Aphrodite And Her Works

1017 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: all about aphrodite

People of all ages and cultures seek a relatable figure for comparison. Individual cultures adopted varying myths in order to identify these figures. In Greek mythology, the most colorful and relatable figure was the goddess of love, Aphrodite. This goddess, although immortal, exhibited the behaviors of many mortals. She was portrayed as a beautiful goddess with an fiesty attitude consisting of imperfection. Aphrodite’s lack of self-control, promiscuous behavior, and manipulative maneuvers contribute to her relatability and perpetual influence on modern culture.
Aphrodite's indescribable personality led her acceptance among many different parties. Her only immortal friends were three very unique Companions– Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, more commonly known as the Graces (Columbia University Press). Her personality also led to her acceptance at Mount Olympus. While she may not have had many immortal friends, her nymph friends took her to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, were she was welcomed and given a throne (FactCite). Shortly after arriving at Mount Olympus, she was deemed the goddess of love, fertility, marriage, and family life because of her dominating character trait of promiscuity (Columbia University Press). But, her moody personality has also deemed her the goddess of weather, relating her to both storms and lightning (FactCite). This Semitic-Greek goddess was worshipped throughout Athens and Sparta, and the vast difference in territories led to an exaggeration of her qualities, making her widely accepted among prostitutes (Brittannica School). Overall, his goddess was seen in many cultures and empires and was given many corresponding names including Aphrodite Pandemos and Aphrodite Melainis-literally Aphrodite ...

... middle of paper ...

...dia Mythica Online.11 Jan. 2014 .
"Aphrodite." Myths and Legends of the World. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Student Resources in Context. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
McCaffery, Elisabeth. "Aphrodite." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
"Aphrodite." FactCite: Lincoln Library of Greek and Roman Mythology Online. Lincoln Lib. P, 2012. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
Pirenne-Delforge, Vinciane. "Aphrodite." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd Ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 407-409. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
Stewart, Michael. "Aphrodite ." Aphrodite * The Immortals * Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. Messagenet Communications Research, 1996-2005. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Statue Titled Torso of Venus

    1553 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rayment, Kate. "Aphrodite: Venus: Goddess of Love and Beauty." InDepthInfo: Information Delivered In-Depth. InDepthInfo, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Fitful and Changing: Femininity in Virgil's Aeneid

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a child, I was fascinated by Greek mythology and history, and I made it my business in elementary school to read as much as possible about the subject, including the outstanding stories and the pantheon of gods presented. I thought of them as fantastic, supernatural tales with fitful gods and brave heroes, and I never stopped to consider that the mythologies could be representative of the cultural views and habits of the Greeks, specifically regarding gender roles. One such representaton is Virgil's epic Aeneid, which contains depictions of women in positions of power, and also characterizes these women as irrational, emotional to the point of hysteria, and consequently, unfit rulers.

    Read More

  • Greek Mythology: A Look at Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Demeter.” Mythography: Exploring Greek, Roman, and Celtic Myth and Art. Web. 8 Dec. 2009 .

    Read More

  • Athena's Impact on the Lives of Ancient Greeks

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Grant, Michael, and John Hazel. "Athena." Gods and Mortals in Classical Mythology. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam, 1973. Print.

    Read More

  • Women In Ancient Greek Society

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Greek society women were treated very differently than they are today. Women in ancient Greece were not allowed to own property, participate in politics, and they were under control of the man in their lives. The goddess Aphrodite did not adhere to these social norms and thus the reason the earthly women must comply with the societal structure that was set before them. Aphrodite did not have a father figure according to Hesiod, and therefore did not have a man in her life to tell her what to do. She was a serial adulteress and has many children with many men other than her husband. She was not the only goddess from the ancient Greek myths to cause doubt in the minds of men. Gaia and the Titan Rhea rise up against their husbands in order to protect their children. Pandora, another woman in the Greek myths, shows that all evil comes from woman. Aphrodite, Gaia, Rhea, and Pandora cause the ancient Greek men to be suspicious of women because of her mischievous and wild behavior.

    Read More

  • Differences and Similarities of The Women of Athens and Sparta

    1843 Words  | 4 Pages

    --- Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken Books. 1995, 2010. Kindle Edition. Location 2733 of 6360.

    Read More

  • Aphrodite and Demeter

    1488 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aphrodite was one of the nine that were known as the Great Goddesses, “an awful and lovely goddess,” according to Hesiod (Theogony), born of the foam that ensued when Kronos cut off Uranos’ genitals and they fell into the sea. She first walked ashore in Cyprus, and was welcomed by the Seasons (Hours):

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games: A Myth in Disguise

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. 5th ed. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. Print.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Athena And Aphrodite

    1450 Words  | 3 Pages

    But due to Athena’s masculinity, she was discussed almost as an exception to this belief, but only enough to be considered a step above women and below mortal men. While Aphrodite who embraced her femininity and sexuality, was seen as one of the most inferior immortals by other immortals and thus by myth writers.

    Read More

  • Women In Hesiod Theogony, And Works And Days

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example, in the illustration of Aphrodite’s birth, she is described as “modest and beautiful” (Theogony, 9). When Athena is born from Zeus’ head, she is depicted as “the fearsome rouser of the fray, leader of armies, the lady Atrytone, whose pleasure is in war and the clamour of battle” (Theogony, 30). Hesiod even includes a lengthy portrayal of Hecate, where he articulates how Zeus honored Hecate more than all others. Hecate is said to have positions of power, dominion over parts of both land and sea and prestige. Hesiod also mentions that Hecate has a role in public gatherings (“…the man of her choice shines out among the crowd” [Theogony, 16]) as well as in war (“…the goddess [Hecate] comes and stands by whichever side she chooses to grant victory…” [Theogony, 16]) While the representations of these goddesses may be positive, Hesiod is not speaking about women in general, or even mortal women. As M. L. West says, “When they are personified must clearly be classed as gods, not mortals; after all, they are invisible and imperishable, and they have the power to affect human affairs.”1 Goddesses like Athena, Aphrodite and Hecate are personifications of abstract concepts that the ancient Greeks valued. While the Greek gods often exhibited very human-like qualities, they were still deities; put on pedestals to be respected

    Read More

  • Psychoanalytical Criticism of The Swimmer by John Cheever

    1435 Words  | 3 Pages

    archetypal figures: smacked the bronze backside (libido) of Aphrodite (Greek Water Goddess of love and beauty – vain and unfaithful like Neddy)

    Read More

  • The Nature of Love Explored in Plato’s Symposium

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    The speech by Pausanius in Plato’s Symposium divides the goddess Aphrodite into two beings, each responsible for a different aspect of love. To prove the existence of her double life he cites her creation. There are two versions of the birth of Aphrodite, one coming from Hesiod’s work, Theogony, where she is borne out of Uranus’ castrated genitals as they splash into the sea; the other is from Homer’s work, the Illiad, where she is said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione. (Notes on Plato’s Symposium 180e) From these two vastly different creations she takes on two vastly different forms. Pausanius describes one of her forms as “Celestial” love. This type of love springs out of the Aphrodite created from Uranus’ genitals. This form is “wholly male” (Symposium 180c) which inspires men to be a...

    Read More

  • Aphrodite

    2164 Words  | 5 Pages

    nearly all of the Greek gods. Aphrodite was one of the twelve main gods on Mt.

    Read More

  • Treatment of Women in Ancient Literature

    2408 Words  | 5 Pages

    Scott, Micheal. “The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece.” History Today 59.11 (2009). History Today. 2009. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • Why Are women Paid Less than Men? The Gender Gap

    1364 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddess, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken Books. 1975.

    Read More

More about Aphrodite And Her Works

Open Document