Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is a central figure in ancient Greek myth and religion and is identified with the Roman goddess Venus. There are two main origin traditions. In Hesiod’s Theogony, she arises from sea foam after Uranus is castrated by Cronus, sometimes called Aphrodite Urania. In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, she is said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione, a more Olympian goddess associated with romantic and social love, sometimes called Aphrodite Pandemos.

Aphrodite is part of the Olympian pantheon and is commonly associated with marriage, erotic desire, and fertility. She is often depicted as married to Hephaestus, though she has a long-standing affair with Ares; their son Eros (Cupid) appears in many traditions as her child. She also features in stories such as the myth of Adonis and the tale of Psyche, in which her jealousy and eventual forgiveness of Psyche play a key role.

Worship of Aphrodite was widespread, with major cult centers in Cyprus (where she was called Cypris) and on the Greek mainland, including sanctuaries at Knidos and Corinth. Her symbols include the dove, swan, rose, myrtle, and the seashell, and she is often associated with gardens, beauty, and romantic allure.

In later periods, Aphrodite’s Greek identity was absorbed into Roman culture as Venus, preserving many of her myths and symbolic associations.