APHRODITE PAGE ONE

Aphrodite was the ancient Greek goddess of Beauty, Love, Fertility and Desire. She was one of the Major Olympians and played a dramatic role throughout ancient history, featuring in countless myths and stories.

Aphrodite was - and is - quite fascinating, for many reasons! Her parentage is uncertain. The poet Homer, in the epic poem called the 'Iliad', claimed that she was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Dione. She may also have been a daughter of Amphitrite by Triton or perhaps Cronus, father of many Olympians.

Many versions of her origin exist. But later myths and poems say that the goddess of Love had risen from the sea foam on a seashell after Cronus tossed his father Uranus' severed genitals there. This is the most widely accepted take, but depending on the source, any of these versions may be considered accurate.

Her name was thus explained as "foam-risen", coming from the Greek word 'Aphros', which means 'foam'. The actual "sea-birth" is said to have taken place near the island of Cythera, but supposedly she first walked ashore on Paphos in Cyprus.

The South Wind claimed to have seen her floating in a scallop shell off the island of Cythera, and steered her gently ashore. That's the reason why she was called 'The Cyprian' or'Cytherea' as often as by her proper name.

The Horae (Hours, Seasons) welcomed her joyously and clothed and attended to her, hanging golden ornaments in her ears and adorning her with golden necklaces. They put on her head a crown of gold and then the Horae brought Aphrodite to Mount Olympus, to be introduced to the Olympian gods.

 HOMERIC HYMN TO APHRODITE
The breath of the west wind bore her
Over the sounding sea,
Up from the delicate foam,
To wave-ringed Cyprus, her isle.
And the Hours golden-wreathed
Welcomed her joyously.
They clad her in rainment immortal,
And brought her to the gods.
Wonder seized them all as they saw
Violet-crowned Cytherea.

Aphrodite each year would return to Paphos, in Cyprus, and swim in the sea for good luck and to rejuvenate herself.

Robert Graves, in his book "Greek Gods and Heroes", tells us that "Aphrodite's throne was silver, inlaid with beryls and aquamarines, the back shaped like a scallop shell, the seat made of swan's down, and under her feet lay a golden mat -- an embroidery of golden bees, apples, and sparrows."

The poets liked to paint an idealistic picture of Aphrodite, filled with beauty and happiness - The winds flee before her and the storm clouds; sweet flowers embroider the earth; the waves of the sea laugh; she moves in radiant light. Without her there is no joy nor loveliness anywhere.

However, in the Iliad, the story of the Trojan War which praised brutal strength and power as heroism, she was shown as a soft and weak creature, whom even mortals could attack, and even wound in battle.

Aphrodite wasn't always sweet. When it suited her, she could be rather malicious and treacherous, and her influence over men was often deadly. She could turn the heart of any man to longing and passion, and it was said that when she spoke, even Zeus listened...after all, the King of the Olympians was notorious for succumbing to Love's temptations.

The lame god of the forge and metalworking, Hephaestus, was her husband, although he was the only god to be physically ugly. It was an arranged marriage - Some say that when Aphrodite first arrived on Mount Olympus, Zeus was struck by her beauty and radiance and he was certain that the other gods would fight for her affections.

So he awarded Aphrodite to the most dependable and steady deity, Hephaestus. Needless to say, Hephaestus considered himself the luckiest god on Olympus and he did his utmost to please his gorgeous bride, continuously creating and designing new golden jewelry and furniture to please her.

In addition to her irresistible looks Aphrodite had a magical golden girdle, made by Hephaestus, that when worn compelled anyone she wished to desire her.

As if she weren't irresistible enough already!

But Aphrodite considered it shameful and a disgrace to be the wife of such a "blue collar", manual-labor kind of god. Hephaestus was unattractive, sooty-faced, hard-working, crippled and not quite the "party animal" that his wife was, and she insisted on having a bedroom of her own, separate from his. Not to mention many illicit lovers, as you'll see!

APHRODITE CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
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