Aphrodite - Greek goddess of love and beauty. Greek goddess of love and beauty - Aphrodite: myths, photos, pictures, video of the daughter of Zeus emerging from the foam of the sea Aphrodite - goddess of love in Ancient Greece

Venus, or Aphrodite, is the ancient goddess of love, whose name became a symbol of beauty and youth. Since ancient times, artists and craftsmen have embodied the image of an eternally young goddess in their creations. The collection of the State Hermitage contains several dozen works of art from Antiquity to modern times with images of Aphrodite/Venus, many of which are true masterpieces.

Born in snow-white sea foam from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, the goddess of Beauty and Love Aphrodite was first carried by sea waves to the shore of the island of Cythera, and then to the island of Cyprus. At the same time, Erinyes and giants emerged from the blood of Uranus, personifying the terrible impulses of the unconscious.

This myth traces the primordial principle of Aphrodite, not so much the goddess of Love, but the patroness of childbirth, the sea, eternal spring and life, giving abundance. She is much more ancient than the god-ruler Zeus, she is the guardian of life. But gradually, for people, the love itself between a man and a woman became more and more important, and not numerous offspring, and Aphrodite assumed the functions of the goddess of love. In mythology she is now called the daughter of Zeus and Dione, her birth from the blood of Uranus is almost forgotten. The goddess takes on more and more flirtatious features, her image becomes more erotic, and the attitude towards her becomes affectionately ironic. When Hellenic culture is replaced by the ascetic Middle Ages, Venus, as the goddess of carnal love, retreats into the shadows. It is becoming unpopular to show sinful flesh naked. Women in medieval paintings are not objects of desire, and a naked figure can only be seen in images of Adam and Eve and among sinners tormented in hell. Starting from the Renaissance, when a wave of fascination with ancient history and culture began, the image of Venus again takes on its usual features, returning her to the personification of female beauty, love and youth.

Since ancient times, artists have strived to create an ideal type of goddess of beauty, which would combine and embody all the charming qualities and beauty that the imagination of the ancient Greeks, those passionate admirers of beauty, so generously endowed with the goddess Aphrodite.

Paleolithic "Venus". 22–23 thousand years ago, site Kostenki I

Paleolithic “Venus” is a general concept for prehistoric figurines, reliefs and figurines depicting a certain female image. Naturally, they have no relation to the ancient goddess and are the embodiment not of beauty and eroticism, but of the image of a woman-mother, the keeper of the life principle and ideological foundations of the primitive race. Ancient artists created these works with a special emphasis on female characteristics - these are, as a rule, obese, pregnant women, with sagging breasts, the milk of which has fed many children, with large hips, ensuring easy childbirth. Such figurines are distributed throughout Eurasia, from Lake Baikal to the Pyrenees. Some of them were carefully stored, others were deliberately broken into fragments, depriving them of vitality.

The Hermitage collection contains several “Venuses”, one of which is a real masterpiece. A female figurine, carved from limestone and decorated with engraving and polishing, was found at the Kostenki site in Voronezh region. More than 20 thousand years ago, a skilled craftsman created it using stone tools, demonstrating knowledge of proportions, symmetry and the ideals of beauty that were in demand at that time. Special attention attention was paid to the hairstyle and jewelry.

The most famous sculptors of Greece and Rome turned to the image of Aphrodite, and vase painters, who in many respects were influenced by the great creations of their era, did not escape this hobby. The Hermitage collection contains a wonderful red-figure pelica with an image of Aphrodite riding on a swan, carrying her out of the sea foam. The swan as a sacred bird is known as an attribute of the goddess. The earliest depiction of the goddess on a swan dates back to the middle of the 5th century BC.

The Hermitage has a unique collection of gems (jewelry stones with carved images), the basis of which was created by Empress Catherine the Great, a passionate admirer of glyptics.

The cameo “Aphrodite with an eagle” is a true masterpiece of the carver Sostratus; it can be considered an example of “painting in stone”. The black and blue background with light inclusions seems to give a picturesque reproduction of the night sky. The entire surface of the stone is occupied by the figure of Zeus's eagle, carved in a bluish-gray layer. Standing in front of him, raising her head in a kiss, is Aphrodite, hugging him. Her fragile figure is made in white and warm pinkish tones. The cameo is an elegant, like a Greek epigram, expression of the view of royal power: the earthly ruler receives the blessing of the heavenly ruler. But, as in any genuine work of art, one can see in it the expression of the theme of the power of love, beauty, humanity, victorious over the most powerful and terrible forces of the universe.

Statue of Aphrodite (Venus Tauride). Roman copy of the 1st century AD from a Greek original of the 3rd–2nd centuries BC

This statue is one of the first ancient sculptures to appear in Russia. It was found in the vicinity of Rome in 1717 and given to Peter I in 1719 by Pope Clement IX, possibly in exchange for the relics of St. Brigid. The sculpture arrived in St. Petersburg on March 13, 1721, it was placed in the gallery Summer Garden, and then transferred to the Grotto. From 1827 to 1850 it was located in the Tauride Palace, which is why it received the name “Tavricheskaya”.

The statue is a Roman copy, going back to the famous Greek original - the statue of Aphrodite of Knidos, sculpted by the sculptor Praxiteles in the second half of the 4th century BC. The sculptor was originally commissioned by the citizens of the island of Kos, who rejected the nude Aphrodite on moral grounds; then the Cnidians acquired a sculpture of Praxiteles, which later glorified the island. Aphrodite of Knidos is considered the first nude Greek statue of a goddess, known from written sources and copies from Roman times. The ancient Greek sculptor aroused general surprise with his statue and, according to legend, even the surprise of the goddess Aphrodite herself, who, at the sight of her, exclaimed: “Paris and Adonis saw me naked, but where and when could Praxiteles see me?” The creation of images of naked Aphrodite became one of the most important phenomena in Hellenistic art.

The Hermitage sculpture has been preserved in fragments: the hands, added to in the 18th century, have not survived to this day. In the original composition, Aphrodite's hands covered her womb in a chaste gesture. The style of Greek sculpture was somewhat modified in accordance with the Hellenistic taste of the second half of the 3rd century BC, which was reflected in somewhat elongated proportions, a reduced size of the head and an overly energetic turn of the neck.

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 court of the famous Canova, who strongly praised the new acquisition.”

The special charm of the statue of Aphrodite is the complexity of body movement and exquisite harmony of proportions, as well as emphasized youth, which distinguishes it from the Tauride Venus or Venus de Milo.

Aphrodite with Eros. 2nd century

The Hermitage has a magnificent collection of terracottas - figurines made of baked clay. The figurine depicting Aphrodite with her son Eros, whom she entertains with a spinning top toy, is a unique work, known today only in a single copy. This sculptural group revealed a characteristic feature of Hellenistic art - a tendency towards genre. The coloring, applied over a white coating, has been preserved so well that you can mentally recreate the original bright and warm color scheme.

"Venus and Cupid". Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1509

Cranach's masterpiece was a revolutionary step for the art of Germany at the beginning of the 16th century towards the monumental depiction of the nude and towards secular painting. For the first time in the north, a pagan goddess appears, painted full-length and naked. A narrow piece of transparent fabric rather emphasizes her nudity. What was natural for the Italians, the direct heirs of ancient art, seemed impossible for the northern Protestants. But the artist, fascinated by the painting of the Italian Renaissance, was able to overcome the boundaries of strict Protestant morality.

The appearance of a melancholy-gloomy Venus with full sensual lips, heavy eyelids, a necklace emphasizing the whiteness of her skin, with loose hair, a strand of which falls onto her bare chest, is intended to affirm the fatal inevitability of such feelings as passion, lust, and the associated bitterness. Her right hand is patronizingly lowered towards little Cupid, who is pulling the bowstring, from whose well-aimed arrows no one can escape. The black background, against which the light, well-sculpted body of the goddess looks especially erotic, adds internal energy and expression to the image. Images of an erotic nature in Cranach's work were often supplied with edifying tests. In this case, the epigram reads: “Drive away Cupid’s voluptuousness with all your might, otherwise Venus will take possession of your blinded soul.”

The Hermitage collection contains a copy of the famous painting by the greatest Venetian artist Titian, “Venus with Two Cupids in Front of a Mirror,” acquired in 1814 from the collection of Empress Josephine in the Malmaison Castle near Paris. The original painting was also kept in the Hermitage since 1850, however, in 1929–1934, when the USSR government authorized the sale of paintings from the Hermitage collection, “Venus” was purchased by the American collector and Minister of Finance of that period, Andrew Mellon, after whose death it became part of the collection of the National art galleries in Washington, where it is kept to this day.

The painting depicts a beautiful half-naked Venus seated on a rich bed, with an embroidered and fur-trimmed cape lightly draped over her luxurious body. She involuntarily put her hand to her chest, as if surprised by the beauty that she saw in the mirror, supported by her faithful companions - cupids. The lively, warm color of the goddess’s body becomes the main organizing principle in the painting, which Titian sought in search of sonority and expressiveness of the texture of painting.

The fierce god of war, Mars, knelt before the naked goddess of love and beauty sitting next to him. With a gentle and careful movement of her left hand, Venus takes hold of the belt on which the god’s sword is suspended, and with her right hand she touches the hilt of the sword, clearly intending to disarm Mars. Four putti are also busy appeasing the warlike god, taking away his military equipment: the first of them unties the spurs on the legs of Mars, the second rolls away his battle shield, the third removes the helmet from his head, and the fourth bridles the heated horse. Addressing the heroes of ancient mythology, Rubens plays with an allegorical motif popular in the art of Western Europe since the Renaissance, personifying the idea of ​​the omnipotence of love.

John Joshua Proby, who visited St. Petersburg in 1785–1787, ordered and presented to G. A. Potemkin the author’s repetition of the painting “Nymph and Cupid” that he had. A significant difference between the Hermitage version and the original is the absence of the snake lurking at the elbow of Venus, or the “nymph”, as the artist mentioned it, and which gave rise to the second name “Snake in the Grass”.

There is no reliable information about who served as the model for Venus. In the features of her face, partially hidden under the arm, which allows her to maintain anonymity, as well as in the plasticity of her figure, one can, if desired, see a resemblance to the scandalously famous beauty Emma Hart (Lady Hamilton), who willingly posed for Reynolds and George Romney in flirtatious and sometimes quite provocative poses. The painting was one of Reynolds's most popular and most frequently copied works, both during his lifetime and later.

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Ancient Hellas... A land of myths and legends, a land of fearless heroes and brave sailors. The homeland of the formidable gods sitting on high Olympus. Zeus, Ares, Apollo, Poseidon - these names are familiar to everyone from school history lessons.

Today we will talk about their wives and daughters - the all-powerful ancient goddesses of Greece, who cleverly manipulated their husbands, being the real mistresses of Olympus and mistresses of mortals. These great beings ruled the world, not paying attention to the pitiful people below, because they were producers and spectators in the greatest theater in the world - Earth.

And when the time came to leave, the proud goddesses of Hellas left traces of their presence on Greek soil, albeit not as noticeable as those of the male half of the Pantheon.

Let's remember the myths about the beautiful, sometimes incredibly cruel daughters of Olympus and take a short trip to the places that are associated with them.

Goddess Hera - patroness of the hearth and family life

Hera - goddess ancient Greece, the highest among equals and the nominal mother of almost all other goddesses of Olympus from the fourth generation (the first generation are the creators of the world, the second are the titans, the third are the first gods).

Why? Because her husband Zeus is very far from the ideal of a faithful man.

However, Hera herself is good - in order to marry then not even the supreme god, but only the killer of Kronos (the strongest of the titans), Hera fell in love with Zeus, and then refused to become his mistress until he did not vow to make her his wife.

Moreover, the oath featured the waters of the Styx (the river that separates the world of the living and the dead, and has enormous power over both gods and people).

In the madness of love, the oath was pronounced and Hera became the main goddess on Olympus. But Zeus soon enough had enough family life and happily made connections on the side, which embittered Hera and forced her to look for ways to take revenge on those whom her unfaithful husband preferred, and at the same time on his side children.

Hera is the guardian goddess of the hearth and family, helps abandoned wives, punishes unfaithful husbands (which often brings her nose to nose with her flighty daughter-in-law, Aphrodite).

Hera's favorite son is Ares, the god of war, despised by his father for his love of battles and constant killing.

But the hatred of the first lady of Olympus is shared by two creatures - the daughter of Zeus Athena and the son of Zeus Hercules, both of whom were not born by his legal wife, but nevertheless ascended to Olympus.

In addition, Hera is hated by her own son Hephaestus, the god of crafts and the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who was thrown by Hera from Olympus as an infant for his physical deformity.

The largest trace of this cruel lady can be considered the Temple of Hera in ancient Olympia.

The religious building was built at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The massive temple fell into ruins long ago, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, the foundations of the temple and its surviving parts have been restored and are now open to tourists.

In addition, in the Olympia Museum, you can see fragments of statues dedicated to Hera and understand exactly how the goddess was portrayed by her admirers.

The cost of a ticket to Olympia is 9 euros, which includes entry to the excavation area and the museum. You can take a ticket only to the excavation area, it will cost 6 euros.

Aphrodite – goddess of love in Ancient Greece

Beautiful Aphrodite, whose beauty could only be matched by her frivolity, is not the daughter of Zeus or Hera, but comes from a much older family.

She is the latest creation of Uranus, the first of the Titans, castrated by Kronos during the first war for Olympus.

The blood of the titan, deprived of a certain part of his body, mixed with sea foam and from it arose an insidious and cruel beauty, who hid in Cyprus from the gaze of Kronos until he was overthrown by Zeus.

Thanks to Hera's cunning plan, Aphrodite married the powerful but ugly Hephaestus. And while he was working in his workshop, the goddess either basked on Olympus, communicating with the gods, or traveled around the world, falling in love with gods and people, and falling in love herself.

The most famous lovers of the windy beauty were Adonis, a beautiful hunter in body and spirit, with whom the goddess fell in love so much that after his tragic death from the tusks of a boar, she threw herself down the Lydian cliff.

And Ares, the god of war and destruction, secretly sent the boar to Adonis.

It was Ares who overflowed the patience of the proud Hephaestus, who set a trap for the lovers - he forged a strong net, so thin that the lovers simply did not notice it when the net was thrown onto the bed. In the midst of the “meeting,” Hephaestus’ trap entangled the lovers and lifted them above the bed.

When the god of crafts returned to Olympus, he laughed for a long time at the unlucky lovers, and the disgraced Aphrodite fled for a while to her temple in Cyprus, where she gave birth to the sons of Ares - Phobos and Deimos.

The god of war himself appreciated the elegance and softness of Hephaestus’s trap and accepted defeat with dignity, leaving the beautiful Aphrodite, who was soon forgiven by her husband.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and love madness. She, despite her youthful appearance, is the oldest goddess on Olympus, to whom Hera often turns for help (especially in those cases when the hearth of love for her wife begins to fade in Zeus again). Aphrodite is also considered the goddess of fertility, and also one of the sea goddesses.

Aphrodite's favorite son is Eros, also known as Cupid, the god of carnal love, who always accompanies his mother. She has no permanent enemies on Olympus, but her frivolity often leads to quarrels with Hera and Athena.

Aphrodite's greatest legacy is Paphos, a city in Greek Cyprus located in the place where she once emerged from the sea foam.

This place was appreciated not only by women, but also by men - in some parts of ancient Greece there was a belief that a girl who visited the temple of Aphrodite and entered into a relationship with a stranger in the vicinity of the temple received the blessing of the goddess of love for life.

In addition, the temple housed the bath of Aphrodite, into which the goddess sometimes descended in order to restore her beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you entered the bathhouse, there was every chance of maintaining youth.

Nowadays, only ruins remain of the temple, open to tourists. Not far from the Temple of Aphrodite in Paphos you can always find both newlyweds and single people, because according to legend, those who find a heart-shaped pebble on the coast will find eternal love.

Warrior Goddess Athena

The goddess Athena is the owner of the most abnormal birth myth.

This goddess is the daughter of Zeus and his first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, who, according to the prediction of Uranus, was supposed to give birth to a son, who, in turn, would soon overthrow his thunder father.

Having learned about his wife’s pregnancy, Zeus swallowed her whole, but soon felt wild pain in his head.

Fortunately, the god Hephaestus was on Olympus at that time, who, at the request of the royal father, hit him on the sore part of his body with his hammer, splitting his skull.

From the head of Zeus came a woman in full battle garb, who combined the wisdom of her mother and the talents of her father, becoming the first goddess of war in ancient Greece.

Later, another fan of swinging a sword, Ares, was born and tried to claim his rights, but the goddess, in numerous battles, forced her brother to respect herself, proving to him that battle madness was not enough to win.

The city of Athens is dedicated to the goddess, which she won from Poseidon in the legendary dispute over Attica.
It was Athena who gave the Athenians a priceless gift - the olive tree.

Athena is the first general of Olympus. During the war with the giants, the goddess fought alongside Hercules until she realized that the gods could not win.
Then Athena retreated to Olympus and, while the sons of Zeus were holding back the hordes of giants, she brought the head of Medusa to the battlefield, whose gaze turned the surviving warriors into stones, or rather, into mountains.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, “smart” war and the patroness of crafts. Athena's second name is Pallas, received in honor of her foster sister, who died due to the oversight of the then-girl Athena - the goddess, without meaning to, accidentally killed her friend.

Having matured, Athena became the most perspicacious of the goddesses of Olympus.

She is a perpetual virgin and rarely gets into conflicts (except those involving her father).

Athena is the most faithful of all the Olympians and even during the exodus of the gods she wished to remain in Greece in the hope that one day she could return to her city.

Athena has neither enemies nor friends on Olympus. Her military prowess is respected by Ares, her wisdom is valued by Hera, and her loyalty is valued by Zeus, but Athena keeps her distance even from her father, preferring solitude.

Athena repeatedly showed herself as the guardian of Olympus, punishing mortals who declared themselves equal to the gods.

Her favorite weapon is a bow and arrow, but often she simply sends Greek heroes to her enemies, repaying them with her favor.

Athena's greatest legacy is her city, which she defended many times, including personally entering the battlefield.

The grateful Athenians built the goddess the most incredible sanctuary in Greece - the famous.

An 11-meter statue of her, made of bronze with a large amount of gold by the famous sculptor Phidias, was installed in the temple:

The statue has not survived to this day, as has a significant part of the temple itself, but at the end of the twentieth century, the Greek government restored the legendary ruins and began searching for the removed relics, which are gradually returning to their places.

There were miniature copies of the Parthenon in many Athenian colonies, in particular those on the Black Sea coast.

A long time ago, the all-powerful gods and goddesses of ancient Greece sunk into oblivion. But there are temples dedicated to them, and their great deeds are well remembered by the descendants of those who worshiped them.

And even though Greece no longer honors the mighty Olympians, having become the homeland of the Orthodox Church, even though scientists are trying to prove that these gods never existed... Greece remembers! He remembers the love of Zeus and the treachery of Hera, the rage of Ares and the calm power of Athena, the skill of Hephaestus and the unique beauty of Aphrodite...
And if you come here, she will definitely tell her stories to those who want to listen.

To complement the impression of the ancient gods of Olympus, we get acquainted with the sights that are described in them.

You will find out what the highest mountain in Greece, the legendary Olympus, looks like now by reading this.

Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans) is the goddess of love and beauty.
She was thought of as the goddess of eternal spring, flowering and fertility. She patronized beauty and lovers, poets glorifying love, and artists embodying beauty. Everything beautiful in this world was the creation of Aphrodite. She preferred life and peace to war and death, which is why she was praised when they wanted quiet prosperity or deliverance from death.

The goddess was subject not only to people and animals, but also to the gods themselves.
“Golden” is the most common epithet among the Greeks when describing Aphrodite, meaning “beautiful” for them. According to Paul Friedrich, a famous expert on Aphrodite, the words golden honey, golden speech, golden seed linguistically related, symbolizing childbirth and verbal creativity - Aphrodite's deepest values.

Myth
There are two mythological versions of the birth and origin of Aphrodite. Hesiod and Homer tell two contradictory stories.
According to Homer, Aphrodite was born in the usual way. She was the daughter of Zeus and the sea nymph Dione.
According to Hesiod, Aphrodite was born as a result of violence. The treacherous Kronos took a sickle, cut off the reproductive organs of his father Uranus and threw them into the sea. They were covered with snow-white foam, mixed with the seed, from which Aphrodite was born, emerging from the sea waves as a fully grown goddess.

According to myths, Aphrodite first set foot on the shore of either the island of Cythera or the island of Cyprus. Then, accompanied by Eros, she was taken to Olympus and became the most beautiful of the goddesses in the host of gods.
Many of the gods, smitten by her beauty, competed as contenders for her hand and heart. Unlike other goddesses who did not choose their spouses or lovers, Aphrodite was free in her choice. She chose Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and blacksmithing. Thus, the rejected son of Hera becomes the husband of Aphrodite - and will often be deceived by her. Aphrodite and Hephaestus had no children. Their marriage may represent the union of beauty and craftsmanship from which art is born.
Aphrodite preferred to choose her lovers from the second generation of Olympians - the generation of sons, not fathers (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades).

Archetype
The Aphrodite archetype governs a woman's ability to enjoy love and beauty, sexuality and sensuality. Contact with the sphere of love activates powerful forces in many women. As a truly feminine force, Aphrodite can be as demanding as Hera and Demeter (two other strong instinctual archetypes). Aphrodite encourages women to perform both creative and reproductive functions.

beauty
When a girl first feels like a beauty, the archetype of the goddess Aphrodite awakens in her. The feeling or awareness of one's own beauty gives inspiration and strength, a feeling of unreality (“floating above the earth”) and a sense of power over the world around us. This is an unreal, truly archetypal feeling that completely transforms a woman. Without such experiences and experiences, our world would be much more boring, sadder, gloomier. We also enjoy seeing such beauty; we are able to admire others, dissolving in this experience. And such an experience is also from the Aphrodite archetype: it is this goddess who teaches us to see beauty in the world and Other people, to admire and appreciate it, to enjoy the fact that it simply exists.

The Aphrodite archetype largely dictates the image of the ideal woman. So we can observe a certain cult of bodily perfection. When a woman goes on a diet, undergoes cosmetic surgery, goes to a beauty salon, desperately fights cellulite, carefully applies makeup, she is trying to create some kind of bodily perfection, the likeness of a goddess. If the archetypes of independent goddesses are not sufficiently developed, then a woman’s own appearance becomes the only value in the world.

Peacefulness
Aphrodite was a purely peaceful goddess. She never got involved in wars: the Trojan War was an exception, and even then the immortal only wanted to protect her favorites. This archetype and the people included in it are deeply alien to the idea of ​​violence, aggression and war. Although Aphrodite was in a love affair with the god of war, Ares, the bed of love is perhaps the only place where Aphrodite would like to see him. She loves love captures, not political ones, and gentle struggles in bed, and not on the battlefield. It gives people passion, the ability to love and give life, and not to torture and kill. The hippie slogan of the 1960s and 70s is also characteristic in this regard: “Make love, not war.”

Love
The state of falling in love is a state of “here and now”, which from the inside seems like an amazing and amazing eternity, into which you can plunge as into a life-giving source. This feeling of being filled with love, this feeling of an internal aching “breaking” of the body from the inability to connect, merge, simply get closer or, conversely, in anticipation of this. All these signs of “sweet flour” are both very similar and individual. But invariably recognizable. This is also what Aphrodite gives. A woman under the influence of this facet of the archetype does not pay attention to anything around her, only love is important to her. All people in love become like this.

Two lovers see each other in the special, uplifting, “golden” light of Aphrodite, which attracts them with its beauty. The air is saturated with magic; a state of enchantment or passionate love arises. Everyone feels wonderful and special. The energy field between them becomes emotionally charged, generating erotic “electricity”, which in turn creates a mutual magnetic attraction. In the “golden” space around them, sensory receptivity increases: they hear music more clearly, smells more clearly, the lover’s taste and touch are enhanced.

Mistress
Every woman who is in love with a man who reciprocates her feelings becomes at this moment the personification of Aphrodite. Temporarily transformed from an ordinary mortal to a goddess of love, she feels like an attractive and sensual archetypal lover.

If Aphrodite is the main archetype in the female personality, then a woman falls in love often and easily.
When sensuality and sexuality in women are devalued - as in many patriarchal cultures - the woman embodying Aphrodite the lover is seen as a temptress or harlot. This archetype, when pronounced, can lead a woman to conflict with moral standards. Aphrodite women can be expelled from society.

The well-known “virgin and whore complex” is associated precisely with the existence - and opposition - of the archetypes Aphrodite and Hestia. All existing or encountered women are subject to the projection of only these two archetypes, each of which is expressed in an extremely extreme and primitive way. And until a man sees that the same women combine different images and archetypes, or - even better, but less likely - understands that these are his own fantasies and projections, he will look for extremes.
However, some men are fascinated by this particular version of the Aphrodite archetype, the so-called Aphrodite Pandemos (“of the people”). They are looking for women who best suit him.

Thirst for love
An unquenchable thirst for love overcomes us when we are already in love, but we do not know whether this feeling is mutual or whether there is at least some possibility for it to become so. Or when there is no love or its object yet, but the soul yearns for this feeling, for the demand for desires and the body, for passionate outbursts and spiritual harmony. The Aphrodite archetype often appears to us in exactly this guise. This is what motivates us to commit various follies and oddities, stupidities and great deeds or big mistakes.

Instinct for procreation
Aphrodite represents the urge that ensures the continuation of the human race. As an archetype associated with sexual urge and the power of passion, Aphrodite can turn a woman into a “generative vessel.”

Unlike a Demeter woman who enters into intimate relationships for the desire to have a child, a woman under the influence of Aphrodite has a child because she feels passion for a man or desires a sexual or romantic experience. They gladly give birth to children from their beloved men - they do not associate childbirth with the legal ties of Hymen like Hera, but they also do not consider children the meaning of their whole life, like Demeter. For Aphrodite, children are wonderful “fruits of love.”

Creation
Aphrodite represents the great power of change. Thanks to it, attraction, connection, fertilization, gestation and the birth of a new life occur. When this process between a man and a woman takes place solely on the physical level, a child is conceived. But in all other creative processes the sequence is the same: attraction, union, fertilization, gestation and new creation. An abstract creative product can be presented as an inspired combination of two ideas, which ultimately gives birth to a new theory.

Creative work occurs in a state of intense and passionate involvement - almost like with a lover, where one (the artist) interacts with the "other" to bring something new to life. This "other", all-consuming and enchanting for a period of time, may be a painting, a dance form, a musical composition, a sculpture, a poem or a manuscript, new theory or invention. Creativity for many people is also a "feeling" process; it is an “in-the-moment” sensory experience that includes touch, sound, sights, movement, and sometimes even smell and taste. An artist, immersed in the creative process, often, like a lover, finds that all her sensations are intensified and she perceives sensory impressions through many channels. When she works on a visual image, a verbal phrase, or a dance movement, multiple sensory sensations can interact to produce the result.

Just as Aphrodite the lover can move through a chain of love affairs, so Aphrodite the creative force can draw a woman from one intense creative act to another. When one project ends, another opportunity arises that attracts her.

Muse
It is known that Aphrodite gave inspiration to poets, musicians, artists, and sculptors. Likewise, women in whom this archetype is strong play the role of muses for creative, intelligent and educated people.
Such a woman plays a special role in making a man’s Dream come true. It gives you the opportunity to give shape to your Dream and helps you live for it. She shares it, believes in him as the hero of the Dream, gives her blessing and provides refuge, helping to express his ambitious desires and nurture his hopes.

This particular woman is similar to Toni Wolfe's description of the "heterosexual woman" (the ancient Greek equivalent of courtesans, who was educated, cultured and unusually free for those days; in some respects she was similar to a Japanese geisha), whose close relationships with men have both erotic and friendly overtones. She could be his muse. According to Woolf, the hetaera fertilizes the creative side of a man and helps him in his creativity. Sometimes a woman has the gift of attracting several or many men who perceive her as a special woman; she has the ability to see their potential, believe in their dreams and inspire them to achieve.

Breaking the rules
Sometimes both aspects of Aphrodite are present in one woman - both creative and romantic. In this case, she enters into intense intimate relationships, moving from one relationship to another, and is immersed in creative work. Such a woman follows her enchanting passions in love and creativity and can lead a life alien to convention, like the dancer Isadora Duncan and the writer George Sand.

Aphrodite breaks the rules. The goddess not only cheated on her husband, shared men with other women and indulged in love even with mortals, but also forced other gods to do this.
“It is better to be a bad woman, but happy, than a decent woman, but unhappy,” is, of course, the motto of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite Woman
The Aphrodite archetype radiates personal charm - magnetism or electricity - which, combined with external characteristics, makes a woman an “Aphrodite”.
An ordinary-looking woman does not attract men from a distance, but if her active archetype is Aphrodite, then when they get closer, they find her charming and charming. Many women with Aphrodite qualities who are not particularly beautiful attract men with the magnetic warmth of their personality and their natural, unconscious sexuality. These "simps" are always surrounded by men, while their more gifted, really pretty sisters may be waiting by the phone or sitting alone at a dance, wondering, "What does she have that I don't have?"

Childhood and parents
As a child, little Aphrodite can be an innocent little flirt. She has unconscious sexuality, the ability to arouse interest and response in men. She enjoys being the center of attention and enjoys wearing nice clothes and dressing up. She is not usually a shy, timid child, and may even be called a "little actress" for her impromptu performances and other attention-grabbing acts that even then captivate her audiences.

By awakening the Aphrodite archetype, parents can raise a girl like a little princess, dressing her in the most wonderful dresses, or inspire her to perform creative feats such as reading poetry or singing songs in front of guests. If both loving parents do this, then the girl grows up in an atmosphere of friendliness and acceptance. Sometimes this is the result of one parent's vanity efforts. By imposing on the child the role of “mom’s (or father’s) sunshine,” parents demand that the girl always look content, joyful and happy, otherwise she will be reproached for malicious ingratitude. Parents can also wish their child fame and glory, literally “pushing” him onto the stage or podium, tormenting him from an early age with discipline, training and hours of vigil in front of the mirror in the hands of a hairdresser or makeup artist.

Unfortunately, the vigorous encouragement of the development of this archetype ina girl can lead to too early “adulthood”, to experiences and experiences that are appropriate at an older age. Including traumatic experiences. In order for a girl to begin to show too early a direct (not natural-exploratory, like the questions “Where do children come from?”) interest in sex life, usually there must be someone who will provoke her to this, teach her, perhaps force her. This does not happen as rarely as one might think. And close relatives are most often responsible for this.

The best parents do not overestimate or place too much importance on Aphrodite's qualities and do not treat their daughter as a pretty object. Parents rate their daughter's attractiveness in the same way as other qualities, such as intelligence, kindness, and artistic abilities. In the case of a dating situation, parents impose restrictions appropriate to the age and maturity of the daughter. Attractiveness to men is seen as a fact that a girl should be aware of (not condemned).

Adolescence and youth
Adolescence and young adulthood are a crucial time for the Aphrodite woman, who may find herself caught between the excitement of Aphrodite within herself and the reactions of those around her.
Young women receive little help in dealing with their persistent inner Aphrodite. Their main choice, which can have serious consequences, is how to express their sexuality. Some of them simply suppress it. At the same time, those who feel strong religious pressure may in any case feel guilty, blaming themselves for “unacceptable” feelings. Others express sexuality in a stable, intimate relationship - a good choice if Hera is also a strong part of the personality, although early marriage may result.

If both Athena and Aphrodite are both strong elements in a young woman, she can use a combination of strategy and sexuality, including for self-defense.
When an Aphrodite woman goes to college, perhaps the social aspects will be most important to her. She may choose a "party school" - a college marked by social activity rather than academic pursuits.

She usually does not focus on long-term academic goals or career goals. Her renewed interest in a professional career is undermined by the dull prospect of accepting the difficult conditions required. She is able to plunge into college work only by shining in some - most often creative - field, including interaction with people

Job
Work that does not emotionally captivate the Aphrodite woman is of no interest to her. She enjoys variety and intensity, and finds repetitive tasks, like housework, office work or laboratory work, boring. She only does a job well when she can be completely creative in it. Thus, she can be found in the fields of art, music, writing, dance, drama, or among people who are especially significant to her, such as a teacher, therapist, editor.
Forced to choose a profession for herself (or having decided to do so because “otherwise it’s boring”), a young woman will go where she has the opportunity to communicate with a large number of people, shine with her appearance and make an impression.

As a result, she either hates her job and probably does a mediocre job, or she loves it and puts in the effort and time. She almost always prefers a job that she finds interesting to one that pays better but is not as attractive to her. She can achieve success, but, unlike Athena and Artemis, she is not focused on achievement.

Relationships with women: friendship or rivalry
A woman who vividly embodies the Aphrodite archetype has many friends and many envious women. Her friends like her spontaneity, dynamism and charm. Some can only dream of such a life and therefore live it indirectly “through a friend.” Others have the same qualities of Aphrodite, perhaps “diluted” properties of other goddesses, and live the same cheerful and joyful life, welcoming each new day.

Other women tend not to trust the Aphrodite woman, which is especially true for women of the Hera type. The less Aphrodite is aware of and responsible for her effect on men, the more destructive she becomes. When women (especially the jealous and vindictive Hera) are angry with her, the Aphrodite woman is often shocked. She rarely shares the hostility of other women, and since she is not jealous or possessive herself, it is usually difficult for her to understand the reason for the hostility towards herself.
Envious women can also be found among the same Aphrodite rivals, perhaps fixated on their own appearance and the presence of fans more than anything else.

Relationships with men:
Aphrodite women are attracted to men who are not necessarily suitable for them. If not influenced by the archetypes of other goddesses, their choice is often similar to the choice of Aphrodite herself - these are men who are creative, complex, easily susceptible to mood swings or emotional, like Hephaestus, Ares or Hermes. Such men do not strive for professional heights or positions of power, do not want to head a family or be husbands and fathers.
Sometimes all the attention of a woman dominated by the Aphrodite archetype can be concentrated on herself: her appearance, success with the opposite sex and on a well-deserved reward - a “beautiful life.” A partner or lover is valuable only when he can provide for her, give her the life that she believes she deserves. These women know what they want and know how to get it.

There is a type of Aphrodite woman who loves many. This is a very bright and, perhaps, the most famous type of woman. Often they seem to live one day at a time, abandoning permanent relationships and stability, in a thirst for new hobbies and adventures. In each new romance, they can be extremely passionate and emotionally demanding. They enjoy the intoxication of love - they expect constant confirmation of their sexual attractiveness from their partner.

But there are women with a strong Aphrodite archetype, who fall in love quickly and passionately, but are able to find themselves, if not good husbands, then some “special” lovers. They choose charismatic, bright, strong men. Often this is " the mighty of the world this” (or approximately the same thing, but on a smaller scale). These may also be the “great talents” of their time. Women are not looking for benefits here - they are attracted by the special strength and energy of a powerful or talented man. Like a true Aphrodite, such a woman knows how to see, understand and appreciate the beauty, strength or genius of a man.

If Aphrodite is one of several powerful archetypes, including Hera, then her presence enhances and enlivens the marriage with sexuality and passion. However, it can be very difficult for an Aphrodite woman to endure a monogamous marriage. If the other goddesses have little influence over the married Aphrodite, or the marriage is simply a casual coupling, she will likely follow the pattern of a series of intimate liaisons.

Children [ 1 ]
The Aphrodite woman likes children, and vice versa. The child feels that this woman is looking at him with eyes that do not judge, but are able to appreciate. She brings out the child's feelings and abilities in such a way that the child feels beautiful and accepted. Often she gradually instills in him a feeling of being chosen, giving the child confidence and helping to develop abilities and talents. She can very easily get into the spirit of play and fantasy. She charms children with her demeanor and inspires them with her infectious enthusiasm for everything that interests her. These are wonderful qualities for a mother. The children of an Aphrodite woman thrive and develop their own individuality, especially if she also has Demeter-like qualities.

Mother Aphrodite can enchant her children, who see her as beautiful and seductive, but if (due to the lack of the Demeter archetype) she does not take into account their needs for emotional security and constancy, she will be inconsistent, contradictory, which threatens negative consequences for them. In this case, her children revel in her full attention one moment, but when her attention shifts to something else at another moment, they feel abandoned and unhappy.

Average age
The inevitability of aging can be a devastating reality for an Aphrodite woman if attractiveness was her main source of satisfaction. In her middle years, the Aphrodite woman often makes mistakes in her choice of partners. She may realize how often she is attracted to unconventional and sometimes unsuitable men. Now she may want to calm down, a possibility she previously dismissed with contempt.

However average age is not difficult for Aphrodite women engaged in creative work. It is typical for such women to retain their enthusiasm and still throw themselves headlong into the work that interests them. And now they have more experience to feel inspired and more highly developed skill to express themselves.

Old age
Some Aphrodite women retain the ability to see beauty in the object of their focus and always be a little in love. They enter old age with grace and vitality. Their interest in others or involvement in creative work remains the most important part of life. They continue to be in a youthful position as they unconsciously move from experience to experience, from person to person, fascinated by what comes in the next moment. Young at heart, they attract others and have friends of all ages.

Psychological problems s
It is not easy to have Aphrodite as a leading archetype. Women who follow the instinctive sexuality of Aphrodite are often caught between their own desire for sexual intimacy and the tendency to generate erotic energy in others, on the one hand, and a culture that views women as promiscuous , if she acts according to her desires, on the other.

Aphrodite woman growing into an atmosphere of condemnation of female sexuality, may try to suppress her interest in men, downplay her attractiveness, and consider herself bad for her sexual desires. But the guilt and inner conflict that accompany the manifestations of her Aphrodite nature lead to depression, anxiety and depression.

Aphrodite women tend to live in the present, experiencing life as if it were only a sensory experience. Under the pressure of the moment, such a woman can react, being unaware of the consequences of one’s actions, and/or not being faithful, thereby giving rise to conflicts. This orientation entails impulsive actions that are destructive to everything it touches.

Men can become victims of an Aphrodite woman when she "loves them and leaves them" . She falls in love very easily, convinced every time that she has found the perfect man. The magic of the moment allows him to feel like a god, loved by a goddess, until she leaves him and starts dating someone else. As a result, she leaves behind a chain of wounded, offended, indignant, depressed or angry men who feel used and abandoned.

Modern victims of Aphrodite are women bound by their unhappy love . Some of them seek psychiatric help to free themselves from suffering.
A woman may be in a loving relationship with a man who treats her poorly or humiliates her . She makes her whole life dependent on the “crumbs” of attention that fall from him from time to time. Her involvement may be short-lived, but it can also last for years.

Also sometimes a woman in love with a man who makes it clear he doesn't want to be with her . He avoids her as much as possible and feels the curse of her unrequited love. Once again, her tormenting obsession with him can continue for years, effectively preventing the possibility of any other intimate connection.

It takes great effort to avoid the temptation to see it and get caught in your own snare again. But she must do this in order to be able to direct her emotions to another goal.

Photo materials taken from the resource pinterest. com

. Jean Shinoda Bohlen “The Goddesses in Every Woman: The New Psychology of Women. Archetypes of Goddesses”, publishing house “Sofia”, 2007.

. Galina Borisovna Bednenko “Greek goddesses. Archetypes of femininity." - Series: Library of psychology and psychotherapy of the independent company “Class”, 2005

You can also convert the electronic edition of the book to http://halina. livejournal. com/1849206.html

czarstvo-diva.livejournal.com 2013

Aphrodite (Greek Ἀφροδίτη) is the goddess of love, beauty and passion. According to numerous myths, she was born from foam in the waters of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, after the reproductive organ of Uranus was thrown into the sea by his son Kronos. However, according to other legends, Aphrodite is the daughter of Thalassa (the personification of the sea) and Uranus, and in another interpretation, the daughter of Dione and Zeus.

In Rome, Aphrodite was revered under the name of Venus. Aphrodite, like other gods of the Pantheon, protects some characters in mythology. But her protection extended to people who had a strongly expressed sensual sphere - love and beauty - the attributes of Aphrodite.

One of the most famous heroes who earned Aphrodite's favor was the sculptor Pygmalion, from the island of Cyprus, who fell in love with the statue he created. The statue embodied the features of an ideal woman. Pygmalion decided to live in celibacy in Cyprus, avoiding the licentious courtesan morals of Cypriot women.

Aphrodite, feeling sorry for the artist, one day followed Pygmalion’s request to save him from loneliness and turned the statue he created into a beautiful woman, whom Pygmalion married.

And nine months later, Pygmalion and Galatea had a daughter named Paphos, who gave the name to the island. In addition to patronage loving hearts, the goddess protected her family members.

Aphrodite gave beauty to the Coronides, the two daughters of Orion, after the death of their mother. She also took care of the orphaned daughter of Pandareus, the favorite of Demeter, who tried to rob the temple of Zeus on Crete and was turned to stone by the gods.

His daughters, Cleodora and Merope, who also grew up without a mother, received the protection of Aphrodite, who raised and cared for them.

However, when asking for a happy marriage for the girls, they were overcome by the Furies.

Adonis

One day, when Aphrodite and her son Eros were hugging, one of Eros' arrows wounded her.

Aphrodite thought there was nothing dangerous about it. But when she saw a mortal youth named Adonis, she fell in love with him. However, Persephone also loved him. There was a dispute between the goddesses, and Zeus found a solution.

Adonis spends a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third with Persephone, and another third with the one he chooses. Adonis was later mortally wounded by a wild boar, which was sent by Apollo out of revenge for Aphrodite, who blinded his son, Erymanthus.

Aphrodite bitterly mourns Adonis and turns him into a flower from the genus of anemones, sprinkling him with the nectar of shed blood. Beroe became their common child with Adonis (Aphrodite turned her into the goddess of the city).

Trojan War

It began with the deeds of Aphrodite. This happened when Aphrodite told Paris that she would grant him Helen's true love if he awarded Aphrodite the title of the most beautiful goddess.

Paris chose Aphrodite, which caused a war between the gods. In addition, Helen was already married to the ruler of Sparta. Paris and Helen fell in love and their forbidden affair led to war between the Trojans and the Greeks.

Marriage to Hephaestus

According to the mythological version of the story of Aphrodite, due to the goddess's unmatched beauty, Zeus was afraid that the other gods would start fighting and arguing with each other. To avoid this, he forced Aphrodite to marry the blacksmith Hephaestus, who was lame and ugly.

According to another version of the story, Hera (Hephaestus’s mother) threw the child from Mount Olympus, believing that ugly people should not live with the gods. He took revenge on his mother by creating a throne of heavenly beauty that captured her. In exchange for his release, Hephaestus asked the gods of Olympus for the hand of Aphrodite.

Hephaestus successfully married the goddess of beauty and forged her with his beautiful jewelry, including the cestus, a golden belt that made her more irresistible to men. Aphrodite's dissatisfaction with this arranged marriage leads her to seek suitable lovers, most often Ares.

According to legend, one day the sun god Helios noticed Ares and Aphrodite secretly enjoying each other in the house of Hephaestus, and quickly informed the Olympian husband of Aphrodite about this.

Hephaestus wanted to catch the illicit lovers and therefore made a special thin and durable network of diamonds. At the right moment, this net was thrown over Aphrodite, who froze in a passionate embrace. But Hephaestus was not satisfied with his revenge - he invited the gods and goddesses of Olympus to see the unhappy couple.

Some commented on Aphrodite's beauty, others eagerly expressed their wish to be in Ares' shoes, but everyone mocked and laughed at them. Once the embarrassed couple were freed, Ares fled to his homeland of Thrace, while Aphrodite retired to Paphos in Cyprus.

After the destruction of Troy, Aphrodite asked her son, Aeneas, to take his father and wife and leave Troy. Aeneas did as his mother told him and traveled across the Mediterranean to reach the Italian peninsula, where his descendants built Rome.

This is stated in Virgil's epic poem "Aeneid", which became a pinnacle in Latin literature.
In Roman epic, Venus (in the Greek version Aphrodite) is now considered the guardian goddess of Rome. One myth tells how when Juno (or Hera) tried to open the doors of Rome to an invading army, Venus sought to thwart her plans with a flood.

Lovers

The most important names associated with the love affairs of the goddess Aphrodite, like Ares and Adonis, revolve around the story of Aphrodite's main enemy, Hero, who harbors hatred for her.

When Hera found out that Aphrodite was pregnant by Zeus, she sent a curse on her stomach, which is why the child was born deformed - Priapus. But other myths say that Priapus is the son of Dionysus or Adonis.

Aphrodite's other lovers are Hephaestus, Dionysus (with whom she had a brief love affair), Hermes (from whose relationship Hermaphrodite appeared) and Poseidon.

Poseidon had children Rod and Herophilus.

Aphrodite's longest romance was with Ares from the Iliad. They had seven children, the most famous of which are Phobos, Deimos, Harmony and Eros, although most myths depict Aphrodite giving birth to Eros. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was Adonis, who was considered her great love and from whom the children Golgos and Beroya were born, who gave the name to the Lebanese capital.

Anchises, Prince of Troy, was another famous love, and some versions of the myth say that Aphrodite fell in love with him as punishment from Zeus for causing the gods to fall in love with mortal women. With Anchises, Aphrodite had children Aeneas and Lyros, and soon after that her passion for Anchises disappeared.

Other lesser-known mortal lovers include Phaeton from Athens, who took care of the temple of Aphrodite, and as a result of their love affair, Astynous was born.

Butes, one of the Argonauts, was rescued by Aphrodite, who took him to a separate island, where they made love (Erix appeared as a result of this relationship).

There is also Daimon (personification of desire), Aphrodite's constant companion, who was seen in some myths as the daughter of the goddess. However, the authors of this myth do not say who her father is.

Sphere of Control

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, desire, sexuality. Even though she is only the goddess of love and beauty, she is one of the most powerful Olympians because she controls appearance, love and sexual desire.

At the beginning of the formation of Rome, she was considered the goddess of vegetation. The goddess protected gardens and vineyards, but after the Romans became familiar with Greek legends, they realized that she should not be a deity of agriculture. While the Greeks saw Aphrodite as a proud and vain goddess of beauty, the Romans saw her as a supreme deity providing nourishment for her people.

Lusiads

Venus (Aphrodite) is introduced in the poem "The Lusiads" by the writer Luis de Camões, who tells the history of Portugal. The Portuguese patron goddess turns into Venus, who sees in the Portuguese the heirs of the Romans she loved and knew.

Camões was a passionate man who also celebrated love in his lyrics, and this may be why he chose a Roman goddess who felt the need to patronize the Portuguese. Venus asks Jupiter to protect the people she patronizes from the machinations of Dionysus. The King of the Gods agrees and gathers a council of the gods.

Personality and appearance

Aphrodite is a vain goddess, proud of her appearance and despising ugliness. She is arrogant and jealous. Aphrodite is also unfaithful and had relationships with many gods such as Ares, Poseidon, Hermes and Dionysus. She can make anyone fall in love with anyone, and even Zeus with his power is not immune to this. She has enormous power over lust. She is often depicted as a beautiful young woman taking off her clothes.