Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, born from sea foam. The legend of the birth of Aphrodite

She is Venus translated from other Greek. interpreted as - "foam". In Greek mythology, the Goddess Aphrodite was considered the goddess of beauty and love. She is also responsible for the fertility and eternity of spring or life on Earth. Aphrodite is the goddess of marriage and childbirth, as well as "feeding children." Gods and men obeyed her great power of love; Athena, Artemis and Hestia were beyond her control. The goddess Aphrodite was always ruthless to those who rejected her love. She was the wife of Hephaestus or Ares.

Attributes of Aphrodite

The attributes of Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, were roses, poppies, myrtle, and apple, as well as violets, daffodils, anemones, and lilies. She, as the goddess of fertility, was served by the following attributes: sparrows and doves, which made up her retinue. Like a sea goddess, it was a dolphin. The same attributes of Aphrodite were - a golden cup filled with wine, having drunk from which, a person receives eternal youth and a belt.

She was very often accompanied by wild animals, for example: wolves, lions, bears, whom she pacified with the help of her love desire.

The birth of Aphrodite

The most legendary birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite is the city of Paphos on the island of Cyprus.

Many different versions and legends about the origin goddess Aphrodite. In Homer, she was the daughter of Zeus and the oceanides Dione.

Based on the "Theogony" of Hesiod, she was born near the island of Cythera, emerging from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed a snow-white foam. From this giving, the goddess Artemis received her nickname "foam-born." Then, a breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus.

The classical goddess Aphrodite was born naked from an aerial sea shell near the island of Cyprus - hence her other nickname "Cyprida" - and on this very shell she reached the shore. After, Ores in golden diadems crowned her head with a golden crown, and adorned her with a golden necklace and golden earrings, at the same time, the gods could not stop admiring her and were kindled with the desire to take her as their wife.

Myths associated with the goddess Aphrodite

In one of the myths, the wife of the Thunderer, Hera arranged everything so that the goddess Aphrodite married Hephaestus. He was the most skillful master among all the gods, but at the same time the most ugly of them. Lame-footed Hephaestus worked in his forge, and Aphrodite, basking in her bedchamber, combed her curls with a golden comb and received guests - Hera and Athena. Aphrodite's love was molested by Hermes, Poseidon, Ares, and other gods.

The goddess Aphrodite with great pleasure inspired love feelings in gods and people, and she herself often fell in love, cheating on her crippled spouse. An indispensable attribute in her outfits was the famous belt, which contained the power of love, desire and words of seduction. This belt made anyone in love with his mistress. She loved to use this attribute, having borrowed from Aphrodite, Hera, when she wanted to once again kindle the passion of love for her in Zeus and thereby weaken his will.

There are many legends about Aphrodite of Ancient Greece. Is it true that she had several husbands, one of whom was her father? Did the magnificent city of Troy fall because of her machinations? What names are associated with Aphrodite in the myths of various civilizations of antiquity?

Myths of Ancient Greece about Aphrodite

Aphrodite in Greek mythology patronized beauty and love. She was the daughter of the almighty Zeus, and Dione, who lives at the bottom of the ocean, became her mother. It was generally accepted that Aphrodite also arose from sea ​​foam.

Aphrodite was close in position to the cult of Astarte - in she was revered as the keeper of fertility. Her symbol was worshiped in the cities on the coast of Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea. The image of the idol was also found in the Greek colonies in the Black Sea region. In Roman mythology, Aphrodite was embodied as Venus. The most famous cults in ancient times were Aphrodite of Cnidus Praxiteles from the 4th century BC. BC. and Venus de Milo from the 2nd century. BC.

The purpose of Aphrodite was only one - the creation of love. Once there was a dispute between Athena and Aphrodite, when the latter was seen at the spinning wheel. Athena considered that the other was interfering in her affairs and predicted, after which Aphrodite left this craft and took up her duties.

The meaning of the name Aphrodite in ancient Greece

The name Aphrodite came from Asia Minor. Its meaning is unknown, but there are two versions of its origin. According to early tradition, she was born from marriage and Dione. According to a later theory, Aphrodite was created from the blood of the Urals killed by Kronos, who fell into the sea, after which foam formed. In this regard, her second name was Anadyomena, which means "appeared on the sea."

The religious cult was assigned the functions of a complex cosmic mechanism endowed with the most powerful energy of love. She was given the following epithets:

• "Mistress of the Mountains";
• "Defender of the Seas";
• "Patron of Mothers"

Aphrodite married people and made childbirth successful. Her power covered both mortal people and heavenly inhabitants. The subjugation of the cult did not include only Athena and Hestia with Artemis.

Those who did not obey the cult were under the threat of wrath. On the island of Lemnos, women refused to worship this idol, for which they were endowed with a goat smell. Husbands ran away from them, taking other spouses as wives.

Incarnations of the Greek Aphrodite

Cults were endowed with a similar meaning in antiquity:

• Astartes - in ancient Phoenicia;
• Ishtar - in the Babylonian-Assyrian tradition;
• - in Egypt.

The cult of Aphrodite was depicted surrounded by wild animals - a bear, a wolf, a powerful lion. All of them were subdued by love caress. The evolution of the characteristics of a religious symbol is gradually taking place. From a fertile ruler, she becomes playful and shy, in this form she takes a place on Olympus.

Born, according to legend, Aphrodite near the coast of Cyprus. This event is reflected in Homer's hymn to Hellas. From here comes her middle name - Cyprus, which means "born in Cyprus."

The belt became a symbol of her power. It contains magical love spells, all-encompassing love, desire. Even the inhabitants of Olympus could not resist this witchcraft cult.

The first place of residence of Aphrodite, who reached the shore on a sea shell completely discovered, was the island of Cythera. But over time, his lands seemed too cramped to her, and she moved to the Peloponnese. Her last place of residence was Paphos on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It was there that she created her first sanctuary, surrounded by fragrant gardens. The daughters of the patroness of justice - Themis, took care of her clothes and jewelry. Today in Paphos, in the walls of an ancient Roman temple, you can find an image of Aphrodite surrounded by priestesses, bathing in the sea for youth, beauty and renewal.

In the Knossos Palace, which has survived to this day, you can have a relief floor laid out in the form of shells. Numerous ancient burials contained cuttlefish shells, typical of Aphrodite's surroundings. Some of them were made of terracotta.

Family and love affairs of Aphrodite

Aphrodite's father found her a good husband - the blacksmith Hephaestus, a resident. She gave birth to three children Harmony, Deimos and Phobos from marriage. In fact, the father of her children was Ares - an irreconcilable cult of war. Helios found them in the Frankish palace of Ares, but was in no hurry to reveal the secret to Hephaestus.

It was believed that Aphrodite invented brothels. Several hundred people lived in its temples. beautiful women, delighting men.

Hephaestus suspected the adventures of his wife and forged a thin, inconspicuous bronze net attached to the foot of the bed. She hung in a thin cobweb from the ceiling. During the next absence to Corinth, according to Aphrodite "on business", treason was discovered, and Hephaestus told his wife that he was going to the island of Lemnos to rest.

The woman sent for Ares instantly, and they reclined on the couch. Hephaestus found them naked and helpless, wrapped in a thin bronze net. In this form, he presented them to the inhabitants of Hephaestus. He asked for back all the gifts from Zeus, handed over to the wedding, and only after that he promised to release Aphrodite from the marriage bonds.

Hephaestus limped and was ugly. Gave him in marriage Hera - the wife of Zeus. Her goals included a plan of revenge. A number of sources mention the marriage of Ares and Aphrodite.

The sources of antiquity also contain information about the love affairs of the daughter of Zeus with Dionysus and Hermes. There is certain information about the relationship with Zeus, for example, the origin of Eros is questioned. His father is Ares, Hermes or Zeus according to different versions.

In art ancient greece statues of Aphrodite were depicted as a woman stepping on a turtle. The philosopher Plutarch argued that in antiquity this gesture meant humility, silence and domesticity.
Aphrodite was distinguished by fertility. The children she bore were both the descendants of mortal men and the inhabitants of Olympia. Among them were Hymenius, the Amazons and Charit. Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War, was considered the ancestor of Julius Caesar.

Eros, who in the Roman tradition is Cupid and Cupid, born from the union of Aphrodite and Ares, patronized the war. He was armed with a bow with gold and lead arrows. Launching gold, he bestowed love, lead - he killed feelings. In addition to joy and happiness, he brought torment to lovers.

Hymen became the companion of Aphrodite, creating the bonds of marriage. He descended from Aphrodite and Dionysus creating wine.

He lit the flame of the torch of the marriage union, gave blessing to young people.

Role of Aphrodite in the Trojan War

Every man who approached Aphrodite dreamed of becoming the spouse of the daughter of Zeus. There are mythological sources indicating the unleashing of a war by a Greek progenitor.

She started a dispute with Hera and Athena, which of them is more beautiful. Paris was chosen as their judge, who was promised the most beautiful of women and her love, Elena, as a reward. At that moment, the woman had already been married to the king of Sparta, which led to the military campaign of the Greeks against Troy and the destruction of the city.

- (Αφροδίτη, Venus). The daughter of Zeus and Diana, according to legend, came from sea foam. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, called Venus by the Romans. She was the wife of Hephaestus, but was not faithful to him. She loved the gods Ares, Dionysus, Poseidon and Hermes… … Encyclopedia of mythology

Aphrodite- Aphrodite. Fragment of a kylix painting. Around 460 BC e. Aphrodite. Fragment of a kylix painting. Around 460 BC e. Aphrodite in the myths of the ancient Greeks is the goddess of love and beauty. According to one version of the myth, Aphrodite was born from the blood of a castrated ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary"The World History"

- (Greek Aphrodite, from aphros sea foam, and dyomai I go out). 1) Greek name Venus, goddess of love; It got its name from the fact that, according to Greek mythology, it was born from sea foam. 2) a worm from the spinobranch family. Dictionary of foreign ... ... Vocabulary foreign words Russian language

In the myths of the ancient Greeks, the goddess of love and beauty. According to one version of the myth, Aphrodite was born from the blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed foam (hence Aphrodite is called foam-born). She is always surrounded by roses, myrtle ... Historical dictionary

In Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty, who arose from sea foam. It corresponds to the Roman Venus. Famous ancient Greek statues of Aphrodite Aphrodite of Cnidus (c. 350 BC, Praxiteles, known in a Roman copy) and Aphrodite of Milos (2 ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (inosk.) love is the enjoyment of love. "Aphrodite Affairs". Wed Did you understand that in masherah dancing And your Aphrodite deeds Are not the same as battles in an open field? Gr. A. Tolstoy. Death of Ivan the Terrible. Explanatory Aphrodite (Greek mith.) goddess ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

The goddess of sexual love and beauty among the ancient Greeks. The cult of A. was widespread in Greece, Asia Minor, and on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, among other things, in Cythera ("Kythera"), in Sicily, and especially in Cyprus ("Cyprida"). She has mixed features... Literary Encyclopedia

Aphrodite- Milosskaya. Marble. OK. 120 BC Louvre. APHRODITE, in Greek mythology, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility and eternal spring. She was born from sea foam, which was formed by the blood of castrated Uranus. Aphrodite corresponds to the Roman Venus. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Venus, Urania, Cyprida Dictionary of Russian synonyms. aphrodite n., number of synonyms: 10 gods of love and marriage (17) ... Synonym dictionary

The Greek name for Venus, the goddess of love, is sometimes also called Aphrogeneia, who was born from the foam of the sea. Aphrodisia holidays in honor of A., arranged in many places in Greece and M. Asia, especially in Cyprus ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Books

• Aphrodite
• Aphrodite, Pierre Louis. This edition includes the best prose works of the French poet Pierre Louis (1870-1925): the erotic novels Aphrodite and The Woman and the Clown, as well as the collection of poems Songs…

Aphrodite, Greek, Latin Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, the most beautiful of the goddesses of ancient myths.

Its origin is not entirely clear. According to Homer, Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and the rain goddess Dione; according to Hesiod, Aphrodite was born from sea foam, fertilized by the sky god Uranus, and emerged from the sea on the island of Cyprus (hence one of her nicknames: Cyprida).

One way or another, but in any case, thanks to her beauty and all sorts of charms, Aphrodite became one of the most powerful goddesses, before which neither gods nor people could resist.

In addition, she had a whole detachment of helpers and assistants: the goddesses of female charm and beauty - the haritas, the goddesses of the seasons - the mountains, the goddess of persuasion (and flattery) Peyto, the god of passionate attraction Himer, the god of love attraction Pot, the god of marriage Hymen and the young god love Eros, from whose arrows there is no escape.

Since love plays a huge role in the lives of gods and people, Aphrodite has always been in high esteem. Those who showed respect for her and did not skimp on sacrifices could count on her goodwill. True, she was a rather fickle deity, and the happiness she bestowed was often fleeting. Sometimes she worked genuine miracles, which only love is capable of. For example, to the Cypriot sculptor Pygmalion, Aphrodite brought to life a marble statue of a woman with whom he fell in love. Aphrodite protected her favorites wherever she could, but she also knew how to hate, because hatred is the sister of love. So, the timid young man Narcissus, to whom the jealous nymphs reported that he neglects their charms, Aphrodite made him fall in love with himself and take his own life.

Oddly enough, Aphrodite herself was not very lucky in love, since she did not manage to keep any of her lovers; She was not happy in marriage either. Zeus gave her the most unprepossessing of all gods, the lame, always sweaty blacksmith god Hephaestus, as her husband. To console herself, Aphrodite became close to the god of war Ares and bore him five children: Eros, Anteroth, Deimos, Phobos and Harmony, then with the god of wine Dionysus (she gave birth to his son Priapus), and also, among others, with the god of trade Hermes. She even consoled herself with a mere mortal, the Dardanian king Anchises, from whom Aeneas was born to her.

In the world of myths, life has always been rich in events, and Aphrodite often took the most active part in them; but her benevolence towards the Trojan prince Paris had the most far-reaching consequences. In gratitude for the fact that Paris called Aphrodite more beautiful than Hera and Athena, she promised him the most beautiful of mortal women as his wife. She turned out to be Helen - the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, and Aphrodite helped Paris kidnap her and take her to Troy. This is how it started Trojan War, which you can read about in the articles "Menelaus", "Agamemnon" and many others. Naturally, in this story, Aphrodite helped the Trojans, but the war was not her part. For example, as soon as she was scratched by the spear of the Achaean leader Diomedes, she ran away crying from the battlefield. As a result of a ten-year war, in which all the heroes of that time and almost all the gods participated, Paris died, and Troy was wiped off the face of the earth.

Aphrodite was clearly a goddess of Asia Minor origin and, apparently, goes back to the Phoenician-Syrian goddess Astarte, and she, in turn, to the Assyrian-Babylonian goddess of love Ishtar. The Greeks adopted this cult already in ancient times, most likely through the islands of Cyprus and Cythera, where Aphrodite was worshiped with particular zeal. Hence such nicknames of the goddess as Cyprida, Paphia, the Paphos goddess - from the city of Paphos in Cyprus, where there was one of the most magnificent temples of Aphrodite (see also the article "Pygmalion"), from Cythera (Cythera) - Kythera. Myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, doves, dolphin, swallow and linden were dedicated to her, as well as many magnificent temples - not only in Paphos, but also in Knida, Corinth, Alabanda, on the island of Kos and in other places. From the Greek colonies in southern Italy, her cult spread to Rome, where she was identified with the ancient Italic goddess of spring, Venus. The largest of the Roman temples of Aphrodite-Venus were those at the Forum of Caesar (temple of Venus the Ancestor) and at the Via Sacre (Sacred Road) to the Roman Forum (temple of Venus and Roma). The cult of Aphrodite fell into decline only after the victory of Christianity. However, thanks to poets, sculptors, artists and astronomers, her name has survived to this day.

Beauty and love attract artists of all times, so Aphrodite was depicted, perhaps, more often than all other characters of ancient myths, including in vase paintings, frescoes of Pompeii; unfortunately, about the fresco "Aphrodite emerging from the waves", created in the end. 4th c. BC e. Apelles for the temple of Asclepius on Kos, we know only from the words of ancient authors who call it "unsurpassed". The most famous of the reliefs is the so-called Aphrodite Ludovisi Greek work 460s BC e. (Rome, National Museum at Thermes).

The statues of Aphrodite are among the masterpieces of ancient plastic art. This is primarily "Aphrodite of Cnidus", created, probably by Praxiteles for the Cnidus temple in the 350s. BC e. (copies of it are in the Vatican Museums, in the Louvre in Paris, in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and in other collections), "Aphrodite of Cyrene" - a Roman copy of a Hellenistic statue of the 2-1 centuries. BC e. (Rome, National Museum at Thermae), "Capitolian Aphrodite" - a Roman copy of a Hellenistic statue of ser. 3 c. BC e. (Rome, Capitoline Museums), "Venus Mediciy" - a Roman copy of the statue of Cleomenes, 2nd century. BC e. (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) and others. About the highest level the skill of the Greek sculptors who sculpted Aphrodite is evidenced by the finds of several Greek statues that ancient authors do not mention at all, for example, “Aphrodite from Sol” (2nd century BC, Cyprus Museum in Nicosia) or the famous “Aphrodite of Melos” (con 2nd century BC, found in 1820, Paris, Louvre).

Artists of the new time were fond of Aphrodite no less than ancient ones: their paintings and sculptures are almost impossible to count. Among the most famous paintings are: "The Birth of Venus" and "Venus and Mars" by Botticelli (1483-1484 and 1483, Florence, Uffizi Gallery, and London, National Gallery), "Sleeping Venus" by Giorgione, completed after 1510 by Titian ( Dresden Gallery), Venus and Cupid by Cranach the Elder (c. 1526, Rome, Villa Borghese), Venus and Cupid by Palms the Elder (1517, Bucharest, National Gallery), Sleeping Venus and Venus and the Lute Player (Dresden gallery), The Birth of Venus, Triumph of Venus and Venus and Mars by Rubens (London, National Gallery, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Genoa, Palazzo Bianco), Sleeping Venus by Reni (after 1605) and Poussin (1630, both paintings in the Dresden Gallery), Venus with a Mirror by Velázquez (c. 1657, London, National Gallery), Boucher's Toilet of Venus and Venus Comforting Cupid (1746, Stockholm, National Museum, and 1751 , Washington, National Gallery). From contemporary works let's name at least "Aphrodite" by R. Dufy (c. 1930, Prague, National Gallery), "Venus with a lantern" Pavlovich-Barilli (1938, Belgrade, Museum contemporary art), “Sleeping Venus” by Delvaux (1944, London, National Gallery) and the engraving “The Birth of Venus” by M. Shvabinsky (1930).

From the field of plastics it is necessary to mention at least G.R. Paolina Borghese as Venus" (1807, Rome, Villa Borghese), "Aphrodite" by B. Thorvaldsen (c. 1835, Copenhagen, Thorvaldsen Museum), "Venus the Victorious" by O. Renoir (1914), "Venus with a Pearl Necklace" A. Maillol (1918, in the London Tate Gallery), "Venus" by M. Marini (1940, USA, private collection). In the collection of the Prague National Gallery - "Venus" by Horeyts (1914) and "Venus of Fertile Fields" by Obrovsky (1930); the sculpture "Venus emerging from the waves" was created in 1930 by V. Makovsky. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the famous statue of J. V. Myslbek "Music" (1892-1912) is a creative processing of an antique sample. As it turned out from his creative heritage, he created it on the basis of a thorough study of the Venus of the Esquiline (1st century BC). Of course, composers also sang Aphrodite. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Vranitsky wrote the program symphony "Aphrodite", at the beginning of the 20th century. the orchestral "Hymn to Venus" was created by Manyar, Orff wrote in 1950-1951. stage concert "Triumph of Aphrodite".

Of the many poetic works dedicated to Aphrodite, the oldest, apparently, are the three "Hymns to Aphrodite", which tradition ascribes to Homer. In poetry, Aphrodite is often referred to as Cythera (Kythera), the Queen of Paphos, Paphia:

"Run, hide from the eyes,
Cythera is a weak queen! .. "
- A. S. Pushkin, "Liberty" (1817);

"At the Paphos queen
Let's ask for a fresh wreath ... "
- A. S. Pushkin, "Krivtsov" (1817);

“As a faithful son of the pathos faith…”
- A. S. Pushkin, "To Shcherbinin" (1819). Here the pathos faith is love.

Ancient Hellas… A country of myths and legends, a land of fearless heroes and brave sailors. The birthplace of the formidable gods, seated on the high Olympus. Zeus, Ares, Apollo, Poseidon - these names are familiar to everyone from school history lessons.

Today we will talk about their wives and daughters - the almighty ancient goddesses of Greece, who deftly manipulated their husbands, being the real mistresses of Olympus and mistresses of mortals. These great beings ruled the world, ignoring the miserable people below, because they were directors and spectators in the greatest theater in the world - Earth.

And when it was time to leave, the proud goddesses of Hellas left traces of their stay on Greek soil, albeit not as noticeable as in the male half of the Pantheon.

Let's remember the myths about the beautiful, sometimes incredibly cruel daughters of Olympus and take a short trip to the places associated with them.

Goddess Hera - the patroness of the hearth and family life

Hera is the goddess of ancient Greece, the highest among equals and the nominal mother of almost all other goddesses of Olympus from the fourth generation (the first generation is the creators of the world, the second is the titans, the third is the first gods).

Why? Because her husband Zeus is very far from the ideal of a faithful man.

However, Hera herself is good - in order to marry the then not even supreme god, but only the killer of Kronos (the strongest of the titans), Hera fell in love with Zeus, and then refused to become his mistress until he did not vow to make her his wife.

Moreover, the waters of the Styx appeared in the oath (the river that separates the world of the living and the dead, and has tremendous power over both gods and people).

In a love frenzy, the oath was pronounced and Hera became the main goddess on Olympus. But Zeus soon got fed up family life and gladly made connections on the side, which embittered Hera and forced her to look for ways to take revenge on those who were preferred by the unfaithful husband, and at the same time his illegitimate children.

Hera - guardian goddess hearth and family, helps abandoned wives, punishes unfaithful husbands (which often brings her nose to nose with her windy daughter-in-law, Aphrodite).

But the hatred of the first lady of Olympus is shared by two creatures - the daughter of Zeus Athena and the son of Zeus Hercules, both born not by his legal wife, but nonetheless ascended to Olympus.

In addition, Hera is hated by her own son Hephaestus, the god of crafts and the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who was thrown from Olympus by Hera as a baby for his physical deformity.

The largest trace of this cruel lady can be considered the temple of Hera in ancient Olympia.

The religious building was built at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The massive temple has long been turned into ruins, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, the foundation of the temple and its preserved parts have been restored and are now open to tourists.

In addition, in the Olympia Museum, you can see fragments of statues dedicated to Hera and understand how her worshipers depicted the goddess.

The ticket price for Olympia is 9 euros, which includes admission to the excavation area and the museum. You can take a ticket only to the excavation area, it will cost 6 euros.

Aphrodite - Goddess of Love in Ancient Greece

The beautiful Aphrodite, whose beauty could only be compared with her own frivolity, is not the daughter of Zeus or Hera, but comes from a much older family.

She is the last creation of Uranus, the first of the Titans castrated by Kronos during the first war for Olympus.

The blood of a titan deprived of a certain part of the body mixed with sea foam and from it arose an insidious and cruel beauty, who hid in Cyprus from the eyes of Kronos until he was overthrown by Zeus.

Thanks to Hera's cunning plan, Aphrodite married the powerful but ugly Hephaestus. And while he worked in his workshop, the goddess either basked on Olympus, communicating with the gods, or traveled the world, falling in love with the gods and people, and falling in love herself.

The most famous lovers of the windy beauty were Adonis, a hunter beautiful in body and spirit, with whom the goddess fell in love so much that after his tragic death from the fangs of a boar, she threw herself down from the Lydian rock.

And Ares is the god of war and destruction, who secretly sent a boar to Adonis.

It was Ares who overflowed the patience of the proud Hephaestus, who set a trap for the lovers - he forged a strong net, so thin that the lovers simply did not notice it when the net was thrown on the bed.

When the god of crafts returned to Olympus, he laughed for a long time at the unlucky lovers, and the disgraced Aphrodite fled for a while to her temple in Cyprus, where she gave birth to the sons of Ares - Phobos and Deimos.

The god of war himself appreciated the elegance and softness of the trap of Hephaestus and accepted defeat with dignity, leaving the beautiful Aphrodite, who was soon forgiven by her husband.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and love madness. She, despite her youthful appearance, is the oldest goddess on Olympus, whom Hera often turns to for help (especially in those cases when the center of love for her wife begins to fade in Zeus again). Also, Aphrodite is considered the goddess of fertility, and also one of the sea goddesses.

Aphrodite's favorite son is Eros, also known as Cupid, the god of carnal love, who always accompanies his mother. She has no permanent enemies on Olympus, but her frivolity often leads to quarrels with Hera and Athena.

This place was appreciated not only by women, but also by men - in some parts of ancient Greece there was a belief that a girl who visited the temple of Aphrodite and entered into a relationship with a stranger in the vicinity of the temple received the blessing of the goddess of love for life.

In addition, the temple housed the bath of Aphrodite, into which the goddess sometimes descended in order to restore her beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you enter the bath, there is every chance to preserve youth.

Today, only ruins remain of the temple, open to tourists. Not far from the temple of Aphrodite in Paphos, you can always find both newlyweds and single people, because according to legend, those who find a heart-shaped stone on the coast will gain eternal love.

Warrior Goddess Athena

Goddess Athena is the owner of the most abnormal birth myth.

This goddess is the daughter of Zeus and his first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, who, according to the prediction of Uranus, was to give birth to a son, and he, in turn, would soon overthrow his thundering father.

Upon learning of his wife's pregnancy, Zeus swallowed her whole, but soon felt wild pains in his head.

Fortunately, the god Hephaestus was on Olympus at that time, who, at the request of the royal father, hit him on the sore part of the body with his hammer, splitting his skull.

From the head of Zeus emerged a woman in full combat garb, who combined the wisdom of her mother and the talents of her father, becoming the first goddess of war in ancient Greece.

Later, another lover of swinging a sword, Ares, was born, and tried to claim his rights, but the goddess in numerous battles forced her brother to respect herself, proving to him that fighting madness was not enough to win.

The goddess is dedicated to the city of Athens, which she sued from Poseidon in the legendary dispute over Attica.
It was Athena who gave the Athenians an invaluable gift - an olive tree.

Athena is the first commander of Olympus. During the war with the giants, the goddess fought on a par with Hercules until she realized that the gods could not win.
Then Athena retreated to Olympus and while the sons of Zeus held back the hordes of giants, she brought the head of Medusa to the battlefield, whose gaze turned the surviving warriors into stones, or rather into mountains.

Growing up, Athena became the most perspicacious of the goddesses of Olympus.

She is a perpetual virgin and rarely gets into conflicts (other than those involving her father).

Athena is the most faithful of all the Olympians, and even during the exodus of the gods, she wished to remain in Greece in the hope that one day she could return to her city.

Athena has neither enemies nor friends on Olympus. Her military prowess is respected by Ares, her wisdom is appreciated by Hera, and her loyalty by Zeus, but Athena keeps her distance even with her father, preferring loneliness.

Athena repeatedly showed herself as the guardian of Olympus, punishing mortals who declared themselves equal to the gods.

Her favorite weapon is a bow and arrow, but often she simply sends Greek heroes to her enemies, repaying them with her favor.

Athena's greatest legacy is her city, which she defended on numerous occasions, including by personally entering the battlefield.

The grateful Athenians built the most incredible sanctuary in Greece for the goddess - the famous one.

Her 11-meter statue was installed in the temple, made of bronze with a lot of gold by the famous sculptor Phidias:

To this day, the statue has not survived, as well as a significant part of the temple itself, but at the end of the twentieth century, the Greek government restored the legendary ruins and began searching for the removed relics, which are gradually returning to their places.

Miniature copies of the Parthenon were in many Athenian colonies, in particular those that stood on the Black Sea coast.

Long ago, the almighty gods and goddesses of ancient Greece have sunk into oblivion. But there are temples dedicated to them, and their great deeds are well remembered by the descendants of those who worshiped them.

And let Greece no longer honor the mighty Olympians, becoming the homeland for Orthodox Church, let scientists try to prove that these gods never existed ... Greece remembers! He remembers the love of Zeus and the cunning of Hera, the fury of Ares and the calm power of Athena, the skill of Hephaestus and the unique beauty of Aphrodite ...
And if you come here, she will definitely tell her stories to those who want to listen.

To complete the impression of the ancient gods of Olympus, and get acquainted with the sights that are described in them.

What the highest mountain in Greece now looks like - the legendary Olympus you will learn by reading this.