Goddess of love and beauty
As one of the twelve Olympian deities, Aphrodite was once responsible for growing and developing. Since a longing desire was also ascribed to nature, Aphrodite became the epitome and symbol of love throughout history. In Greek mythology, she is the goddess of sensual desire, love and beauty.
Legend has it that she rose from the sea near Petra tou Romiou. Aphrodite is the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. If the legend is to be believed, Kronos, the son of Uranos, cut off his genitals and threw them into the sea on the orders of his mother. There his semen and blood are said to have mixed with the sea and foamed up tremendously. Aphrodite is said to be born from the mixture. It is from this myth that she owes her nickname, the foam-born.
Knowing about her beauty and attraction, she had numerous love affairs with both mortal and immortal lovers, even though she was married. The lucky or unfortunate was Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmithing. With the god of war Ares, with whom she had a close mythological relationship, since he was also the god of thunderstorms and thus of the fertilization of the earth, she had a well-known relationship and bore him five children. She also loved Hermes, Dionysus and Adonis, with whom she also fathered children.
At that time, however, Aphrodite was not considered the only beautiful woman. Hera and Athena were also said to be absolutely beautiful. So it came between the women, since each of the three claimed the title of the most beautiful, a violent argument. The arbitration of the dispute brought, at the instruction of the god father Zeus, the young Trojan prince Paris, who decided in favor of Aphrodite, despite various attempts at bribery by the ladies. With this decision, he set a much bigger stone rolling: the 10-year Trojan War!
Aphrodite, however, played with a treacherous ruse: She promised him love and beauty and told him that he was worthy of the most beautiful of all mortals - Helena! Paris listened to Aphrodite and kidnapped her. A mistake he had to pay with his life!
In addition, a distinction was made between the holy and heavenly Aphrodite, Urania, and Aphrodite, Pandemos, who belonged to the whole people.
As Urania, the heavenly or the sky goddess, she became the adoptive daughter of Zeus and Dione. Ruling as a pandemic on earth, it represented sensual and even purchasable love. Because of this, she was also considered the goddess of common morality and the patroness of temple prostitution!
One of the numerous temples attributed to their cult is still preserved in tiny remains in Old Pafos. In this once huge temple area, blood sacrifices were made to Aphrodite and artistic and sporting competitions were held. What happened after the exercise is speculation and legend!
