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Aphrodite

Hephaestus And Thetis Bound In Their Mortal Suffering

Hephaestus And Thetis Bound In Their Mortal Suffering

Infuriated that her husband Zeus gave birth to Athena on his own, Hera, the Queen of Heaven, impregnated herself to have a child independent of Zeus, and thus she gave birth to Hephaestus. Hephaestus...
A delicate bronze duck-shaped pourer is discovered amongst ceramics of the 4th century BC on the site of a newly discovered Greek sanctuary to Aphrodite in Thonis-Heracleion. Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation

Ancient Greek Temple Remains Found Submerged Off Egypt Coast

Along a canal off the coast of Egypt in the Mediterranean, archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in the ancient port city of Thonis-Heracleion in Egypt. They have uncovered evidence of...
Celestial hairlock of Queen Berenice II of Egypt (de Art / Adobe Stock)

The Celestial Hairlock Of Berenice II, Queen Of Egypt And Cyrene

Not long after the passing of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, one of his generals, Ptolemy - who went on to found the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt and later known as Ptolemy I Soter - annexed Cyrene (in...
A silver medallion was discovered in the grave of an Aphrodite priestess, showing the goddess and signs of the zodiac, minus Aquarius and Libra. Source: Vitaly Timkiv/Oleg Deripaska's Volnoe Delo

Graves of Elite Warrior and Aphrodite Cult Priestess Uncovered in Russia

Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,900-year-old burial of a priestess from an Aphrodite cult in the ancient necropolis of Phanagoria in Russia, as well as a warrior’s burial, complete with a cache of...
Aphrodite in the forge of the god Hephaestus. 1610 painting by Bartholomeus Spranger entitled “Venus in Vulcan’s Forge.” Source: Public domain

How Did Greek God Hephaestus Score the Goddess of Love?

As one of the twelve Olympians, the god Hephaestus was a major deity for the ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was primarily the god of fire and smiths, but he was also in charge of...
Gold Eros, Greek god of love representation close up on middle body, bow and arrow. Source: zwiebackesser / Adobe Stock

Eros: Everything You Need to Know about the Greek God of Love and Sex

The ancient Greeks had a god for everything – and sometimes they had more than one god for things! This is the case for love and sex, which are most commonly attributed to Aphrodite. However, there...
Death of Adonis, by Luca Giordano. Source: Public domain

The Godly Beauty of Adonis, Alluring Lover of the Greek Gods

In Greek mythology, Adonis is declared as an extremely good looking man. This character is best known as being one of Aphrodite’s lovers. Although the figure of Adonis and the myth surrounding him...
The Greek goddess Eris inspired fear in everyone	Source: Likozor / Adobe Stock

Eris: The Gleeful Greek Goddess of Chaos and Discord

Many of the Greek gods and goddesses enjoyed inflicting in pain, suffering, and destruction, but few took as much joy in it as Eris. Eris was the Greek goddess of chaos, strife, and discord...
Venus: Eroticized Goddess of Love, Fertility, Agriculture… and Infidelity?

Venus: Eroticized Goddess of Love, Fertility, Agriculture… and Infidelity?

According to Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess most famously associated with love, beauty, and fertility. Less commonly known, however, is that Venus was also worshipped as the goddess of...
The five female Olympians of the Ancient Greek Pantheon. Source: local_doctor / Adobe Stock

Five Female Olympians of Ancient Greece: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Greek Mythology consists of numerous gods and goddesses, although the Greek pantheon itself is comprised of just twelve main gods ruling Mount Olympus. Among the twelve, there are five female rulers...
Ancient Temple of Aphrodite Unearthed in Modern Turkey

Ancient Temple of Aphrodite Unearthed in Modern Turkey

Archaeologists performing excavations in the Urla-Cesme Peninsula in western Turkey recently found something remarkable. They uncovered the remains of a 2,500-year-old temple dedicated to the worship...
Surveillance of Looters Leads to Discovery of Sarcophagi in Turkey

Surveillance of Looters Leads to Discovery of Sarcophagi in Turkey

In Turkey , an operation to stop illegal excavations has led to the discovery of rare sarcophagi . The authorities used the latest in surveillance technology to detect the looters , which in turn led...
2300-year-old Anchor Devoted to Goddess of Love Hauled Up

2300-year-old Anchor Devoted to Goddess of Love Hauled Up

Marine archaeologists have made many important ancient discoveries in the Mediterranean and now an Italian team have uncovered an anchor at the bottom of the sea. It is 2,300 years old and it is...
Origins of Aphrodite

Aphrodite: The True Origins of the Greek Goddess of Love, Sex, and Beauty

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, sex, and beauty and there are many tales of how she could entice both gods and mortals to lust after her. In one of the most famous images of the goddess, we...
Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy, The Beauty Who Sparked the Trojan War

In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy is known as the woman whose beauty sparked the Trojan War. But Helen’s character is more complex than it seems. When considering the many Greek and Roman myths that...
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli  (1445-1510)(Public Domain)

Did Blondes Have More Fun in the Ancient World?

In the period of the 1930s to 1950s, Hollywood saw the emergence of many blonde actresses. Epithets such as ‘screen siren’ or ‘cinematic goddess’ were attached to the most popular blonde actresses of...
Aphrodite Rock.

Aphrodite Rock: The Birthplace of a Goddess

Aphrodite Rock is a landmark located off the shore along the main road from Paphos to Limassol, on the island of Cyprus. As its name suggests, the rock is associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess...
Ancient dolphin statue near Gaza

Archaeologists find mysterious ancient dolphin statue near Gaza

An archaeological team discovered a rare dolphin statuette at a site near Kibbutz Magen, 12 miles (20km) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, on the border of the Gaza Strip amid the ruins of a...
Why We Can’t Resist the Lure of Mermaids

Why We Can’t Resist the Lure of Mermaids

Mermaids are everywhere. In the past month alone they have surfaced in New Brighton, caused controversy in Asda, reinvigorated toast, partied with the Kardashians , transformed maternity and wedding...
The Smelliest Women of Ancient Greece: Jason and the Argonauts Get Fragrant

The Smelliest Women of Ancient Greece: Jason and the Argonauts Get Fragrant

We all know Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty, made sure that she was worshipped by punishing those who ignored her altars. One brief appearance of this wrath in the tale of Jason and the...
Detail of a modern depiction of the goddess Ishtar.

Love is a Battlefield: The Legend of Ishtar, First Goddess of Love and War

Louise Pryke / The Conversation As singer Pat Benatar once noted, love is a battlefield . Such use of military words to express intimate, affectionate emotions is likely related to love’s capacity to...
Detail of ‘The birth of Adonis and the transformation of Myrrha.’ By Luigi Garzi.

From Incest to Incense: The Sad and Sordid Affair of Myrrha’s Punishment by Aphrodite

One of the most disturbing stories in the Greek mythological canon has ties to some of the most important figures on Olympus. The multi-generational madness of the royal family of Cyprus includes...
A team of Turkish archaeologists have announced the fascinating underwater discovery of a large terracotta sculpture of a bare-footed woman wearing a long dress. Could it be Aphrodite who is hidden under the waters? They say that the statue they found hiding in the sand of the Aegean Sea is a Cypriot goddess and the biggest find in underwater history for their country to date.

Which Goddess Lost Her Legs in a Shipwreck? 2,700-Year-Old Terracotta Statue Discovered in Turkish Waters

A team of Turkish archaeologists have announced the fascinating underwater discovery of a large terracotta sculpture of a bare-footed woman wearing a long dress. Could these be Aphrodite’s legs...
More than a Goddess of Love: The Many Other Aspects of Aphrodite

More than a Goddess of Love: The Many Other Aspects of Aphrodite

The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, has a very distinctive image in classical arts. In 458 BCE, the playwright Aeschylus, in his play Agamemnon , used the name of Aphrodite to denote “beauty, charm...

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