Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis– Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbirth. She was never married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she knew no pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. She protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

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

Athena. Statue. Hermitage Museum. Athena Hall.

Description:

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

Statue of Athena made by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd century. Based on a Greek original from the late 5th century. 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 in the Athena Hall.

Everything about Athena, starting from her birth, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife because 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 became gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hastened to leave, for they knew from experience what Zeus was like when he was in a bad mood. The pain did not go away. The Lord of Olympus could 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(Kytharea, Urania) - 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 Tauride)

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 sailed there herself, since she did not like Cythera), where she, emerging from sea ​​waves, and met Ora.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus of Tauride) belongs to III century BC e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered his most famous statue. The sculpture became the first in Russia antique statue naked woman Life-size marble statue of bathing Venus (height 167 cm), modeled after the Aphrodite of Cnidus or the Capitoline Venus. The hands of the statue and a fragment of the nose are lost. Before entering State Hermitage Museum it 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 made on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was given by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid sent to the Pope by Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. depicted the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth lines of the silhouette, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fractionality and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (V - IV centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the 3rd 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). Statue. Hermitage

Description:

Statue of Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love

Roman copy based on a Greek original from 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 publication from the era of the Napoleonic Wars - "Collection of all antiquities stored in the Venetian Museum of Nani" - we read about this sculpture: "It lay prostrate for a long time in neglect ... but was recalled from oblivion when Mr. Jacopo Nani saw it and placed it in his famous museum, presenting it to the judgment of the famous Canova, who strongly praised the new acquisition." The statue of Aphrodite is distinguished by the complexity of body movement and exquisite harmony of proportions. It reflects the trends of Hellenistic art, characteristic of the art of the Antonine dynasty (96-193).

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid

Description:

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid.

The sculpture perhaps talks about a tragic moment. The rose, a flower sacred to Venus, was originally white, but, according to one traditional view, at the moment when Venus was hurrying to her lover, a thorn dug into her leg and drops of blood fell on the white petals, staining them. While they were pulling out the splinter, a 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 tree were dedicated to her. According to legend, the secret of her charm was hidden in a magic belt.

Venus in the shell. Sculpture. Hermitage Museum.

Description:

Venus in the shell.

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

Aphrodite (Greek) - Venus (Roman)

Classical Aphrodite emerged naked from the airy sea foam. The breeze on the shell brought it 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- goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers.

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

Hera- the supreme Olympian 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, foremother of all gods and people.

Demeter- goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Ilithia- patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris- winged goddess, assistant of Hera, messenger of the gods.

Calliope- muse of epic poetry and science.

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

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

Clio. Muse of History

Description:

Clio - the muse of history in ancient times Greek mythology. Depicted with a papyrus scroll or a case for scrolls. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne - goddess of memory. According to Diodorus, it received its name from the fact that chanting in poetry gives great glory to those praised (kleos).

Clotho(“spinner”) - one of the moiras that spins the thread of human life.

Lachesis- one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven Pleiades - the daughters of Atlas, 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 according to the Greek model of the 2nd century. BC e.

In ancient Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy (Greek: “singing”). At first, Melpomene was considered the muse of song, then of sad song, and later she became the patroness of theater in general, the personification of 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 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 punishment for a person who violates the will of the gods).

Metis- 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- goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

Naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika- personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs- lower deities in the hierarchy of 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- goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- goddess of persuasion, 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- daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Ocean and mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- mother of the Olympian gods.

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

Waist- the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- muse of dance art.

Terpsichore. Muse of dancing

Description:

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

Terpsichore was considered a muse choral singing and dance, was depicted 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- 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 a ship's rudder in her hands.

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

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

Charites- 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, who prevented misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nyx, 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 Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

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

Aphrodite is born from the foam of the sea. Aphrodite, one of the most revered goddesses of Olympus, was born from the snow-white foam of sea waves near the island of Cyprus [therefore they call her Cyprida, “Born in Cyprus”], and from there swam to the sacred island of Cythera [from the name of this island came another nickname of hers - Kytharea]. She reached the shore on a beautiful shell. Young oras, goddesses of the seasons, surrounded the goddess, dressed her in gold-woven clothes, and crowned her with a wreath of flowers. Wherever Aphrodite stepped, everything blossomed, and the air was filled with fragrance.

Beautiful Aphrodite! Her eyes glow with the wondrous light of love, deep as the sea from which she came; her skin is white and tender, like the sea foam that gave birth to her. Tall, slender, golden-haired, Aphrodite shines with her beauty among the gods of Olympus. The goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite reigns over the whole world, and even the gods are subject to her. Only Athena, Hestia and Artemis are not subject to her power.

Aphrodite awakens love in the hearts of gods and mere mortals, in the hearts of animals and birds. When she walks on the earth, all the animals follow her in pairs, and in this procession the deer walks safely next to the bloodthirsty wolf, and the fierce lions fall at the feet of the goddess like playing puppies. She gives beauty and youth to girls, blesses happy marriages. In gratitude for their marriage, before the wedding, the girls sacrificed belts they had woven to Aphrodite.

But not only girls pray to Aphrodite. Widowed women also revere her and ask her to allow them to enter into new marriage. The goddess is merciful, and she often condescends to the requests of mortals. After all, although the marriage itself is handled by Hymen, who binds couples with his strong bonds, it is Aphrodite who arouses in people the love that ends with their marriage.

Nicknames for Aphrodite.

On a golden chariot drawn by sparrows, she rushes to earth from Olympus, and all people eagerly await her help in their love affairs.

Aphrodite patronized all love. If it was rough, unbridled love, then it was under the jurisdiction of Aphrodite Pandemos (“National”); if it was sublime feeling, then Aphrodite Urania (“Heavenly”) patronized him.

The feeling that Aphrodite inspires in people is wonderful, and therefore many of her nicknames were affectionate and reflected her beauty. She was called “golden”, “violet-crowned”, “sweet-hearted”, “beautiful-eyed”, “variegated”.

Pygmalion. Aphrodite gives happiness to those who serve her faithfully. This is what happened to Pygmalion, king of the island of Cyprus. He was also a sculptor and loved only art, avoided women, and lived very secludedly. Many Cypriot girls felt tender and devoted love for him, but he himself did not pay attention to any of them. Then the girls prayed to Aphrodite: “O golden Cypris! Punish this proud man! Let him himself experience the torment that we have to endure because of him!”

Once upon a time Pygmalion sculpted an image of a girl of extraordinary beauty from shiny ivory. It seemed that she was breathing, that she was about to move from her place and speak. The master looked at his creation for hours and fell in love with the statue he himself created. He gave her precious jewelry, dressed her in luxurious clothes... The artist often whispered: “Oh, if you were alive, how happy I would be!”

Aphrodite brings the statue to life. The days of Aphrodite's festival have arrived. Pygmalion made rich sacrifices to the goddess and prayed that she would send him a woman as beautiful as his statue as his wife. The sacrificial flame flared up brightly: the beautiful-haired goddess accepted Pygmalion’s sacrifice. Pygmalion returned home, approached the statue and suddenly noticed that the ivory had turned pink, as if scarlet blood was flowing through the veins of the statue; touched it with his hand - the body became warm: the heart of the statue beats, the eyes glow with life. The statue has come to life! They named her Galatea, Aphrodite made their marriage happy, and all their lives they glorified the greatness of the goddess who gave them happiness.

Mirra, Adonis and Artemis. Aphrodite gave happiness to those who love and are loved, but she herself also knew unhappy love. Myrrha, the daughter of one of the kings, once refused to honor Aphrodite. The angry goddess cruelly punished her - instilled criminal love for her to my own father. He was deceived and succumbed to temptation, and when he found out that it was not a stranger girl with him, but own daughter, cursed her. The gods took pity on Myrrh and turned her into a tree that produces fragrant resin. From the cracked trunk of this tree the beautiful baby Adonis was born.

Aphrodite put him in a casket and gave him to Persephone to raise. Time has passed. The child grew up, but the goddess of the underworld, enchanted by his beauty, did not want to return him to Aphrodite. The goddesses had to turn to Zeus himself for a solution to the dispute. The father of gods and people, after listening to the disputants, decreed: Adonis spends a third of the year with Persephone, a third with Aphrodite, and a third with whomever he wishes. So Adonis became the companion and lover of Aphrodite.

However, their happiness did not last long. Adonis somehow angered Artemis, and during a hunt he was mortally wounded by a huge boar. A rose grew from the blood of Adonis, and anemones grew from the tears that Aphrodite shed when she mourned him.

Worship of Aphrodite.

People made sacrifices to Aphrodite Pontia (“Sea”), hoping that she would protect them during sea ​​travel, and Aphrodite Limenia (“Port”), patroness of harbors and ships docked in them.

Many animals and plants were dedicated to Aphrodite. As the goddess of love and fertility, she owned roosters, doves, sparrows and hares, that is, those creatures that, according to the Greeks, were the most fertile; As a sea goddess, dolphins served her. Of the plants, many flowers were dedicated to Aphrodite, including violets, roses, anemones, poppies - flowers are given to loved ones to this day; and of the fruits - an apple, a fruit that in ancient marriage rites the bride gave to the groom.

Naked Aphrodite.

Since Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty, she (the only one of all the great Olympian goddesses!) was often depicted naked. As the Greeks thought, unlike Artemis, who destroyed Actaeon, who accidentally saw her nakedness, or from Athena, who for the same thing struck the son of one of her nymphs, Tiresias, with blindness, Aphrodite was favorable to depicting her in this form. Yes, this is understandable - after all, it was impossible to realize all the beauty of the goddess when she was dressed in spacious and shapeless Greek clothes.

He was the first to dare to portray a naked Aphrodite Greek sculptor Praxiteles, a man immensely in love with beauty female body. They say that he sculpted Aphrodite from marble more than ten times, and among these statues of his was Aphrodite of Cnidus - a statue for which in ancient times thousands of people came to Cnidus, where it was located, just to see it.

Aphrodite (Anadyomene, Astarte, Venus, Ishtar, Ishtar, Cypris, Cameo, Millita) - the goddess of beauty and love, sky, wind and sea.

The golden and eternally young Aphrodite (Venus), who lives on Olympus, is considered the goddess of the sky and sea, sends rain to the earth, as well as the goddess of love, personifying divine beauty and unfading youth.

Aphrodite is considered the most beautiful of all the goddesses of Olympus and remains there forever.

An eternally young girl, tall and slender, with pearlescent white skin and deep dark blue eyes. Aphrodite's face with delicate features is framed by a soft wave of long curly golden hair, adorned with a shining diadem and a wreath of fragrant flowers, like a crown lying on her beautiful head - no one can compare in beauty to the most beautiful of all goddesses and mortals.

The goddess Aphrodite is dressed in flowing thin fragrant gold-woven clothes, spreads fragrance upon her appearance, and where her beautiful legs step, the Goddesses of Beauty (Ora) and the Goddess of Grace (Charita) accompany Aphrodite everywhere, entertain and serve her.

Wild animals and birds are not at all afraid of the radiant goddess, they meekly caress her and sing songs to her. Aphrodite travels on birds: swans, geese, pigeons or sparrows - the light wings of birds quickly carry the goddess from place to place.

The goddess of love and beauty, sea and sky - Aphrodite gives happiness to those who serve her: she gave life to a beautiful statue of a girl with whom Pygmalion fell endlessly in love. But she also punishes those who reject her gifts: this is how she cruelly punished Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection in a transparent forest stream and died of melancholy.

The golden apple from the distant gardens of the Herespides is a symbol of Aphrodite, which she received as confirmation of her beauty from the mountain shepherd Paris (son of the king of the great Troy), who recognized Aphrodite as the most beautiful, more beautiful than Hera (the wife of her uncle Zeus) and Athena (the sister of Zeus).

As a reward for his choice, Paris received the help of the goddess in conquering the most beautiful of mortals - Helen (daughter of Zeus and his beloved Leda, wife of the king of Sparta Minelaus) and constant support in all his endeavors.

The daughter of her parents - the goddess of the sea and sky - windy Aphrodite awakens love in hearts and love passion, and therefore reigns over the world. Any appearance of Aphrodite in fragrant clothes makes the sun shine brighter and bloom more magnificently.

Aphrodite lives on Olympus, sits on a rich golden throne forged by Hephaestus himself, and loves to comb her lush curls with a golden comb. Golden furniture stands in her divine home. Only love is created by the beautiful goddess, without touching any work with her hands at all.

Birth of Afordita

The story of the birth of the goddess of love and beauty has several true versions, as well as answers to the question about the reasons for the emergence of a feeling of love between people on Earth.

Aphrodite - daughter of Uranus

The beloved and last daughter of the sky god Uranus, Aphrodite, was born near the island of Cythera from the snow-white foam of sea waves. A light, caressing breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus.

Sea foam was formed from the mixing of the blood of Uranus, which fell into the salty waters of the Aegean Sea during the battle between the sky god Uranus and the son of the titan, the insidious Cronus (Kronos, Chronos) - the god of agriculture and time.

This story of Aphrodite's birth suggests her virgin birth from a single father.

Aphrodite - daughter of Kron

According to the Orphics, sea foam was formed from the blood of Cronus himself during his bloody battle with his son Zeus - the god of thunder and lightning - for power in the sky.

Therefore, Aphrodite may be the last and beloved daughter of the god of agriculture and time, Kronos (Kronos, Chronos).

According to these two versions, we can conclude that love appears as a result of struggle, it arises just like that...

Aphrodite - daughter of Zeus and Dione

According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the daughter of the thunderer Zeus and his beloved Dione (goddess of rain), who was born as a pearl from a mother-of-pearl shell.

Zeus is the son of Cronus (Kronos, Chronos), that is, Aphrodite for him can be a half-sister (if she is the daughter of Cronus) or an aunt (if she is the daughter of Uranus and the half-sister of Cronus).

When did love begin?

Wherever Aphrodite stepped, flowers grew magnificently. The whole air was full of fragrance. Having set foot on the island of Cyprus, young Aphrodite ascended to Olympus and began to help gods and mortals in matters of love and passion.

Love of Aphrodite and Adonis

Adonis (Adon, Dionysus, Tammuz) - the son of the king of the island of Crete named Minir and his daughter Mirra, who secretly sinned with her father without his knowledge and was forced to leave Cyprus.

Adonis is great man, but not a god, because he was born from mere mortals, although with the help of the gods.

The gods took pity on Myrrh and turned her into a “myrrh” tree with fragrant resin. From the trunk of the myrrh tree, with the help of the goddess Aphrodite, the baby Adonis appeared, who “was reputed to be the most beautiful of babies.”

Aphrodite instantly fell in love with him at first sight and hid the baby with a golden casket, and then handed it over to Persephone (the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and the goddess of the underworld) to the kingdom of the invisible god Hades (Pluto), who also immediately fell in love with the beautiful boy and did not want to let go him back to earth.

Having matured, Adonis turned into a beautiful young man and none of the mortals was equal to him in beauty, he was even more beautiful than the Olympian gods. Two beautiful goddesses began to argue for the right to spend their time with Adonis and came to Zeus, and Zeus sent them to his daughter, the muse of science and poetry, Euterpe, who was more knowledgeable in matters of love.

The muse of science and poetry, Euterpe, on behalf of her father Zeus, decided that the young man would spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, the second third with Persephone, and the third at his own request.

Aphrodite abandoned her husband, the god of war Ares, for the sake of her beloved Adonis (the son of Zeus and her half-brother, according to the Greek version), the goddess forgot the shining Olympus, and the flowering islands of Patmos, Cythera, Paphos, Cnidus, Amafunts - she spent all her time with young Adonis , and only he began to matter to her.

Many gods sought her love: Hermes - the god of trade, Poseidon - the god of the ocean, and the formidable Ares tried to return his wife, but she loved only Adonis and lived only in thoughts of him.

Athena's first husband, the blacksmith Hephaestus (the son of Gaia and Zeus), with a wide torso and strong arms, forged a divine belt for his beautiful wife, thanks to which any man, both god and mortal, went crazy with passion and love. After parting with Hephaestus, the magic belt remained with Aphrodite. The beautiful Aphrodite constantly wore her belt to meetings with her beloved Adonis, so that he forgot the goddess Persephone and completely stopped going to the underworld of her husband Hades.

Every morning Aphrodite opened her beautiful blue eyes with the thought of her beloved and every evening, falling asleep, she thought about him. Aphrodite always strived to be close to her lover, so she shared many of her dear friend’s hobbies.

Hunt of Adonis

Adonis and Aphrodite hunted in the Lebanese mountains and in the forests of Cyprus, Aphrodite forgot about her gold jewelry, about her beauty, but she remained no less beautiful even in a man’s suit, shooting from a bow, like the slender goddess of the hunt, the moon and happy marriage Artemis (Diana), and setting their dogs on flattering beasts and animals.

Under the scorching rays of the hot sun and in bad weather, she hunted hares, shy deer and chamois, avoiding hunting formidable lions and wild boars. And she asked Adonis to avoid the dangers of hunting lions, bears and wild boars, so that no misfortune would happen to him. The goddess rarely left the king's son, and every time she left him, she begged him to remember her requests.

One day, in the absence of Aphrodite, Adonis got bored and decided to go hunting to have fun. Adonis's dogs attacked the trail of a huge old and fearless boar (boar or wild pig) weighing under 200 kilograms and almost two (!) meters long. The dogs, barking furiously, raised the animal from the hole where he was sleeping sweetly, quietly grunting after a glorious breakfast, and drove him through the dense forest among bushes and trees.

The young handsome man died for a reason; there are several versions about those responsible for his death. The god of war and discord, Ares, abandoned by Aphrodite, or Persephone (wife of Hades and goddess of the kingdom of the dead), rejected by Adonis, or angered by the murder of her beloved doe Artemis (Diana), the mistress of all animals on the island of Crete, could turn into a boar.

Hearing the animated barking, Adonis rejoiced at the long-awaited entertainment and rich booty. He forgot all the pleas and requests of his beautiful friend and did not have a presentiment that this was his last hunt.

In excitement, Adonis began to urge his horse on and quickly galloped through the sunny forest to where loud barking could be heard. The barking of dogs was getting closer, and now a huge boar flashed among the bushes. The dogs of Adonis surrounded the huge beast and, growling, grabbed its thick, tarred skin with their teeth.

Adonis is already preparing to pierce the angry boar with his heavy spear, raising it above the beast and choosing the best place for striking among the armor (“kalkan”) made of resin and wool of an adult animal. The young hunter hesitated with his blow, the dogs could not restrain the strong, fearless beast, and a huge boar rushed at Adonis, very angry and irritated by the sudden awakening and rapid run through the forest.

Before young Adonis had time to jump away from the fast, evil beast, the “lone boar” mortally wounded Aphrodite’s favorite with its huge tusks, tearing the arteries on his beautiful thigh.

A young handsome man fell from his horse among tall trees and his blood irrigated the wet ground from a terrible lacerated wound. A few minutes later, the fearless and courageous Adonis died from loss of blood, and the trees rustled their leaves over his bright head.

Aphrodite's sadness and the appearance of the rose

When Aphrodite learned about the death of Adonis, then, full of inexpressible grief, she herself went to the mountains of Cyprus to look for the body of her beloved young man. Aphrodite walked along steep mountain rapids, among dark gorges, along the edges of deep abysses.

Sharp stones and thorns wounded the tender feet of the goddess. Drops of her blood fell to the ground, leaving a trail wherever the goddess passed. And where drops of blood fell from the wounded feet of the goddess, Aphrodite was everywhere. Therefore, the red scarlet rose is considered a symbol eternal love at all times.

Finally, Aphrodite found the body of Adonis. She wept bitterly over the beautiful young man who died early, hiding his body for a long time in the thickets of lettuce, which to this day brings tears to everyone who touches him.

In order to preserve the memory of him forever, with the help of nectar, the goddess grew from the blood of Adonis a delicate blood-colored anemone - a flower of the wind, similar to red

- (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 kylix painting. Around 460 BC e. Aphrodite. Fragment of 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 come out). 1) Greek name Venus, goddess of love; It got its name because, according to Greek mythology, it was born from sea foam. 2) a worm from the spinosabranch family. Dictionary of foreign... ... Dictionary 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, myrtles... Historical Dictionary

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

- (foreign language) love, the enjoyment of love. "Aphrodite affairs." Wed. Have you realized that dancing in the mashkers and your aphroditic deeds are not the same as battles in an open field? Gr. A. Tolstoy. Death of Ioann the Terrible. Explanation Aphrodite (Greek myth.) goddess... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

The goddess of sexual love and beauty among the ancient Greeks. The cult of A. was widespread in Greece, Asia and the islands Mediterranean Sea, by the way, on Kiethera (“Kytherea”), in Sicily, especially in Cyprus (“Cyprida”). She has a mixture of 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, Cypris Dictionary of Russian synonyms. aphrodite noun, number of synonyms: 10 gods of love and marriage (17) ... Synonym dictionary

The Greek name of Venus, the goddess of love, is sometimes also called Aphrogenea, born from the foam of the sea. Aphrodisia festivals in honor of A., held in many places in Greece and Asia, especially in Cyprus... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Books

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

The ancient Hellenes revered many gods, among whom was the beautiful Aphrodite. It is known that she was part of the pantheon of the twelve supreme gods.

According to mythology, there are several versions of the birth of the goddess of beauty and love. So, in the myths of the ancient Greeks you can find information that Aphrodite is the daughter of the nymph Dione and the supreme god Olympus. Another version is that she is the daughter of the goddess Artemis and the main god Zeus. The ancient Greeks recognized both the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus as parents.

How was she different from other gods in the pantheon?

With her beauty, the goddess Aphrodite surpassed all goddesses in the pantheon. She was distinguished by the fact that she was the only goddess who was depicted naked. Her incredible beauty captivated the hearts of not only the gods, but also mere mortal men.

The girl was often depicted among many blooming flowers, surrounded by birds and plants, and next to dolphins. Her main attribute was considered a belt - bringing love and passion, which she gave to women with the goal of reuniting hearts. Therefore, it is associated with fertility, beauty and love.

Aphrodite in mythology

Ancient Greek myths say that she was the wife of a god who was engaged in blacksmithing. The goddess's husband did not have much beauty, and she sought consolation on the side. So, she fell in love with the god of war. She gave birth to children from him. Hephaestus found out about his wife's betrayal and decided to teach them a lesson. He forged invisible nets and caught his wife and Ares in them.

The heart of the goddess of beauty was also conquered by a mere mortal youth named Adonis. He instilled in her a love of hunting. One day, while hunting a boar, Adonis died. The woman was very worried about the death of her lover. In the place where drops of Adonis’s blood fell, beautiful white flowers grew - anemones. Zeus saw how she was suffering for her beloved, and asked Hades, the god of the kingdom of the dead, to allow Adonis to stay there in the winter and to meet his beloved in the spring.

The Hellenes often associated Aphrodite and, considering them the feminine and masculine principles of life.

The ancient Romans liked the goddess of love and beauty so much that they began to call her Venus. The famous Roman commander Gaius Julius Caesar linked his kinship with the goddess Venus.

Legends also tell about the conflict between Athena and Aphrodite over hair. The first accused the goddess of beauty of encroaching on her possessions and powers. The girl, not wanting to get into a quarrel with the goddess of war, promised that she would never sit down to lock hair again.

The beautiful goddess was admired by many. The god of wine, Dionysus, has long been in love with the beauty. But winning her favor was not so easy. From the connection with Dionysus, a son was born, Priam, whom his mother abandoned because of his deformity.

Myths and legends

• The charming goddess did not tolerate competitors, and when she heard about the earthly beauty Psyche, she decided to deal with her. To realize her insidious plan, she sent her son, Eros. Psyche fell in love with Eros, but he left her. Without losing hope of returning her lover, Psyche turned to the mother of Eros, Aphrodite, for help. In turn, she came up with very cruel tests, which Psyche successfully passed. For his care, the god of love, Eros, asks Zeus to give Psyche immortality.
• Homer was also fascinated by the miraculous image of the beauty. In his work “The Iliad,” he mentioned her when talking about which of the three goddesses: Aphrodite, Athena or Hera is the most beautiful. Hephaestus gave the apple to Paris and asked the women to judge. Each of the women offered Paris her own. He settled on Aphrodite's proposal - to gain the love of Helen the Beautiful. Gave the apple of discord to Aphrodite. She, together with Paris, kidnapped Elena and helped their union. This is how the Trojan War began.
• The god of the sea, Poseidon, also could not resist her beauty. He had been torturing bright feelings for her for a long time, but she did not reciprocate his feelings. Wanting Ares to make her jealous, the goddess responded to Poseidon's love feelings. They had a daughter, Rhoda, who became the wife of the sun god, Helios.

The image of the goddess of love, abundance and beauty also penetrated into other peoples and cultures. Whatever it is called, it is always associated with love, harmony and beauty that connect loving hearts and give them joy.

The image of deity in world culture

Ancient Greek mythology penetrated very deeply into all branches of culture. The image of the goddess can very often be found in literature, sculpture, painting, and music. She represents luxury, fertility, and is the patroness of lovers.

The Hellenes claimed that the goddess had two images: on the one hand, she acted as the patron of lovers, and on the other, she cruelly dealt with those who did not recognize bright feelings or ignored them.

Nothing is known about her death. She is believed to be immortal.