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cytherea

Cytherea is a name associated with the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite and, by extension, with the Roman goddess Venus. The term is an alternate transliteration of Cytherea, derived from Kythera (Cythera), a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea. In ancient myth and cult, Kythera is linked to Aphrodite’s emergence or arrival, and the goddess was worshipped there as a principal deity of love and beauty. The island’s association with Aphrodite helped establish Cythera as a poetic and religious symbol in which the sea, fertility, and sensuality were central themes.

As an epithet, Cytherea is widely used in classical poetry and later literature to refer to Aphrodite/Venus.

Geography and cultural legacy: Kythera (Cythera) is a Greek island located off the southern coast of the

See also: Aphrodite, Venus, Kythera.

The
name
appears
in
various
forms
of
verse
and
prose
to
evoke
the
goddess’s
attributes—romantic
desire,
charm,
and
artistic
beauty—often
with
maritime
or
island
imagery
linked
to
Cythera
itself.
In
some
literary
contexts,
the
epithet
serves
to
heighten
the
divine
aura
surrounding
the
goddess
or
to
distinguish
her
in
contrast
with
other
deities
of
love
and
fertility.
Peloponnese.
Today
it
is
part
of
modern
Greece
and
is
known
for
its
rugged
landscapes,
historic
sites,
and
archaeological
remains
connected
to
ancient
worship
of
Aphrodite.
The
term
Cytherea
also
survives
in
scholarly
and
literary
references
as
a
classical
or
poetic
designation
for
Aphrodite/Venus,
reflecting
the
enduring
link
between
geography,
myth,
and
art.