Eternal Aphrodite. Who is the goddess Aphrodite in ancient Greek mythology

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis- Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbearing. She had never been married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she did not know pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. Protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, fallow deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moira, cutting the thread of fate and cutting off human life.

Athena(Pallas, Parthenos) - the daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full combat weapons. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Athena. A statue. Hermitage. Hall of Athena.

Description:

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, just war and the patroness of crafts.

Statue of Athena by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd c. According to a Greek original from the end of the 5th c. BC e. Entered the Hermitage in 1862. Previously, it was in the collection of the Marquis Campana in Rome. It is one of the most interesting exhibits of the Hall of Athena.

Everything about Athena, from the moment she was born, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of the Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife, as she predicted that after her daughter she would give birth to a son who would become the ruler of heaven and deprive him of power. Soon Zeus had an unbearable headache. He grew gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hurried away, for they knew from experience what Zeus is like when he is in a bad mood. The pain didn't go away. The Lord of Olympus did not find a place for himself. Zeus asked Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a blacksmith's hammer. From the split head of Zeus, announcing Olympus with a war cry, an adult maiden jumped out in full warrior clothes and with a spear in her hand and stood next to her parent. The eyes of the young, beautiful and majestic goddess shone with wisdom.

Aphrodite(Kyferei, Urania) - the goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Aphrodite (Venus Taurida)

Description:

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname "foam-born"). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she herself sailed there, because she did not like Kiefera), where she, who emerged from the waves of the sea, was met by Ores.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered its most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of Venus bathing (height 167 cm), modeled after Aphrodite of Cnidus or Venus Capitoline. The arms of the statue and a fragment of the nose are missing. Before entering the State Hermitage, she decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, "Venus Tauride" was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was donated by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid sent to Pope Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. portrayed the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth silhouette lines, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with a calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fragmentation and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (5th - 4th centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the III century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head, tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).

Aphrodite (Venus). A statue. Hermitage

Description:

Statue of Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love

Roman copy after a Greek original of the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC.

In 1851, through the Venetian antiquarian A. Sanquirico, the Hermitage received a beautiful statue of Aphrodite, which had previously been part of the collection of the Venetian Nani family. In a rare edition of the era of the Napoleonic wars - "Collection of all antiquities kept in the Venetian Museum of Nani" - we read about this sculpture: his famous museum, presenting it to the judgment of the famous Canova, who greatly praised the new acquisition. The statue of Aphrodite is distinguished by the complexity of the movement of the body and the exquisite harmony of proportions. It reflects the tendencies of Hellenistic art, characteristic of the art of the time of the Antonin dynasty (96-193).

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid

Description:

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid.

The sculpture perhaps tells of a tragic moment. The rose, the sacred flower of Venus, was originally white, but according to one traditional view, at the moment when Venus hurried to her beloved, a thorn dug into her leg and drops of blood fell on the white petals, reddening them. While the splinter was being pulled out, the wild boar killed her beloved Adonis, the young beautiful god of spring, personifying the annual dying and revival of nature .. Venus is usually depicted sitting, she is trying to remove the splinter from her leg, Cupid helps her.

Aphrodite on a dolphin. Sculpture. Hermitage

Description:

Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, was dedicated to myrtle, rose, poppy and apple; as the goddess of fertility - a sparrow and a dove; as a sea goddess - a dolphin; the swallow and the linden were also dedicated to her. According to legend, the secret of her charm was hidden in a magic belt.

Venus in the shell Sculpture. Hermitage.

Description:

Venus in the shell

Sculpture Carlo Finelli (Finelli, 1782-1853) - Italian sculptor, one of the most gifted followers of the classical direction.

Aphrodite (Greek) - Venus (Roman)

Classical Aphrodite arose naked from the airy sea foam. The breeze on the shell brought her to the shores of Cyprus.

Hebe- daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate- the goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, the patroness of sorcerers.

Hemera- the goddess of daylight, the personification of the day, born of Nikto and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera- the supreme Olympic goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia- Goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia- mother earth, mother of all gods and people.

Demeter- Goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Ilithyia- patron goddess of childbirth.

Irida- winged goddess, assistant to Hera, messenger of the gods.

calliope- the muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera- demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing misfortune and death to people.

Clio- one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clio. Muse of History

Description:

Clio is the muse of history in ancient Greek mythology. Depicted with a papyrus scroll or a scroll case. The daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. According to Diodorus, she got her name from the fact that chanting in poetry gives great glory to those who are praised (cleos)

Clotho("spinning") - one of the moira, spinning the thread of human life.

Lachesis- one of the three moira sisters, who determines the fate of each person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven pleiades - the daughters of Atlanta, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene- muse of tragedy.

Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy)

Description:

Statue of Melpomene. Roman copy after a Greek model of the 2nd century BC. BC e.

In ancient Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy (Greek "singing"). At first, Melpomene was considered the muse of the song, then the sad song, and later she becomes the patroness of the theater in general, the personification of the tragic stage art. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, mother of the terrible sirens.

She was depicted as a woman with a bandage on her head and in a wreath of grape or ivy leaves, in a theatrical robe, with a tragic mask in one hand and a sword or club in the other (a symbol of the inevitability of punishing a person who violates the will of the gods).

Metis- the goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne- mother of nine muses, goddess of memory.

moira- the goddess of fate, the daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- the daughter of Nikta, the goddess, personifying fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanides of Dorida, sea deities.

Nika- the personification of victory. Often she was depicted with a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

nymphs- the lowest deities in the hierarchy of the Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta- one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night.

Orestiades- mountain nymphs.

Ory- the goddess of the seasons, tranquility and order, the daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- the goddess of persuasion, the companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.

Persephone- daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

polyhymnia- the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys- the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, the wife of the Ocean and the mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- the mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens- female demons, half-woman half-birds, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Waist- muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- Muse of dance art.

Terpsichore. Muse of dance

Description:

The statue of "Terpsichore" is a Roman copy after a Greek original of the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC.

Terpsichore was considered the muse of choral singing and dance, portrayed as a young woman in the pose of a dancer, with a smile on her face. She had a wreath on her head, in one hand she held a lyre, and in the other a plectrum. She is "enjoying round dances".

Tisiphone- one of the Erinyes.

quiet- the goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and ship's steering wheel in her hands.

Urania- one of the nine muses, the patroness of astronomy.

Themis- Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites- the goddess of female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

Eumenides- another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence, preventing misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nikta, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes- goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato- Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos- Goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selena. The Greeks called it "pink-fingered".

Euterpe- the muse of lyrical chanting. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.

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 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 airy 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 inflamed 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-legged 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 lame-legged 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 in Zeus the passion of love for her and thereby weaken his will.

Ancient Greek mythology is familiar to each of us since childhood thanks to the school curriculum. Modern children read fascinating stories about the adventures of the gods living on Olympus no less than their parents and grandparents did. It is difficult to meet today a person who would not know who Zeus, Poseidon, Athena or Ares are. The most famous heroine of ancient myths is Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty, forever young inhabitant of Olympus. The ancient Romans associated her with Venus.

Goddess sphere of influence

The Greeks considered Aphrodite the patroness of spring, flowering and fertility. They were sure that all the beauty that exists on the planet is the work of her hands. Lovers asked the goddess for favors, hoping to keep their feelings for the rest of their lives. She was praised by artists, poets and sculptors who glorified beauty and love in their works. Aphrodite was treated as a goddess who prefers peace to war and life to death, so all those who dreamed of peaceful prosperity and deliverance from death turned to her. She was so powerful that not only ordinary people and animals, but also the inhabitants of Olympus obeyed her will. The only characters who were not affected by the spell of the beautiful goddess were Athena, Artemis and Hestia.

Appearance

According to ancient myths, Aphrodite was distinguished by incredible beauty. The Greeks represented her tall, stately, with very delicate features. The goddess had long golden hair that framed her head like a wreath. She was served by Ores and Charites, who patronized beauty and grace. They combed her golden curls and dressed her in the finest clothes. When Aphrodite descended from Olympus, flowers bloomed, and the sun in the sky began to shine brighter. Wild animals and birds, unable to resist the incredible beauty of the goddess, ran to her from all sides, and she calmly walked the earth surrounded by them.

Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess, famous for her novels both with her own kind and with ordinary people. She had the power to make many men fall in love with her. Being the wife of the ugly and lame god Hephaestus, the patron of fire and blacksmithing, she consoled herself with the fact that she entered into love affairs on the side. Having not given birth to her husband a single child, she presented her other admirers with heirs. From the relationship with the god of war Ares, Aphrodite had 5 children (Deimos, Phobos, Eros, Anteros and Harmony). From a relationship with the patron saint of winemaking Dionysus, she had a son, Priapus. The beauty of Aphrodite was also struck by the god of trade Hermes. She gave him her son Hermaphrodite. Among her lovers were not only the powerful inhabitants of Olympus, but also mere mortals. So, having started an affair with the king of the Dardanians, Anchises, Aphrodite gave birth to another son - the hero of the Trojan War, Aeneas.

Aphrodite is a goddess who personified incredible eroticism and voluptuousness. Unlike ordinary women, she never allowed herself to become a victim of love. All her relationships took place solely by her will. In relations with men, she did not have constancy, she was always open to new feelings.

The story of the birth of the goddess of love and beauty

The myth of the goddess Aphrodite, which tells about her birth, is very interesting. According to an ancient legend, the titan Kronos became very angry with his father Uranus (patron of the sky), cut off his genitals with a sickle and threw them into the sea. The blood from the reproductive organs mixed with sea water, resulting in a snow-white foam, from which the beautiful Aphrodite was born. The goddess of love was born near the Greek island of Cythera, then a light breeze carried her along the waves to Cyprus, where she came ashore (for this reason she is sometimes called Cyprida). It is noteworthy that Aphrodite was never a child, she was born from the sea foam completely adult. Having ascended Olympus, the daughter of Uranus conquered all its inhabitants with her beauty.

There is another version of the birth of the ancient Greek goddess. According to her, the main Olympian god Zeus and the sea nymph Dion were the parents of Aphrodite, and she was born in the most traditional way. The author of this version is the ancient Greek legendary poet Homer.

Character

Aphrodite is the goddess of Ancient Greece, who became the heroine of many ancient myths. Like any woman, she tends to be different. In some legends, Aphrodite is a generous mistress of human lives, in others she is a capricious beauty, and in others she is a cruel arbiter of fate, whose anger cannot be avoided.

The myth of Pygmalion

According to one of the legends, the talented artist Pygmalion once lived in Cyprus. He hated the fairer sex and lived as a hermit, not allowing himself to fall in love and start a family. Once he created an ivory statue of a woman of indescribable beauty. The sculpture was made by the master very skillfully, and it seemed that she was about to speak and move. Pygmalion could admire the woman he created for hours and did not notice how he fell in love with her. He whispered kind words to her, kissed her, gave her jewelry and clothes, but the statue remained motionless and mute. More than anything else, Pygmalion wanted the beauty he created to come to life and reciprocate his feelings.

In the days when it was customary for the Greeks to honor Aphrodite, Pygmalion made a rich sacrifice to her and asked her to send him as his wife a girl similar to the one he created from ivory. The almighty Aphrodite decided to take pity on the talented master: she revived the beautiful girl and instilled in her mutual feelings for her creator. Thus, the goddess rewarded Pygmalion for the sincere and devoted love that he felt for the statue.

The story of Narcissus

The goddess of beauty Aphrodite was favorable only to those people who highly revered her. Those who resisted her power and refused her gifts, she mercilessly punished. This happened to the beautiful youth Narcissus, the son of a river god and a nymph. He was very handsome and everyone who saw him immediately fell in love with him. But the proud Narcissus did not reciprocate.

One day, the nymph Echo fell in love with a handsome young man. However, Narcissus angrily rejected her, stating that he would rather die than be with her forever. Failure befell another nymph, who also had the imprudence to love him. Offended, she wished the proud Narcissus to experience unrequited love in order to understand how the rejected person feels. Aphrodite was very angry with the young man, because he neglected his beauty - a gift sent to him by the goddess. For pride and coldness towards others, she decided to punish him severely.

Walking somehow through the forest, Narcissus wanted to drink water. Leaning over a brook with clear clear water, he saw his reflection in it and fell passionately in love with it. His feelings were so strong that he stopped eating and sleeping. He thought about the beautiful young man constantly, however, seeing him in the water, he could not even touch him. And one day Narcissus realized that he fell in love with himself. This discovery made him worse. Gradually, the strength left the handsome man, he understood that he was dying, but he could not tear himself away from his reflection in the water. In suffering for himself, he died, and at the place of his death a white flower with a fragrant aroma grew, which in his honor began to be called a daffodil. So the young man paid in front of Aphrodite for his pride and neglect of the beauty bestowed on him.

The sad story of Adonis

Aphrodite, who cruelly punished Narcissus, herself had to suffer from love and unfavorable fate. The Cypriot king had a son, Adonis. Although he was a mere mortal, he possessed divine beauty. Once Aphrodite saw him and fell in love with him without memory. For the sake of Adonis, the goddess forgot about Olympus and all her affairs. Together with her lover, she hunted wild animals, and in their free time they rested on the green grass. The goddess of beauty rarely left Adonis alone and each time asked him to take care of himself.

Once Adonis went hunting without Aphrodite, and his dogs attacked the trail of a large boar. The young man was delighted with such prey and rushed at the beast with a spear. But he had no idea that this would be his last hunt. The boar turned out to be stronger than Adonis, he pounced on him and pierced him with his fangs. From the wound received, the beloved of the goddess of beauty died.

Upon learning of the death of Adonis, Aphrodite began to mourn him greatly. Zeus the Thunderer, seeing how she was suffering, took pity on her and asked his brother, the god of the dead kingdom of Hades, to sometimes let the young man go to the living. Since then, it has been like this: for half a year, Adonis comes to Aphrodite, and at this time everything in nature blossoms, blooms and smells sweet, and then he returns to the world of the dead, and the earth begins to pour rain and snow - this golden-haired goddess yearns for her own beloved.

Apple of discord

The favorite of Aphrodite was the son of the king of Troy, Paris. The patroness of discord, Eris, decided to quarrel the Greek goddesses and threw them a golden apple with the inscription "Most Beautiful". Aphrodite, Hera and Artemis noticed him and began to argue about who should get it. Paris was entrusted to judge the goddesses. Each of them tried to bribe the young man with all sorts of benefits. Aphrodite became the winner in this duel, promising to give him the most beautiful of earthly women as his wife. Having received the favor and support of the goddess of love, Paris suddenly incurred the wrath of Hera and Artemis. The apple of discord was the beginning of the Trojan War, because the most beautiful woman was Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. It was to her that Aphrodite ordered Paris to swim.

Eros and Hymen - assistants to the patroness of love and beauty

Although Aphrodite is a Greek goddess of great power, she could not do without helpers. One of them was her son Eros - a curly-haired boy flying over all lands and seas on his small wings. He had a small bow and a quiver of golden arrows. Whoever Eros shoots at, love will overtake.

Hymen, the patron saint of marriage, is another indispensable assistant to Aphrodite. He leads all the wedding processions, flying ahead of the newlyweds on his white wings and lighting their way with a bright torch.

paraphernalia

The main symbol of the goddess Aphrodite is her belt. Anyone who wore it was endowed with an extraordinary sexual attraction. Both ordinary women and the goddesses who inhabited Olympus dreamed of getting it. In addition to the belt, Aphrodite had a cup of pure gold filled with wine. Everyone who took a sip from it remained young forever. The symbols of the goddess of love Aphrodite were also considered a rose, myrtle, apple. Pigeons, sparrows, hares and poppies were identified with her as the patroness of fertility. Aphrodite also had sea symbols - a dolphin and a swan.

famous antique statues

Many sculptors were inspired to create masterpieces by the goddess Aphrodite. Photos of the works of art presented in the article convey all the beauty and majesty of the patroness of love and beauty. In the works of some masters, the heroine of ancient myths is presented in the form of the Roman goddess Venus.

A well-known ancient Greek statue dedicated to the goddess is Aphrodite of Cnidus (about 350 BC, author - Praxiteles). In II Art. BC e. The sculptor Agesander created the figure of Venus de Milo, which is the embodiment of the female beauty of the ancient period.

Goddess in paintings

The image of Aphrodite can be found in paintings painted by famous Renaissance artists. Titian's brush belongs to the work "Venus and Adonis" (1553), the plot of which conveys the quivering feelings of the goddess for a mere mortal youth.

In the painting "Sleeping Venus", painted by the Italian artist Giorgione approximately in 1505-1510, the patroness of love is depicted as a naked beauty, resting against the backdrop of nature. The image of the ancient goddess, created by the master, became the personification of the ideal woman of the Renaissance.

Another painting depicting Aphrodite is the painting by Sandro Botticelli "The Birth of Venus" (1486). On it, the artist depicted the plot of an ancient legend, which tells about the appearance of the majestic patroness of love and beauty from sea foam.

Thanks to works of art and Greek myths, one can determine how the goddess Aphrodite seemed to the ancient people. Photos of sculptures and paintings, which depict the golden-haired inhabitant of Olympus, clearly convey her beauty, which inspires many artists today to create new masterpieces.

Aphrodite Aphrodite

(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 and the mortals Adonis and Anchises. Paris declared her the most beautiful of the goddesses and gave her the well-known apple of discord. Anyone who put on her magical belt immediately became beautiful and became the object of Aphrodite's love and desires. Usually she is accompanied by her son Eros. April, as a spring month, was considered the sacred month of Aphrodite. She was dedicated as symbols of love: myrtle, rose, apple; as symbols of fertility: poppy, dove, sparrow, hare; like a sea goddess - a dolphin. Probably, Aphrodite is of the same origin as the Syrian goddess Astarte, or Astaret. Images of Aphrodite, in marble and on canvas, are among the most remarkable works of ancient art. These are: Aphrodite emerging from the waves, Apelles; Venus of Knidos, the work of the sculptor Praxiteles, standing in Knidos, in the temple of Aphrodite. Phryne served as a model for both of these great works of art. Travelers from all over the earth flocked to Knidos to see the statue of Venus. Pliny and others considered her the most beautiful statue in the world. However, perhaps it is necessary to give preference to the Venus de Milo, found in 1820 on the island of Milos (now Milo), one of the Cyclades, and preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

(Source: "A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

(Άφροδίτη), in Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty. Goddess of Asia Minor origin. The etymology of this non-Greek goddess name is not clear. There are two versions of the origin of A.: according to one - later, she is the daughter Zeus and Dion(Hom. H. V 370); according to another (Hes. Theog. 189-206), she was born from the blood of Uranus castrated by Cronus, which fell into the sea and formed foam; hence the so-called. folk etymology of her name “foam-born” (from the Greek “αφρός”, “foam”) and one of her nicknames - Anadyomene - “appeared on the surface of the sea.” The myth reflects the ancient chthonic origin of the goddess, which is also confirmed by Hesiod’s message that, together with A were born from the blood of Uranus erinia and giants(hence, A. is older than Zeus and is one of the primary chthonic forces). A. possessed the cosmic functions of a powerful love penetrating the whole world. This inspiring, eternally youthful beginning is described by Lucretius in the poem "On the Nature of Things" (I I-13). A. was presented as the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life. Hence the epithets of the goddess: “A. in gardens”, “sacred garden”, “A. in stems", "A. in the meadows." She is always surrounded by roses, myrtles, anemones, violets, daffodils, lilies, and accompanied by harite, op(cm. The mountains) and nymphs(Hom. H. V 338; Od. XVTTT 194: Hymn. Hom. VI 5 ff.). A. was glorified as giving abundance to the earth, apex (“goddess of the mountains”), companion and good helper in swimming (“goddess of the sea”), that is, the earth, sea and mountains are embraced by the power of A. She is the goddess of marriages and even childbirth ( Paus. I 1, 5), as well as "baby feeder". The love power of A. is subject to gods and people. She's only out of control Athena, Artemis and Hestia(Hymn. Hom. IV 7-33).
In its eastern origin, A. is close and even identified with the Phoenician Astarte Babylonian-Assyrian Ishtar, Egyptian Isis. Like these eastern goddesses of fertility, A. appears (IV 69 next) accompanied by a retinue of wild animals - lions, wolves, bears, pacified by the love desire instilled in them by the goddess. In the surviving fragment of the tragedy of Aeschylus "Danaids" (frg. 44), A. also appears as the goddess of fertility. However, in Greece, these Asia Minor features of the goddess, which also bring her closer to mother goddess and Cybele, become softer. Although A.'s service often had a sensual character (A. was even considered the goddess of hetaerae, she herself was called a hetero and a harlot), gradually the archaic goddess, with her elemental sexuality and fertility, turned into a coquettish and playful A., who took her place among the Olympian gods. This classic A. is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, her birth from the blood of Uranus is almost forgotten. In the Homeric hymn (VI), the goddess appears from the airy sea foam near Cyprus (hence A. - Cyprida, “Cypro-born”). The mountains in golden diadems crown her with a golden crown, decorate her with a golden necklace and earrings, and the gods, at the sight of the “violet-crowned” A., marvel at the charms of Kythera (the cult of A. was also widespread on the island of Cythera) and are kindled with a desire to take her as a wife. A.'s husband is Hephaestus - the most skilled craftsman and the ugliest among the gods. Lame-footed Hephaestus works at the anvils in his forge, and Cyprida, basking in the bedchamber, combs her curls with a golden comb and receives guests - Hera and Athena (Apoll. Rhod. Ill 36-51). Love A. was molested Poseidon and Ares. O The love of Ares and A. is narrated by a number of sources and the children from this illegal marriage are called: Eros and Anteroth (obviously late Hellenistic symbolism), as well as Deimos, Phobos ("fear" and "horror" are the satellites of Ares) and Harmony (Ne. Theog. 934-937). Initially, Eros is a cosmic deity, a product of Chaos (116 next), in Olympic mythology he became the son of A. Parmenides writes about the birth of Eros: “The first of all the gods Aphrodite created Eros”, emphasizing precisely the independent creative power of the goddess of love. In later literature (Apoll. Rhod. III 111-159), Eros turns out to be much stronger than his mother, and, despite his childhood, pushes A. around, becoming her constant companion, a winged boy armed with a bow and arrows that inspire love . Son of A. from Hermes counts Hermaphrodite(also called Aphrodite).
Like other Olympic gods, A. patronizes heroes, but this patronage extends only to the sphere of love. She promises Paris the love of Helen (Apollod. epit. Ill 2) and monitors the strength of their union, enduring abuse from the lips of Helen (Hom. P. III 399-412). A. is trying to intervene in military events near Troy, being a principled defender of the Trojans, along with such gods of Asia Minor origin as Apollo, Ares, Artemis. She saves Paris during his duel with Menelaus (III 380 next). She intervenes in the battle in which she performs her feats Diomedes, and tries to take the Trojan hero out of the battle Aeneas - her son from her lover Anchises(V 311-318). However, Diomedes pursues the goddess and wounds her in the hand (V 334-343), so Aeneas is picked up by Apollo, covering him with a black cloud. Ares on his golden chariot delivers A. to Olympus, where her mother Dion embraces her (V 370 next). A. is ridiculed by Hera and Athena - her constant opponents (V 418-425), and Zeus, smiling, advises his daughter not to engage in war, but to arrange marriages (V 429 next). A. with pleasure inspires love feelings in people and falls in love herself, cheating on her crippled spouse. Even Hesiod, who gave such an ancient genealogy to A., ascribes to her the usual love functions - the sweet bliss of love, laughter, smiles, deceit, "the intoxicating joy of hugs" (Ne. Theog. 205 next). In the Homeric hymn (IV), A. is depicted as in love with the Trojan hero Anchises, and this love is presented in the spirit of a luxurious and sophisticated picture of the late time, although A. herself is endowed with the features of a matriarchal mistress, in front of whom all the insignificance of the masculine principle is felt, as in the love story A. to Adonis similar history of Cybele and Attis.
In the Homeric epic, A. takes on more and more coquettish features and an affectionately ironic attitude towards her. The Odyssey tells the love story of A. and Ares: during a date, Hephaestus, A.’s legal husband, cunningly chained them with nets invisible to the eye, and in this form they appeared before the laughing gods, who themselves would not mind taking the place of Ares . The lovers released by Hephaestus at the request of Poseidon immediately parted. Ares rushed off to Thrace, and A. to Crete to Paphos, where she was bathed and rubbed with imperishable oil of Charita (VIII 266-366). Although the appearance of classical A. is still terrifying (Hom. P. III 398), it is constantly referred to as “golden”, “beautifully crowned”, “sweet-sweet”, “many golden”, “beautiful-eyed”. A vestige of the archaic demonism of the goddess is her belt, which she gave to Hera to seduce Zeus. This belt contains love, desire, words of seduction, “everything is contained in it” (XIV 215-221). This is an ancient fetish, endowed with magical powers that conquer even the great gods. A. is dedicated to the hymn of the poetess Sappho (1), in which the goddess is called “variegated-throne” and “weaving intrigues”; on a golden chariot drawn by sparrows, she rushes from Zeus's house to the black earth and is ready to become an ally for the poetess in a love date. Helping those who love, A. pursues those who reject love (she punished with death Hippolyta and narcissa, inspired unnatural love to Pasiphae and Mirra, and Hypsipyle and Lemnos women endowed with a disgusting smell).
Plato in the "Feast" belongs to the opposition of A. Urania ("heavenly") and A. Pandemos ("nationwide"). Although the ancient A. from the blood of Uranus hardly carried spirituality, it was rethought by Plato as heavenly in connection with its origin from the sky - Uranus. A. Pandemos for Plato is vulgar, accessible and understandable to everyone, not so ancient and not connected with the sky, but the daughter of Zeus and the insignificant Dione.
Herodotus reports on the veneration of A. Urania in Syria (I 105), in Persia (I 131), among the Arabs (III 8) and even the Scythians (IV 59). Xenophon (Conv. VIII 9) and Pausanias (I 14, 6) mention the temple of A. Urania in Athens. The temple of A. Urania on the island of Cythera was considered among the Hellenes the most ancient and most sacred; the statue of the goddess herself was wooden and depicted the goddess armed (Paus. III 23, 1). A. Pandemos also had her own temple on the Athenian acropolis. Pausanias reports that the worship of her was introduced by Theseus, "when he brought all the Athenians from rural houses to one city" (I 22, 3). Here the nationwide meaning of the cult of A.
Numerous sanctuaries of A. were in other regions of Greece (Corinth, Boeotia, Messenia, Achaia, Sparta), on the islands - Crete (in the city of Paphos, where the temple was located, which had a general Greek significance, and hence the nickname A. - the Paphos goddess), Cythera, Cyprus, Siiilia (from Mount Erike - nickname Erikinia). A. was especially revered in Asia Minor (in Ephesus, Abydos), in Syria (in Byblos, Lucian’s treatise “On the Syrian Goddess” is dedicated to this). In Rome, A. was revered under the name Venus and was considered the progenitor of the Romans through her son, the Trojan Aeneas, the father of Yul, the legendary ancestor of the Julius clan, to which Julius Caesar belonged. Therefore, Venus - “the kind of Aeneas mother” (Lucr. II) - the constant patroness of Aeneas, not only under Troy, but mainly after his arrival in Italy (Verg. Aen.), is especially glorified in the era of the principate of Augustus.
Lit.: Losev A.F., Olympic mythology in its socio-historical development, “Scientific notes of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. V. I. Lenin”, 1963, v. 72, c. 3, p. 141-45; Otto W. G., Die Gutter Griechenlands, 3 Aufl., Fr./M., 1947; Pestalozza U., Religione Mediterranea, Mil., 1951; Langlotz E., Aphrodite in den Garten, Heidelberg, 1954; Lullies R „ Die kauernde Aphrodite, Munch.-Pasing, 1954; Schilling H „ La religion romaine de Venus..., P., 1954; Simon E., Die Geburt der Aphrodite, B., 1959.
A. F. Losev.

Antique sculptural images of A. are numerous; in the art of archaism and classics, the goddess appeared in a robe, starting from the 4th century BC. BC e. half-naked or completely naked. T. n. "Venus Genetrix" (Paris, Louvre) is a Roman copy of a Greek statue of the 2nd half of the 5th century. BC e., probably A. in the gardens" Alkamen. "BUT. from the Palazzo Lazzeroni” is, presumably, a copy of the work of Agoracritus or his workshop (2nd half of the 5th century BC). To Greek originals of the 5th c. BC e. rising "A. from Lyon" and "A. from Frejus" (both in the Louvre). "BUT. Cnidus” Praxiteles is known from more than 50 copies; the statue served as a prototype for many well-known works of the subsequent period (“A. Meditseyskaya”, “A. Capitoline”, etc.). To another statue of Praxiteles - “A. Kosskaya" ascends, apparently, "A. from Arles. In "A. from Capua" see a copy of the work of Lysippus. Several authentic statues by Greek sculptors of the Hellenistic era have come down to us, including “A. Kirenskaya" (4-3 centuries BC), "A. Melian" (c. 120 BC). Mention should also be made of Bathing A. Doydalsas (3rd century BC), known from several copies, “A. Callipygu”, the head of A. from Pergamum, etc. Among the Greek reliefs is the relief of the so-called. throne of Ludovisi with a scene depicting the birth of the goddess. A. was often depicted in Greek vase painting, especially in the scenes of the Judgment of Paris, as well as with Hephaestus, with Helen and Menelaus (in the scenes of the meeting of the spouses after the Trojan War) and other characters. In Pompeian frescoes there is another story: "Ares and A.". see also Adonis.
Scenes from the myths about A. are found already in the 14-15 centuries. in book miniature (especially in France and Flanders). In painting 15-18 centuries. plots associated with Adonis, Ares, Hephaestus, Demeter and Paris, as well as the scene “the birth of Venus” (S. Botticelli, Titian, P. P. Rubens, etc.) were popular. No less widespread were the subjects of “sleeping Venus” (Pietro di Cosimo, Giorgione, Titian, Annibale Carracci, G. Rei, Domenichino, D. Velasquez, etc.), “Venus’s toilet” (G. Bellini, Titian, F. Parmigianino, G. Vasari, J. Tintoretto, Rubens, Velasquez, F. Boucher, etc.) and the “bathing of Venus” (Rubens, A. van Dyck, Boucher, etc.). Plots were popular: “Venus and Cupid” (L. Cranach the Elder, J. Gossart, P. Veronese, G. Reni, Velasquez, Rembrandt, A. Kuapel, A. Watteau, J. Reynolds, etc.), “worship of Venus "(J. Vasari, X. Goltzius, Rubens, A. van Dyck, F. Lemoine and others)," the triumph of Venus "(Titian, A. Kuapel, F. Boucher and others)," the feast of Venus "(Titian , Rubens and others), "Venus and the Satyr" (Veronese, Annibale Carracci, N. Poussin and others). In European plastic art, the image of A. was embodied mainly in the 18th century. (G. R. Donner, J. B. Pigalle, E. M. Falcone). Among the works of modern times are the paintings "Venus Anadyomene" by J. Ingres and A. Böcklin, "Venus" by A. Feuerbach, the statues "Venus" by B. Thorvaldsen and "Venus with a Necklace" by A. Mayol.
In European poetry and dramaturgy, the myth of love between A. and Adonis was developed mainly. Most operas and ballets of the 17th-19th centuries. also dedicated to this topic. Among the works of the 17-18 centuries. on other plots of the myth - the opera "Jealous Venus" by F. P. Sakrati; P. Kolas "The Birth of Venus"; A. Kampra "The Love of Mars and Venus" and others, ballet performances by J. Weaver ("The Love Adventures of Mars and Venus") and J. J. Nover ("Toilet of Venus"). Among the works of the 2nd half of the 20th century - cantata by C. Orff "Triumph of A.".

(Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world".)

The golden-haired goddess of beauty and love, the personification of eternal youth, the patroness of navigation. Initially - the goddess of the sea, sky and fertility. Daughter of Uranus. She was born near the island of Cythera from the blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which, having fallen into the sea, formed a snow-white foam. The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus, where she, having emerged from the waves of the sea, was met by the Ores. Later she was considered the daughter of Zeus and the nymph (oceanids) Dione. According to Homer, the wife of Hephaestus; according to other myths, the wife of Ares. Mother of Hermaphroditus (from Hermes), Aeneas (from Anchises), Phobos, Deimos, Eros and Harmony (from Ares). The bone of contention in the dispute between Aphrodite, Hera and Athena is awarded by Paris to Aphrodite for promising to help in the kidnapping of Helen. Aphrodite awakens love in the hearts of gods and mortals. Only Athena, Hestia and Artemis are not subject to her power. Symbol of love and sexual desire. Ruthless to those who reject love. Aphrodite corresponds to the Roman Venus. Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, was dedicated to myrtle, rose, poppy and apple; as the goddess of fertility - a sparrow and a dove; like a sea goddess - a dolphin. Venus was dedicated to the dove and the hare (as a symbol of fertility), rose, poppy and myrtle. The centers of the cult of Aphrodite were Cyprus, where her temple was located in the city of Paphos, and the island of Cythera. The most luxurious temple to Venus the Ancestor was built by Julius Caesar, who was considered a descendant of Aeneas, in the 1st century BC. BC. The ancient Greek statues of Aphrodite are famous - “Aphrodite of Cnidus” (c. 350 BC, Praxiteles, known in a Roman copy) and “Aphrodite of Milos” (2nd century BC, original in the Louvre, Paris).

// Jacopo AMIGONI: Venus and Adonis // Jacopo AMIGONI: Venus and Adonis // Arnold Böcklin: The Birth of Venus // Edward Burne-Jones: In Praise of Venus // Sandro BOTTICHELLI: Venus and Mars // Sandro BOTTICHELLI: The Birth of Venus // Anthony BROWN: Sandro Botticelli - The Birth of Venus // Adolphe-William BUGREAU: The Birth of Venus // Francois BOUCCHET: Venus Comforting Cupid // Francois BOUCHER: Venus's Visit to Vulcan // Susan HERBERT: Sandro Botticelli - The Birth of Venus // Jacques Louis DAVID: Venus and the Three Graces Disarm Mars // Nicolas POUSSIN: Mars and Venus // Peter Powell RUBENS: Judgment of Paris // TITIAN: Venus and Adonis // TITIAN: Venus and Adonis // TITIAN: Venus and Adonis // TITIAN: Venus at the Mirror // TITIAN: Venus of Urbino // TITIAN: Venus and lutist // TITIAN: Venus and organist // TITIAN: Venus, organist and Cupid // TITIAN: Venus blindfolds Cupid // TITIAN: Adoration of Venus // José Maria de HEREDIA: Birth of Aphrodite // Valery BRYUSOV: Hymn to Aphrodite // Valery BRYUSOV: Hymn to Aphrodite // Valery BRYUSOV: Steps of Aphrodite // Paul Valéry: Birth of Aphrodite // Jean de LAFONTAIN: Aphrodite Kallipiga // Apollon Nikolaevich MAYKOV: Birth of Cyprida // Rainer Maria RILKE: Birth of Venus // Angelos SIKELYANOS: Anadyomene // Athanasius Afanasyevich FET: Venus de Milo // Vladislav KHODASEVICH: Aphrodite // Marina TSVETAEVA: Praise to Aphrodite // N.A. Kuhn: ARES, APHRODITE, EROT AND HYMENEUS // N.A. Kuhn: APHRODITE // N.A. Kuhn: PYGMALION // N.A. Kuhn: NARCISS // N.A. Kuhn: ADONIS // N.A. Kuhn: Eros // N.A. Kuhn: Hymen // N.A. Kuhn: HERA AND ATHENA IN APHRODITE

(Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary Reference." EdwART, 2009.)

Not pampered, windy goddess Aphrodite (1) interfere in bloody battles. She awakens love in the hearts of gods and mortals. Thanks to this power, she reigns over the whole world.

No one can escape her power, not even the gods. Only the warrior Athena, Hestia and Artemis are not subject to her power. Tall, slender, with delicate features, with a soft wave of golden hair, like a crown lying on her beautiful head, Aphrodite is the personification of divine beauty and unfading youth. When she walks, in the splendor of her beauty, in fragrant clothes, then the sun shines brighter, flowers bloom more magnificently. Wild forest animals run to her from the thicket of the forest; flocks of birds flock to her when she walks through the forest. Lions, panthers, leopards and bears meekly caress her. Aphrodite walks calmly among wild animals, proud of her radiant beauty. Her companions Ora and Harita, goddesses of beauty and grace, serve her. They dress the goddess in luxurious clothes, comb her golden hair, crown her head with a sparkling diadem.

Near the island of Cythera, Aphrodite, the daughter of Uranus, was born from the snow-white foam of the sea waves. A light, caressing breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (2). There, the young Ores surrounded the goddess of love, who emerged from the sea waves. They dressed her in golden robes and crowned her with a wreath of fragrant flowers. Wherever Aphrodite stepped, flowers flourished there. The whole air was full of fragrance. Eros and Gimerot (3) led the wondrous goddess to Olympus. The gods greeted her loudly. Since then, the golden Aphrodite has always lived among the gods of Olympus, forever young, the most beautiful of the goddesses.

(1) Aphrodite - was originally the goddess of the sky, sending rain, and also, apparently, the goddess of the sea. The myth of Aphrodite and her cult were strongly affected by Eastern influence, mainly the cult of the Phoenician goddess Astarte. Gradually, Aphrodite becomes the goddess of love. The god of love Eros (Cupid) is her son.

(2) From the island of Cyprus, Aphrodite was often called Cyprian.

(3) Gimeroth is the god of passionate love.

(Source: "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece". N. A. Kun.)

in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the goddess of love and beauty

(Source: Dictionary of Spirits and Gods of Norse, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Maya and Aztec Mythologies.)

Fragment of the painting of the red-figure kilik of the "master Pistoxen".
Around 475 BC e.
London.
British museum.

Fragment of the painting of the red-figure kylix "by the artist Liander".
Around 460 BC e.
Florence.
Archaeological Museum.

Marble.
Around 120 BC e.
Paris.
Louvre.

The birth of Aphrodite, next to her are nymphs.
Relief of the so-called throne of Ludovisi.
Marble.
470-450 BC e.
Rome.
National Museum.

Fragment of painting of the Apulian lekythos.
Around 380 BC e.
Toronto.
Royal Ontario Museum.

Roman marble copy.
From a Greek original by Callimachus (440-430 BC).
Paris.
Louvre.

Roman marble copy.

Rome.
Capitoline Museums.

Roman marble copy.
From a Greek original by Praxiteles (350-340 BC).
Paris.
Louvre.

Painting by P. Veronese.
1580s.
Turin.
Sabauda Gallery.

Painting by D. Velasquez.
1657.
London.
National Gallery.

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 whom neither gods nor people could resist.

In addition, she had a whole detachment of assistants and assistants: the goddesses of female charm and beauty - haritas, the goddesses of the seasons - 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. Thus began the 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, therefore 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 of Ludovisi, a Greek work of the 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 in. BC e. (Rome, Capitoline Museums), "Venus Mediciy" - a Roman copy of the statue of Cleomenes, 2nd century. BC e. (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) and others. The finds of several Greek statues, which ancient authors do not mention at all, testify to the highest level of skill of the Greek sculptors who sculpted Aphrodite, for example, “Aphrodite from Sol” (2nd century BC, Cypriot Museum in Nicosia) or the famous "Aphrodite of Melos" (late 2nd century BC, found in 1820, Paris, Louvre).

Artists of the new time were fascinated by 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). Of contemporary works, we can name at least “Aphrodite” by R. Dufy (c. 1930, Prague, National Gallery), “Venus with a Lantern” by Pavlovich-Barilli (1938, Belgrade, Museum of Modern 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.