray the goddess completely naked. The highlighting of the statue was done by the famous Nikias.

According to Pliny, the inhabitants of the island of Kos ordered the statue of Aphrodite for the local sanctuary. Praxitel performed two options: a naked goddess and a clothed goddess. For both statues, Praxiteles charged the same payment. The customers did not risk it and chose the traditional version, with a draped figure. Its copies and descriptions have not survived, and it has sunk into oblivion. And the residents of the Asia Minor city of Knidos, who remained in the sculptor's workshop, Aphrodite of Cnidus, was bought by the inhabitants of the city of Cnidus, which favored the development of the city: pilgrims, attracted by the famous sculpture, began to flock to Cnidus. Aphrodite stood in an open-air temple, visible from all sides.

“... Above all the works of not only Praxiteles, but generally existing in the universe, is Venus of his work. To see her, many swam on Cnidus .... "

Aphrodite of Cnidus enjoyed such fame and was copied so often that an anecdote was even told about her, which formed the basis of the epigram:

Seeing Cyprias on Cnidus, Cyprias bashfully said:
"Woe is me, where did Praxiteles see me naked?"

Nicomedes I, king of Bithynia, offered the islanders to forgive a huge national debt in exchange for a sculpture, but they refused. Ancient writers also mention how at night a young man in love with her entered the sanctuary and a dark spot appeared on the statue. (Lucian).

During the Byzantine Empire, she was taken to Constantinople, where she died in a fire, like many other ancient originals.

Model

As the classics write, Praxitel used his beloved, Hetero Phryne, as a model. It was blasphemy. The orator Euphius (Euthas), her rejected admirer, accused the hetera of godlessness (340 BC). The famous orator Hyperides was the protector. Seeing that his speech did not make a special impression on the court, he tore off her clothes from Phryne (according to other texts, she barely showed her clothes to the waist or threw off her clothes herself at the sign of the defender). The beauty of the woman made such an impression on the judges that she was acquitted - after all, according to the Greek concepts of beauty, such a perfect body could not hide an imperfect soul (the concept of kalokagatya).

Description

The statue depicts a completely naked woman, covering her bosom with her right hand. This puts her in the Venus Pudica category (Venus the Shy), which also includes the Capitoline and Medican Venus. The goddess holds in her hands a fabric, the folds of which descend onto the jug (from the point of view of construction, this becomes another additional support). The height of the sculpture was 2 meters, the material was Parian marble (Praxitel did not like bronze).

Aphrodite is depicted without clothes, as she prepares to swim - take the legendary bath described in myths, thanks to which she regained her virginity every day.

Until now, the sculpture has not survived, reaching us only in repetitions and copies (about fifty), none of which is able to convey the impression that the original caused. The best preserved replicas in the Munich Glyptotek and the Vatican Museums, however, it is believed that the torso from the Louvre, despite all the losses, better conveys all its charm. The so-called "Kaufman's Head" is also a repetition of this statue.

A copy of Aphrodite of Cnidus in Hadrian's Villa

It is logical that most of the deities who bestow the energy of love and beauty are of a female nature. In the astrological system, these qualities are associated with the planet Venus, which is deified as a beautiful morning star.

Something that unites all Venusian images from various world mythologies:

• birth occurs most often from the waters, from the God of Heaven;
• famous for its beauty, ability to enjoy, the power of love and sexuality;
• combines the functions of creation, fertility;
• may be the main female deity of the pantheon;
• patronizes lovers, family life and well-being, arts;
• the image of the goddess of love has undergone evolution over the centuries: from a hetaira and mistress to a faithful wife and guardian of marriage.

There is a connection between the image of the goddesses of love and the star, the dawn; the zoomorphic image of a cow is popular. Other animals associated with the goddesses of love are the dove,.

Colors - natural, green, pink, dawn.

Egypt

Isis- "throne", in Egypt personified the morning star - Venus. The eternally young goddess, whose image changes over time, is renewed and appears new in every civilization.

The ancient goddess - a matriarchal queen, achieves her goal by law, deceit and cunning. At the same time, he often shows caution and wisdom in conquering life's well-being. Then he can rest on his laurels, performing the female function of passive energy conservation.

There is a bird image of Isis - a swallow, creating the wind with the flaps of its wings. Very skillful and efficient, she conquers other gods.

Most often, her image was:

• a woman with wings;
• a cow;
• a woman (on a throne) with a crescent of cow horns (sometimes a creature with a female body and a cow's head), feeding her child, the infant Horus.

Isis, the loving wife of Osiris, with all her passionate character, showing marital fidelity and motherly love, demonstrated miracles of perseverance in achieving her own goals - the resurrection of her husband and the upbringing of her son.

Greece

Aphrodite- Greek goddess of love, her clothes are strewn with stars. The "froth-born" Aphrodite is the last creation of the ancient demiurge - she appeared from the drops of blood of the god of Heaven Uranus - castrated by Kronos - that fell into the water.

Aphrodite - by Botticelli

Drawn surrounded by beautiful Harit and wild animals, tamed by love desire. Her symbols: mirror, belt, ring, wreath, associated with a female organ.

Her image has changed over the centuries, cultivated along with human civilization. Once she was a goddess of a heterosexual and she herself was engaged in the same business. Further, she was credited with more coquetry and playing love games, stirring up passions in gods and people, sowing strife (for example, the Trojan War, the story of Phaedra and Hippolytus).

She was the patroness of childbirth, protected pregnant and giving birth women, and even had the name of "child educator".

This goddess of love and beauty in Ancient Greece could endow people with feelings that give strength and a vision of beauty, helping to be included in the living process of true reality, and not in an artificial mental world. She cannot stand the lightness of feelings and persecutes those who reject love. It is she who personifies the principle: God is love.

Finally, the development of the myth of Aphrodite led this goddess of love to the role of a loving mother and wife. Although the gods of the elements (water - Poseidon, Fire -) coveted her love and she had children in common with them, the most cultured god - Hermes, famous among the gods for his talents and the role of a master-creator - became the goddess's legal husband.

After marriage, Aphrodite ties up with a wild life (well, almost ...), pacifies her natural passions and becomes the patroness of marriage. And her fierce power of love finds itself the most worthy application - the creation of family well-being and happiness.

Hymen- the companion of Aphrodite, the god of family and marriage, imposing the "bonds of Hymen" on the spouses.

Eros- "love", the playful Greek god of love - the son of Aphrodite and Ares (in some legends, they say that Eros's father was still a husband, cunning Hermes). He was depicted as a beautiful winged boy, initially with a flower and a lyre, a little later with arrows and a bow. Sometimes he held a torch in his hands, igniting passion for love.

Eros amused himself with the fact that he flew around the world and shot his arrows of passionate desire at the gods and people, making them forget about everything and seek the love of their chosen one. It is Eros who, with the help of love desire, ensures the continuation of life.

Anterot (Anteros)- another son of Aphrodite, the younger brother of Eros, born later than the playful brother. Therefore, he is already by nature a more harmonious deity, symbolizing shared love. With his presence, brother Eros was able to grow from a baby to the state of a young man, which means the formula: reciprocity helps love to grow.

Charites- “mercy, kindness”, beneficent goddesses who embody the best sides of nature, preserving the seasonal order and harvest: “shining” Aglaya, “good-minded” Euphrosyne, blossoming “Thalia”.

Have different nations the names of the harit were different, as was their number. They are close to the Muses and the goddess of persuasion with the help of sensual insight - Peyto.

Rome and Etruscans

Venus- "the grace of the gods", the Roman goddess of love, is well disposed towards people. She has different forms, for example Venus Doritis or Frutis - the patroness of gardens and fruits. Venus Erinika is the patroness of illegal love, that is, love outside marriage, between lovers. Venus Verticordia - on the contrary, patronizes legal marriage and conjugal love, etc.

One of the symbols of Venus is associated with love, a peaceful sky and peacefulness in human hearts - this is an antique symbol of the white dove of peace. This image merged with the Christian image of the Holy Spirit, who brings help and good news to people. In this aspect, Venus manifests itself as merciful and creative, her naturalness and beauty brings people the true joy of life.

The influence of Venus on human life usually consists in the favorable and sympathetic attention of heaven to the love and kindness of the person himself.

Amur- "love" (Cupid - "strong passion") symbolizes the triumph of natural passion in a person, which prevails over reason.

Analogue of the Greek Eros. Cupid is more associated with platonic, romantic love, while Cupid is a symbol of passionate desire, sexual possession.

Scythians and Slavs

Lada- Slavic goddess of love, combines the lunar and Venusian archetypes. The wife of Svarog, her children - Perun, Morena, Lelya, Zhiva, Lel and Polel. Lada is the patroness of engagement (frets - "engagement"), harmony between a man and a woman (to cope), family (family harmony) and family benefits.

Lada helps to maintain a positive state - a creative, bright state of mind and it is from this state to accept correct decisions in difficult life moments.

Delight (Oslad)- the god of pleasure and bliss, which can be obtained from life in all its manifestations. Patron saint of arts, holidays and feasts, a little later - also became a patron good sleep and vivid dreams. Depicted as a beautiful youth, joyful and ruddy. The god Pripegala is close to him - a deity of the Dionysian type, feasts, festivities and receiving pleasure from this action.

Krasopani- the deity of the Western Slavs (Moravia), the name emphasizes its beauty. She was depicted as a naked beauty on a chariot carried by three swans.

Among the Slavs, the image of swans is associated with purity and fidelity, bordering between the Sun and Venus.

Semites

Astarta- "goddess", sometimes depicted in the form of a cow, as a fertile creature. She is able to resurrect with her love, sensual warmth, give vitality. Maybe a healer.

Another of her forms is a naked horsewoman, with a bow and arrow. The Semitic goddess of love was at the same time famous as the goddess of battles. This image of her symbolizes selfish love, which is capable of sowing enmity between people. And also to reconcile them, mediating in conflict situations, upholding the law and peace. The image of this goddess contains the forces of militancy and, at the same time, peacefulness.

Asirat- the mother of gods and people, the daughter and wife of the West Semitic god Ilu, who has turned into a single and at the same time multiple god of the Cabal Elohim. A phallic cult is associated with Asirat.

Kudshu- Syrian goddess of fertility, one of the personifications of Astarte. It is depicted standing on a lion, in one hand - a flower, in the other - a snake. Also identified as the divine cow Hathor.

Mesopotamia and Asia Minor

Ishtar- "star" can be depicted as a cow, but with bird's paws and wings.

Akkadian goddess of love, whose father is the sky god Anu. Her love is warlike, she can be insidious and vindictive. She looks more like an Amazon carrying arrows behind her back.

The cult of Ishtar, the goddess of carnal love, took on the character of orgies. At the same time, her functions in this area are varied: initially she patronizes lovers, heterosexuals and even homosexuals, then she takes care of the birth of a person, therefore she is considered an assistant to women during childbirth.

Her image is cultivated over time and Ishtar begins to patronize marriage and sexual interaction of spouses, but this requires their initiation into the cult of Ishtar.

Inanna- "mistress of heaven", Sumerian goddess of love.

Initially, she was considered the daughter of the God of Heaven, after the transition of his functions to the younger deities, people called her the daughter of the god Enki or the moon god Nanna. Inanna attracts with the help of beautiful clothes (all the colors of the dawn), which Enki, the lord of destinies, gave her. She controls the feelings of gods and people, has feminine strength and powerful charm. Shows belligerence only in extreme situations.

The winged goddess, who owns the heavenly boat, cunningly extracts the divine powers of Me (power over destinies) from Enki, after which she alone owns the divine crown, the royal throne and the high priesthood. Receiving these benefits depends on the grace of the goddess of love.

Shavushka- "weapon", the Hurrian goddess of fertility, love and war.

Possesses a love spell that can seduce and conquer even those forces (for example, a snake) that have not obeyed other gods. With a rather dangerous sense of the name, she acts as the patroness of family happiness and well-being.

Nanaya- the Sumerian goddess of love, including the carnal one, was distinguished by a special divine beauty. Sometimes she was identified with Inanna, sometimes it was believed that Inanna taught Nanaya everything that she knew and was able to do.

She was asked to help improve her own sex appeal. She also patronized people of art, especially poets.

India and Iran

Vishnu-Mohini- “penetrating into everything, all-embracing”, the male embodiment of the function of creative love. After all, the Creator Brahma was born from a lotus that grew from the navel of Vishnu, which symbolizes the feminine ability to give birth.

Vishnu is beautiful in himself, but he is especially irresistible when he uses female charms. For example, he appears before the gods in the female form of Mohini - "maddening enchantress", as a result, he steals amrita from the asuras - a drink that gives immortality.

And Shiva was so imbued with the female form of Vishnu that the lover merged with him into a single being Harizaru.

The incarnation of Vishnu is also considered to be Krishna, who professes the principle "God is love" and is so tenderly attached to God that his feelings turn into divine emotional ecstasy.

Lakshmi- “life, like happiness, beauty, a good sign”, is the wife of the god Vishnu, who, like Aphrodite, emerged from the waters, emerging on a Lotus flower, surrounded by groups of Apsaras (the Indian analogue of mermaids).

Lakshmi bestows her happy omens to those who love her, her hypostasis Sri Lakshmi is the goddess of fertility. Lakshmi also has the name Indira, which combines two meanings: beautiful and powerful.

Ushas- the Indian goddess of Dawn, depicted as a beauty, a girl dancer in bright beautiful clothes, with jewelry. She is immortal and does not age, her beauty and harmony inspire people of art.

She is called "the most similar to Indra", she can come into conflict with him, as the principle of love and beauty, opposing the god of thunder. Identified in the constellation.

Rohini- "pink", her zoomorphic image - a sacred cow, is associated with the qualities of fertility, love and marriage.

Kama- "love", "desire", son of Lakshmi, his weapon is a bow made of bees, shooting arrows from flowers. Kama has such energy and influence on gods and people that no one except Shiva is able to resist him.

But even Shiva, struck by the five arrows of Kama, out of his five senses, created the world of Maya, our usual illusion, where he could satisfy his own passion.

Kama was killed by Shiva for interfering in his meditation, because of which the destroyer god is forced to experience love desires, otherwise the game of worlds will stop, the infinity of life will be interrupted.

Gods Kama and Rati

Rati(Bhaga) - the wife of Kama, "pleasure, pleasure", the goddess of undying love, who accepted the "work of life" of her divine husband killed by Shiva. She mourned her husband, turned to the gods for help, and she was given the gift of finding Kama again in the form of her child, producing and raising him with all the tenderness and kindness of feelings.

In this image, the wife's sensual love is brought together with the creative motherly love, it is these energies fused together that give the woman the feeling of victory over death, over destruction.

Teutons and Celts

Freya- "mistress", a German beauty - the goddess of fertility and love, in the pantheon has a father - the sea god Njord. She was the object of constant desire of the giants, she married the poet Oda. Fluffy cats are associated with her image - the cutest and affectionate animals that Freya uses as mounts, harnessing to her cart.

In myths, it can act as a female parallel to the god of thunder, taking the form of a cloud in the shape of a cow, thus returning moisture to the earth and granting the blossoming of the nature, which was filled with Freya's rain.

In honor of this goddess in the Germanic languages ​​is named Friday, the day of the week associated with the influence and manifestation of the planet Venus.

Freya's counterpart - goddess Frigga, "Beloved", the wife of the god Odin, the patroness of marriage, family and childbirth.

Balts

Lime- "happiness", the goddess of the happy fate of the Baltic peoples. Lyme is the daughter of Dievas, the god of Heaven, in the image accompanies the Sun as Dawn. It is this goddess who leads the bride and groom at weddings, is the patroness of pregnant women and cows.

It is in eternal confrontation with the goddess Giltina, who brings misfortune and death to people.

Milda- Lithuanian goddess of love, her name means “to love, to fall in love”. He flies in an air carriage, which is carried across the sky by pigeons. The month of April was previously dedicated to Milda, now her day is May 13, which is considered the Holiday of Love.

China

Si-shen- the Chinese god of pleasure, marriage and abundance, "the spirit of joy." It was believed that he lives on Venus. He appears to be smilingly raking gold and silver bars into his large basket, sitting on the backs of kneeling women. Xi-shen is dressed in green clothes, symbolizing spring energies and youth of nature.

Indians

Shochiketsal- "flower feather", the divine wife of the thunderer of the Aztecs Tlaloc, her function, of course, is love. She patronizes women, all household chores and flowers. Her influence extends not only to family unions, but also to all lovers, she could help even dissolute women and reveler men.

Shochiketsal's greatest influence extends to people engaged in creativity - sculpture, art and weaving.

Whitaka- the goddess of the Chibcha-Maisk Indians, associated with the female power of fertility. She was also assigned the role of the goddess of sensual pleasures, who taught people to enjoy life.