Aphrodite
Aphrodite (a-fro-DIE-tee) was the Greek goddess of love. Naturally she was always falling in love with somebody, or somebody was falling in love with her. She is one of the oldest goddesses, the daughter of Ouranos. The most famous story about Aphrodite is that she started the Trojan War.
Another story is the one about Actaeon. She is supposed to have had Ares for her boyfriend, and to have been married to Hephaistos.
Nobody is sure yet what the relationship is between Aphrodite and West Asian love goddesses like Astarte.
The Romans thought Aphrodite was like their goddess Venus. And the Germans thought she was like their goddess Freya.
Aphrodite is a fertility goddess, like Demeter. But while Demeter makes the earth grow grain, Aphrodite makes women have babies. Aphrodite herself, however, does not have children.
To find out more about Aphrodite, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Aphrodite's Blessing, by Clemence McLaren (2002). A feminist retelling of Greek myths about Aphrodite, for teenagers.
We Goddesses: Athena, Aphrodite, Hera by Doris Orgel and Marilee Heyer. For kids, with a feminist view.
D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths, by Edgar and Ingri D'Aulaire.
Greek Religion, by Walter Burkert (reprinted 1987). By a leading expert, for adults. He has sections on each of the Greek gods, and discusses their deeper meanings, and their function in Greek society.
Worshipping Aphrodite: Art and Cult in Classical Athens, by Rachel Rosenzweig (2004). By a specialist, for specialists.
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