APHRODITE B Y S K Y L E R J O N E S ,

T Y L E R P I L G R I M , B A I L E Y H A S S E L , M A T T H E W

M U R P H Y , C O D Y P R O C E L L

THE MYTH

SHE IS THE WIFE OF HEPHAESTUS, THE LAME BLACK SMITH OF THE GODS. HER MAGIC WEAPON IS HER GIRDLE. WHOEVER WORE IT BECAME SO INSTANTLY ATTRACTIVE THAT PEOPLE COULDN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH THEM. WITH THIS MAGICAL WEAPON APHRODITE CLAIMED SHE WAS MORE POWERFUL THAN ZEUS HIMSELF, FOR EVEN HE COULDN’T RESIST TIS POWERS. SHE LIKED ARES, THE GOD OF WAR, BROTHER OF HEPHAESTUS VERY MUCH. ONE DAY HEPHAESTUS CAUGHT THEM KISSING EACH OTHER AND SO HE CREATED A NET MADE UP OF MYTHICAL UNBREAKABLE MATERIAL CALLED ADAMANT, WHICH HE THREW OVER THEM, AND CALLED ON ALL THE OTHER GODS TO COME MAKE FUN OF THEM WHILE THEY ARE TRAPPED, SO APHRODITE RETURNED TO THE TO RENEW HER VIRGINITY. THE MOST FAMOUS LEGEND OF APHRODITE IS THE BEGINNING OF THE TROGAN WAR. APHRODITE WAS AMONG TWO OTHER GODDESS, HERA AND ATHENA, WHO WERE INVITED TO THE WEDDING OF KING PELEUS AND HIS SEA NYMPH THETIS. ERIS THE GODDESS OF DISCORD WAS OUTRAGED THAT SHE WAS NOT INVITED, SHE THREW A GOLDEN APPLE LABLED “ TO THE FAIREST” IN THE CENTER OF FLOOR. ALL THREE GODDESS KNEW THAT THEY WERE THE FAIREST, AND FOUGHT OVER IT. SINCE ZUES WOULD NOT CHOOSE THE FAIREST, THE GODDESS’S LOOKED UPON PARIS, THE PRINCE OF TROY, TO MAKE THE AWARD. EACH GODDES OFFERED POOR PARIS A BRIBE FOR THEM TO BE CHOSEN ONE. BUT THE BRIBE HE COULD NOT TURN DOWN WAS APHRODITE’S, AS SHE OFFERED HIM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD, HELEN OF TROY. HELEN HOWEVER WAS THE WIFE OF THE GREEK KING MENELAUS, SO PARIS’S ABDUCTION OF HELEN LED TO THE TROJAN WAR. APHRODITE CONTINUED TO INFLUENCE EVENTS DURING THE TEN YEARS OF THE WAR. AT VARIOUS STAGES DURING THE CONFLICT, SHE ASSISTED THE TROJAN SOLDIERS, PARTICULARLY PARIS. MEANWHILE HERA AND ATHENA-STILL OFFENDED BY PARIS’S CHOICE OF APHRODITE AS THE FAIREST-CAME TO THE AID OF THE GREEKS. APHRODITE WAS ALSO CLOSELY LINKED WITH THE TROJAN CAUSE HER SON, THE BRAVE LEADER AENEAS. HIS BIRTH RESULTED FROM APHRODITE’S LOVE FOR THE TROJAN ANCHISES.

BACKGROUND INFO

APHRODITE IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR GREEK MYTHS, SINCE IT IS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOVE AND EROS. NOT EVEN GODS AND DEITIES COULD ESCAPE THE POWERFUL ARROWS OF GOD EROS AND FELL IN LOVE WITH MORTALS WITH CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. APHRODITE WAS BORN OF THE SEA FOAM PAPHOS. APHRODITE HAS NO CHILDHOOD, THEY SAY SHE WAS BORN AN ADULT, NUBILE, AND INFINITEY DESIRABLE. SHE IS ONE OF THE FEW GODS OF THE GREEK PANTHEON TO BE ACTUALLY MARRIED, SHE IS FREQUENTLY UNFAITHFUL TO HER HUSBAND. APHRODITE CAME FLOATING IN AND SCALLOP SHELL, WHEN SHE CROSS, SHE WAS HAILED AS CYPRICAN, AND IS REFERRED TO BECOME APHRODITE.

SPECIAL TALENTS

HER TALENTS WERE THAT SHE COULD TURN ANYBODY INTO ANYTHING SHE WANTED. ANTHER WAS HOW SHE WOULD LURE IN GREEK GODS AND MORTALS. BUT HER TWO MUST KNOWN TALENTS ARE LOVE AND BEAUTY.

WEAKNESS AND STRENGTHS

SOME OF HER WEAKNESSES WERE THAT WHENEVER SHE SAW SOMEBODY MORE BEAUTIFUL OR ATTRACTIVE THAN HER SHE EITHER GAVE THEM A MISERABLE LIFE OR KILLED THEM WITH A NASTY PUNISHMENT. ANOTHER WEAKNESS WAS THAT SHE CHEATED ON HER HUSBAND, HEPHAESTUS, A LOT.

STRENGTHS WERE SHE WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND ATTRACTED MANY MEN, SHE WAS DEFINITELY A LOVER.

POEM

HOW CAN I EXPRESS ALL THE THINGS I OUGHT TO SAY, IN LINES SO STRICT AND BINDING TIGHT? THE USE OF RHYME TO SHOW MY DEEPEST LOVING THOUGHT IS FOOLISH I THINK, YET I THOUGHT I OUGHT TO TRY AND FIGHT THESE DOUBTS, AND TELL YOU HOW YOU MAKE ME FEEL. I SEE YOU EVERY NIGHT IN MY DREAMS SO CLEAR I’M ALWAYS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY’RE REAL UNTIL MY HEART FEELS DWANS CRUEL PIERCING SPEAR. ALAS, THESE DREAMS ARE ALL I NEED TO HAVE SO FAR, NOT HAVING MET YOU IN THE LIGHT OF DAY KILS ME. I NEED YOU TO KNOW YOU’RE THE ONE I LOVE, WITH SILENT LIPS I TRY AGAIN TO SAY IT..... MY SWEET LOVING APHRODITE, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART NOW I ASK YOU THIS: DO YOU LOVE ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART TOO?

REFERENCES

WWW.MYTHWEB.COM/GODS/APHRODITE.HTML

WWW.GOGREECE.ABOUT.COM/CS/MYTHOLOGY/A/MYTHAPHROITE

WWW.THANASIS.COM/MFEB99.HTM

HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/APHROITE

WWW.MYTHWEB.COM/ENCYC/ENTRIES/APHRODITE.HTML