Aphrodite

Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty and the counterpart of the Roman goddess Venus. In Homeric legend she is said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione, one of Zeus's consorts, but in the Theogony of Hesiod she is described as having sprung from the foam of the sea, and her name may means sea foam. Aphrodite is the wife of Hephaestus, the lame and ugly god of fire. Her lovers include Ares, god of war, who in later mythology was represented as her husband. She was the rival of Persephone, queen of the underworld, for the love of the beautiful Greek youth Adonis. The most famous legend about Aphrodite concerns the cause of the Trojan War. Eris and the sea nymph Thetis tossed into the banquet hall a golden apple on which were inscribed the words for the fairest. When Zeus refused to judge between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, the three goddesses who claimed the apple, they asked Paris, prince of Troy, to make the award. Each goddess offered Paris a bribe Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris declared Aphrodite the fairest and chose as his prize Helen of Troy. Aphrodite was identified in early Greek religious belief with the Phoenician goddess Astarte and was known under a variety of cult titles, including Aphrodite Urania, queen of the heavens, and Aphrodite Pandemos, goddess of the whole people.

Work Cited:

Lindemans, Micha. “Aphrodite.” Encyclopedia Mythica. 03 March 1997. Encyclopedia Mythica. 22 June 2006. < http://pantheon.org/articles/a/aphrodite.html>

Parada,Carlos. "Aphrodite." Greek Mythology Link. 1997. Greek Mythology Link. 22 June 2006. <http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Aphrodite.html>