Aphrodite

The Cyprian

Aphrodite is the irresistible goddess of love and beauty. Though married to Hephaestus, she had many lovers, most notably Ares. She has the power to make anyone fall in love, a power that even Zeus cannot resist.

Birth from Foam

She was born from the white foam (aphros) produced by the severed genitals of Uranus when they were thrown into the sea. She washed ashore on Cyprus (or Cythera), where she was attended by the Seasons.

Desire As Social Force

Greek myth uses Aphrodite to explain far more than romance. She drives political alliances, humiliations, marriages, rivalries, and catastrophic choices, which is why she stands near the center of stories like the Judgment of Paris and the Trojan cycle. Her sphere is desire as a civilizing and destabilizing power at the same time.