Aphrodite - Revision history

Irlandos: /* Other names */

2012-02-18T22:30:35Z

Other names

Irlandos at 11:18, August 23, 2006

2006-08-23T11:18:04Z

Irlandos: /* Pygmalion and Galatea */

2006-06-11T15:33:51Z

Pygmalion and Galatea

Irlandos: /* The Judgement of Paris */

2006-06-11T15:33:29Z

The Judgement of Paris

Irlandos: /* Aphrodite and Psyche */

2006-06-11T15:32:49Z

Aphrodite and Psyche

Irlandos: /* Birth */

2005-09-23T11:19:15Z

Birth

Irlandos: /* Worship */

2005-09-23T11:18:58Z

Worship

Irlandos at 11:17, September 23, 2005

2005-09-23T11:17:36Z

New page

'''Aphrodite''' (Αφροδίτη, "risen from sea-foam") is the [[Greek mythology|Greek]] goddess of love and beauty.

== Worship ==

The epithet ''Aphrodite Acidalia'' was occasionally added to her name, after the spring she used to bathe in, located in [[Boeotia]] (Virgil I, 720). She was also called ''Kypris'' or ''Cytherea'' after her alleged birth-places in [[Cyprus]] and [[Cythera]], respectively. The island of Cythera was a center of her cult. She was associated with [[Hesperia]] and frequently accompanied by the [[Oread]]s, [[nymph]]s of the mountains.

Aphrodite had a festival of her own, the Aphrodisia, which was celebrated all over Greece but particularly in [[Athens]] and [[Corinth]]. In Corinth, intercourse with her priestesses was considered a method of worshipping Aphrodite.

Aphrodite was associated with, and often depicted with dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates and lime trees.

Her Roman analogue is [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]]. Her [[Mesopotamia|Mesopotamian]] counterpart was [[Ishtar]] and her Syro-Palestinian counterpart was [[`Ashtart|‘Ashtart]] (in standard Greek spelling ''Astarte''); her [[Etruscan mythology|Etruscan]] equivalent was [[Turan (goddess)|Turan]].

== Birth ==

"Foam-arisen" Aphrodite was born of the sea foam near [[Paphos]], [[Cyprus]] after [[Cronus]] cut off [[Uranus]]' genitals and the elder god's blood and semen dropped on the sea, where they began to foam. Aphrodite was born fully grown out of the foam. Thus Aphrodite is of an older generation than Zeus. ''[[Iliad]]'' (Book V) expresses another version of her origin, by which she was considered a daughter of [[Dione]], who was the original oracular goddess ("Dione" being simply "the goddess," etymologically an equivalent of "[[Artemis]]") at [[Dodona]]. In Homer, Aphrodite, venturing into battle to protect her favorite Aeneas, has been wounded by Diomedes and returns to her mother, to sink down at her knee and be comforted. "Dione" seems to be an equivalent of [[Rhea]], the Earth Mother, whom Homer has relocated to Olympus. After this story, Aphrodite herself was sometimes referred to as "Dione". Once [[Zeus]] had usurped the oak-grove oracle at Dodona, some poets made him out to be the father of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite's chief center of worship remained at Paphos, on the south-western coast of Cyprus. It is said that she first tentatively came ashore at [[Cytherea]], a stopping place for trade and culture between [[Crete]] and the [[Peloponesus]]. Thus perhaps we have hints of the track of Aphrodite's original cult from the Levant to mainland Greece.

[[Plato]] considered that Aphrodite had two manifestations, reflecting both stories, Aphrodite Ourania ("heavenly" Aphrodite), and Aphrodite Pandemos ("Common" Aphrodite).

Alternatively, Aphrodite was a daughter of [[Thalassa]] (for she was born of the Sea) and [[Zeus]].

== Adulthood ==
Aphrodite, in many of the myths involving her, is characterized as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended. Though she is one of the few gods of the [[List of Greek mythological characters|Greek Pantheon]] to be actually married, she is frequently unfaithful to her husband. [[Hephaestus]], of course, is one of the most even-tempered of the Hellenic deities; Aphrodite seems to prefer [[Ares]], the volatile god of war. In [[Homer]]'s [[Iliad]] she surges into battle to save her son, but abandons him (in fact, drops him as she flies through the air) when she herself is hurt (Ares does much the same thing). And she is the original cause of the [[Trojan War]] itself: not only did she start the whole affair by offering [[Helen of Troy]] to [[Paris]], but the abduction was accomplished when Paris, seeing Helen for the first time, was inflamed with desire to have her—which is Aphrodite's realm. Her domain may involve love, but it does not involve romance; rather, it tends more towards lust, the human irrational longing.

=== Marriage with Hephaestus ===
Due to her immense beauty, Zeus was frightened she would be the cause of violence between the other gods. He married her off to [[Hephaestus]], the dour, humorless god of smithing. Hephaestus was overjoyed at being married to the goddess of beauty and forged her beautiful jewellery, including the cestus, a girdle that made her even more irresistible to men. Her unhappiness with her marriage caused Aphrodite to seek out companionship from others, most frequently [[Ares]], but also [[Adonis]], [[Anchises]] and more. Hephaestus once cleverly caught Ares and Aphrodite in bed with a net, and brought all the other Olympian gods together to mock them. Hephaestus would not free them until they promised to end their affair, but both escaped as soon as the net was lifted and their promise was not kept.

=== Aphrodite and Psyche ===
Aphrodite was jealous of the beauty of a mortal woman named [[Psyche]]. She asked [[Eros]] to use his golden arrows to cause Psyche to fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. Eros agreed but then fell in love with Psyche on his own, or by accidentally pricking himself with a golden arrow. Meanwhile, Psyche's parents were anxious that their daughter remained unmarried. They consulted an [[oracle]] who told them she was destined for no mortal lover, but a monster who lived on top of a particular mountain. Psyche was resigned to her fate and climbed to the top of the mountain. There, [[Zephyrus]], the west wind, gently floated her downwards. She entered a cave on the appointed mountain, surprised to find it full of jewellery and finery. Eros visited her every night in the cave and they made love; he demanded only that she never light any lamps because he did not want her to know who he was (having wings made him distinctive). Her two sisters, jealous of Psyche, convinced her to do so one night and she lit a lamp, recognizing him instantly. A drop of hot lamp oil fell on Eros' chest and he awoke, then fled.

When Psyche told her two jealous elder sisters what had happened; they rejoiced secretly and each separately walked to the top of the mountain and did as Psyche described her entry to the cave, hoping Eros would pick them instead. Zephyrus did not pick them and they fell to their deaths at the base of the mountain.

Psyche searched for her lover across much of Greece, finally stumbling into a temple to [[Demeter]], where the floor was covered with piles of mixed grains. She started sorting the grains into organized piles and, when she finished, Demeter spoke to her, telling her that the best way to find Eros was to find his mother, Aphrodite, and earn her blessing. Psyche found a temple to Aphrodite and entered it. Aphrodite assigned her a similar task to Demeter's temple, but gave her an impossible deadline to finish it by. Eros intervened, for he still loved her, and caused some ants to organize the grains for her. Aphrodite was outraged at her success and told her to go to a field where golden sheep grazed and get some golden wool. Psyche went to the field and saw the sheep but was stopped by a river-god, whose river she had to cross to enter the field. He told her the sheep were mean and vicious and would kill her, but if she waited until noontime, the sheep would go the shade on the other side of the field and sleep; she could pick the wool that stuck to the branches and bark of the trees. Psyche did so and Aphrodite was even more outraged at her survival and success. Finally, Aphrodite claimed that the stress of caring for her son, depressed and ill as a result of Psyche's unfaithfulness, had caused her to lose some of her beauty. Psyche was to go to [[Hades]] and ask [[Persephone]], the queen of the underworld, for a bit of her beauty in a black box that Aphrodite gave to Psyche. Psyche walked to a tower, deciding that the quickest way to the underworld would be to die. A voice stopped her at the last moment and told her a route that would allow her to enter and return still living, as well as telling her how to pass [[Cerberus]], [[Charon (mythology)|Charon]] and the other dangers of the route. She pacified Cerberus, the three-headed dog, with a sweet honey-cake and paid Charon an obolus to take her into Hades. Once there, Persephone offered her a feast but Psyche refused, knowing it would keep her in the underworld forever.

Psyche left the underworld and decided to open the box and take a little bit of the beauty for herself. Inside was a "Stygian sleep" which overtook her. Eros, who had forgiven her, flew to her body and healed her, then begged Zeus and Aphrodite for their consent to his wedding of Psyche. They agreed and Zeus made her immortal. Aphrodite danced at the wedding of Eros and Psyche and their subsequent child was named (in the Roman mythology) [[Volupta]].

=== Adonis ===
Aphrodite was [[Adonis]]' lover and had a part in his birth. She urged [[Myrrha]] or Smyrna to commit [[incest]] with her father, [[Theias]], the King of [[Assyria]]. Another version says Myrrha's father was [[Cinyras]] of [[Cyprus]]. Myrrha's nurse helped with the scheme. When Theias discovered this, he flew into a rage, chasing his daughter with a knife. The gods turned her into a [[myrrh]] tree and Adonis eventually sprang from this tree. Alternatively, Aphrodite turned her into a tree and Adonis was born when Theias shot the tree with an arrow or when a boar used its tusks to tear the tree's bark off.

Once Adonis was born, Aphrodite took him under her wing, seducing him with the help of [[Helene (mythology)|Helene]], her friend, and was entranced by his unearthly beauty. She gave him to [[Persephone]] to watch over, but Persephone was also amazed at his beauty and refused to give him back. The argument between the two goddesses was settled either by [[Zeus]] or [[Calliope]], with Adonis spending four months with Aphrodite, four months with Persephone and four months of the years with whomever he chose. He always chose Aphrodite because Persephone was the cold, unfeeling goddess of the underworld.

Adonis was eventually killed by a jealous [[Ares]]. Aphrodite was warned of this jealousy and was told that Adonis would be killed by a bull that Ares transformed into. She tried to persuade Adonis to stay with her at all times, but his love of hunting was his downfall. While Adonis was hunting, Ares found him and gored him to death. Aphrodite arrived just in time to hear his last breath.

=== The Judgement of Paris ===
The gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of [[Peleus]] and [[Thetis]] (the eventual parents of [[Achilles]]). Only the goddess [[Eris]] (Discord) was not invited, but she arrived with a golden [[apple]] inscribed with the words "to the most beautiful," which she threw among the goddesses. Aphrodite, [[Hera]], and [[Athena]] all claimed the apple, and the matter was put before [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]], the most handsome mortal. Hera tried to bribe Paris with an earthly kingdom, while Athena offered great military skill, but Aphrodite was judged most beautiful when she offered Paris the most beautiful mortal woman as a wife. This woman was [[Helen]], and her abduction by Paris led to the [[Trojan War]].

=== Pygmalion and Galatea ===
[[Pygmalion (mythology)|Pygmalion]] was a sculptor who had never found a woman worthy of his love. Aphrodite took pity on him and decided to show him the wonders of love. One day, Pygmalion was inspired by a dream of Aphrodite to make a woman out of [[ivory]] resembling her image, and he called her [[Galatea]]. He fell in love with the statue and decided he could not live without her. He prayed to Aphrodite, who carried out the final phase of her plan and brought the exquisite sculpture to life. Pygmalion loved Galatea and they were soon married.

=== Other Stories ===
In one version of the story of [[Hippolytus (mythology)|Hippolytus]], Aphrodite was the catalyst for his death. He scorned the worship of Aphrodite for [[Artemis]] and, in revenge, Aphrodite caused his step-mother, [[Phaedra]], to fall in love with him, knowing Hippolytus would reject her. In the most popular version of the story, Phaedra seeks revenge against Hippolytus by killing herself and, in her [[suicide note]], telling [[Theseus]], her husband and Hippolytus' father, that Hippolytus had raped her. Theseus then murdered his own son before Artemis told him the truth.

King [[Glaucus]] of Corinth angered Aphrodite and she made her horses angry during the funeral games of King [[Pelias]]. They tore him apart. His ghost supposedly frightened horses during the [[Isthmian Games]].

Aphrodite was often accompanied by the [[Charites]].

In book III of [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]'', Aphrodite saves [[Paris]] when he is about to be killed by [[Menelaos]].

Aphrodite was very protective of her son, Aeneas, who fought in the [[Trojan War]]. [[Diomedes]] almost killed Aeneas in battle but Aphrodite saved him. Diomedes wounded Aphrodite and she dropped her son, fleeing to [[Mt. Olympus]]. Aeneas was then enveloped in a cloud by [[Artemis]], who took him to [[Pergamos (Troy)|Pergamos]], a sacred spot in [[Troy]]. [[Apollo]] healed Aeneas there.

She turned [[Abas]] to stone for his pride.

She turned [[Anaxarete]] to stone for reacting so dispassionately to [[Iphis]]' pleas to love him, even after his suicide.

Aphrodite helps [[Hippomenes]] to win a footrace against [[Atalanta]] to win Atalanta's hand in marriage, giving him three golden apples to distract her with. However, when the couple fails to thank Aphrodite, she has them turned into lions.

==Aphrodite in Neopaganism==
In many modern [[Neopaganism|Neopagan]] [[sect]]s, particularly [[New Age]] ''Hellenistic'' sects in the [[United States]], Aphrodite takes on the role of the goddess of passion. Not all passion Aphrodite inspires is lustful, much of it is believed to take the form of artistic passion and even passion in argument. Worship of Aphrodite is uncommon and is typically held by individual writers and artist. How she is worshipped often depends on what other gods a sect includes. For example, sects that worship [[Hera]] and/or [[Themis]] may include worship of Aphrodite, but encourage monogamy and stress her role in committed relationships and marriage. Sects that worship [[Dionysus]] and Aphrodite may be entirely hedonistic and include orgiastic rituals (such sects are often considered cults even by Neopagan standards). As such worship of Aphrodite varies between sects.

==Consorts and children==
* Deities
** [[Ares]]
*** [[Anteros]]
*** [[Eros (god)|Eros]]
*** [[Harmonia]]
*** [[Himeros]]
***[[Deimos (mythology)|Deimos]]
***[[Phobos (mythology)|Phobos]]
** [[Dionysus]]
*** [[Charites]]
**** [[Aglaea]]
**** [[Euphrosyne]]
**** [[Thalia]]
*** [[Hymenaios]]
*** [[Priapus]]
** [[Hephaestus]]
** [[Hermes]]
*** [[Eunomia]]
*** [[Hermaphroditus]]
*** [[Peitho]]
*** [[Rhodos]]
*** [[Tyche]]
* Mortals
** [[Adonis]]
** [[Anchises]]
*** [[Aeneas]]
** [[Butes]]
*** [[Eryx]]

==Other names==
*''Acidalia''
*''Anadyomene'' - the emerging as in ''Aphrodite Anadyomene'', a painting by [[Apelles]]
*''Cytherea''
*''Despina''
*''Kypris''

[[Category:Greek goddesses]]
[[Category:Love and lust goddesses]]
[[Category:Characters in the Iliad]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:30, February 18, 2012
Line 110:		Line 110:

	[[Category:Greek goddesses]]		[[Category:Greek goddesses]]
−	~~[[Category:Love and lust goddesses]]~~
	[[Category:Characters in the Iliad]]		[[Category:Characters in the Iliad]]

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 Aphrodite was associated with, and often depicted with dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates and lime trees.
-Her Roman analogue is [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]].  Her [[Mesopotamia|Mesopotamian]] counterpart was [[Ishtar]] and her Syro-Palestinian counterpart was [[`Ashtart|&#8216;Ashtart]] (in standard Greek spelling ''Astarte''); her [[Etruscan mythology|Etruscan]] equivalent was [[Turan (goddess)|Turan]].
+Her Roman analogue is Venus.  Her Mesopotamian counterpart was Ishtar and her Syro-Palestinian counterpart was Astarte.
 == Birth ==

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 ** [[Ares]]
 *** [[Anteros]]
-*** [[Eros (god)|Eros]]
+*** [[Eros]]
 *** [[Harmonia]]
 *** [[Himeros]]
-***[[Deimos (mythology)|Deimos]]
+***[[Deimos]]
-***[[Phobos (mythology)|Phobos]]
+***[[Phobos]]
 ** [[Dionysus]]
 *** [[Charites]]

@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 === Pygmalion and Galatea ===
-[[Pygmalion (mythology)|Pygmalion]] was a sculptor who had never found a woman worthy of his love.  Aphrodite took pity on him and decided to show him the wonders of love. One day, Pygmalion was inspired by a dream of Aphrodite to make a woman out of [[ivory]] resembling her image, and he called her [[Galatea]]. He fell in love with the statue and decided he could not live without her. He prayed to Aphrodite, who carried out the final phase of her plan and brought the exquisite sculpture to life. Pygmalion loved Galatea and they were soon married.
+[[Pygmalion (mythology)|Pygmalion]] was a sculptor who had never found a woman worthy of his love.  Aphrodite took pity on him and decided to show him the wonders of love. One day, Pygmalion was inspired by a dream of Aphrodite to make a woman out of ivory resembling her image, and he called her [[Galatea]]. He fell in love with the statue and decided he could not live without her. He prayed to Aphrodite, who carried out the final phase of her plan and brought the exquisite sculpture to life. Pygmalion loved Galatea and they were soon married.
 === Other Stories ===

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 === The Judgement of Paris ===
-The gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of [[Peleus]] and [[Thetis]] (the eventual parents of [[Achilles]]). Only the goddess [[Eris]] (Discord) was not invited, but she arrived with a golden [[apple]] inscribed with the words "to the most beautiful," which she threw among the goddesses. Aphrodite, [[Hera]], and [[Athena]] all claimed the apple, and the matter was put before [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]], the most handsome mortal. Hera tried to bribe Paris with an earthly kingdom, while Athena offered great military skill, but Aphrodite was judged most beautiful when she offered Paris the most beautiful mortal woman as a wife. This woman was [[Helen]], and her abduction by Paris led to the [[Trojan War]].
+The gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of [[Peleus]] and [[Thetis]] (the eventual parents of [[Achilles]]). Only the goddess [[Eris]] (Discord) was not invited, but she arrived with a golden apple inscribed with the words "to the most beautiful," which she threw among the goddesses. Aphrodite, [[Hera]], and [[Athena]] all claimed the apple, and the matter was put before [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]], the most handsome mortal. Hera tried to bribe Paris with an earthly kingdom, while Athena offered great military skill, but Aphrodite was judged most beautiful when she offered Paris the most beautiful mortal woman as a wife. This woman was [[Helen]], and her abduction by Paris led to the [[Trojan War]].
 === Pygmalion and Galatea ===

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 When Psyche told her two jealous elder sisters what had happened; they rejoiced secretly and each separately walked to the top of the mountain and did as Psyche described her entry to the cave, hoping Eros would pick them instead.  Zephyrus did not pick them and they fell to their deaths at the base of the mountain.
-Psyche searched for her lover across much of Greece, finally stumbling into a temple to [[Demeter]], where the floor was covered with piles of mixed grains. She started sorting the grains into organized piles and, when she finished, Demeter spoke to her, telling her that the best way to find Eros was to find his mother, Aphrodite, and earn her blessing. Psyche found a temple to Aphrodite and entered it. Aphrodite assigned her a similar task to Demeter's temple, but gave her an impossible deadline to finish it by. Eros intervened, for he still loved her, and caused some ants to organize the grains for her. Aphrodite was outraged at her success and told her to go to a field where golden sheep grazed and get some golden wool. Psyche went to the field and saw the sheep but was stopped by a river-god, whose river she had to cross to enter the field.  He told her the sheep were mean and vicious and would kill her, but if she waited until noontime, the sheep would go the shade on the other side of the field and sleep; she could pick the wool that stuck to the branches and bark of the trees.  Psyche did so and Aphrodite was even more outraged at her survival and success. Finally, Aphrodite claimed that the stress of caring for her son, depressed and ill as a result of Psyche's unfaithfulness, had caused her to lose some of her beauty.  Psyche was to go to [[Hades]] and ask [[Persephone]], the queen of the underworld, for a bit of her beauty in a black box that Aphrodite gave to Psyche. Psyche walked to a tower, deciding that the quickest way to the underworld would be to die.  A voice stopped her at the last moment and told her a route that would allow her to enter and return still living, as well as telling her how to pass [[Cerberus]], [[Charon (mythology)|Charon]] and the other dangers of the route.  She pacified Cerberus, the three-headed dog, with a sweet honey-cake and paid Charon an obolus to take her into Hades. Once there, Persephone offered her a feast but Psyche refused, knowing it would keep her in the underworld forever.
+Psyche searched for her lover across much of Greece, finally stumbling into a temple to [[Demeter]], where the floor was covered with piles of mixed grains. She started sorting the grains into organized piles and, when she finished, Demeter spoke to her, telling her that the best way to find Eros was to find his mother, Aphrodite, and earn her blessing. Psyche found a temple to Aphrodite and entered it. Aphrodite assigned her a similar task to Demeter's temple, but gave her an impossible deadline to finish it by. Eros intervened, for he still loved her, and caused some ants to organize the grains for her. Aphrodite was outraged at her success and told her to go to a field where golden sheep grazed and get some golden wool. Psyche went to the field and saw the sheep but was stopped by a river-god, whose river she had to cross to enter the field.  He told her the sheep were mean and vicious and would kill her, but if she waited until noontime, the sheep would go the shade on the other side of the field and sleep; she could pick the wool that stuck to the branches and bark of the trees.  Psyche did so and Aphrodite was even more outraged at her survival and success. Finally, Aphrodite claimed that the stress of caring for her son, depressed and ill as a result of Psyche's unfaithfulness, had caused her to lose some of her beauty.  Psyche was to go to [[Hades]] and ask [[Persephone]], the queen of the underworld, for a bit of her beauty in a black box that Aphrodite gave to Psyche. Psyche walked to a tower, deciding that the quickest way to the underworld would be to die.  A voice stopped her at the last moment and told her a route that would allow her to enter and return still living, as well as telling her how to pass [[Cerberus]], [[Charon]] and the other dangers of the route.  She pacified Cerberus, the three-headed dog, with a sweet honey-cake and paid Charon an obolus to take her into Hades. Once there, Persephone offered her a feast but Psyche refused, knowing it would keep her in the underworld forever.
 Psyche left the underworld and decided to open the box and take a little bit of the beauty for herself. Inside was a "Stygian sleep" which overtook her.  Eros, who had forgiven her, flew to her body and healed her, then begged Zeus and Aphrodite for their consent to his wedding of Psyche. They agreed and Zeus made her immortal. Aphrodite danced at the wedding of Eros and Psyche and their subsequent child was named (in the Roman mythology) [[Volupta]].

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 "Foam-arisen" Aphrodite was born of the sea foam near [[Paphos]], [[Cyprus]] after [[Cronus]] cut off [[Uranus]]' genitals and the elder god's blood and semen dropped on the sea, where they began to foam. Aphrodite was born fully grown out of the foam.  Thus Aphrodite is of an older generation than Zeus. ''[[Iliad]]'' (Book V) expresses another version of her origin, by which she was considered a daughter of [[Dione]], who was the original oracular goddess ("Dione" being simply "the goddess," etymologically an equivalent of "[[Artemis]]") at [[Dodona]]. In Homer, Aphrodite, venturing into battle to protect her favorite Aeneas, has been wounded by Diomedes and returns to her mother, to sink down at her knee and be comforted.  "Dione" seems to be an equivalent of [[Rhea]], the Earth Mother, whom Homer has relocated to Olympus. After this story, Aphrodite herself was sometimes referred to as "Dione". Once [[Zeus]] had usurped the oak-grove oracle at Dodona, some poets made him out to be the father of Aphrodite.
-Aphrodite's chief center of worship remained at Paphos, on the south-western coast of Cyprus.  It is said that she first tentatively came ashore at [[Cytherea]], a stopping place for trade and culture between [[Crete]] and the [[Peloponesus]].  Thus perhaps we have hints of the track of Aphrodite's original cult from the Levant to mainland Greece.
+Aphrodite's chief center of worship remained at Paphos, on the south-western coast of Cyprus.  It is said that she first tentatively came ashore at [[Cytherea]], a stopping place for trade and culture between [[Crete]] and the [[Peloponnesus]].  Thus perhaps we have hints of the track of Aphrodite's original cult from the Levant to mainland Greece.
 [[Plato]] considered that Aphrodite had two manifestations, reflecting both stories, Aphrodite Ourania ("heavenly" Aphrodite), and Aphrodite Pandemos ("Common" Aphrodite).