Feminist Approach to the Birth of Aphrodite: Analytical Essay

Hesiod’s Theogony was a poem based on Greek gods’ lives and how they came about. It focused on their traditions, who they married, how they birthed their off-springs and what kind of rituals they followed as gods to survive and appease the world they lived in. It begins with the invocation to the muses and ends with Zeus in power, in this essay I am going to interpret one section of Hesiod’s Theogony by applying a modern interpretive approach

The birth of Aphrodite through a feminist approach

Aphrodite’s birth was seen as a symbol of love, the discovery of sexuality and beauty in the Greek world and she was the anchor between the love of mortal humans and gods. Genitals of Uranus were cut off and thrown into the sea which led to the creation of Aphrodite born as a full-grown woman in the waters of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus.

A feminist approach to the birth of Aphrodite will conclude that she was a goddess used to elucidate how a woman can use emotions and their physical features to get what they want from men. They approach myths to get a better understanding of the relation of the goddesses to men, and women and the traditions people around them develop in response to worshipping them. Aphrodite’s love for the organ of sex, from which she made her epiphany would have been seen as the sole reason women of this age participate in sexual activities, she embodied sexuality and femininity by embracing her given nature by being nude in front of people but mostly men which is part of her essence as she was born nude after she was made.

Her birth amongst the Greek gods and humans conjures a newfound revelation of a woman emerging having qualities that men and women desire and that she as a goddess was full of deception, smiles and sexual pleasure because of being born from strife. These qualities are channelled through her because of her father’s action of suppressing and denying Gaea from giving birth, in a way he was destroying the feminine principle but his action led to his daughter embodying femininity and embracing it.

Aphrodite’s nature of sexuality and beauty give her utmost power as a woman, she is able to lure men to do what she pleases but even though her honoured functions of virginal sweet talk, lovers’ smiles deceits she still longs to be courted and loved just like an ordinary woman of this century desires. Physical attributes and manners might give a woman a higher up status just like Aphrodite but tender love and being cared for is what women long for.

Aphrodite’s presence in the Greek kingdom was of profound significance as women found their true nature through her. She represented everything women were not allowed to be and to do during those times and that is why she held such a high status in the eyes of the young and old. The goddess was an important figure as statures of her naked body were enacted by her worshippers to show her and the representation of the feminine side and beauty of a woman. Since women’s lives were dictated in ancient Greek times Aphrodite’s emergence brought newfound freedom to women and their status in the kingdom.

Hesiod depicts Aphrodite as a vile woman, a woman created out of the misery of a man, his theogony makes women seem inferior to men and always having ulterior motives against men and out to do no good as females which is seen on one section called ‘Pandora’. That is why on this section he makes Aphrodite seem like a woman out to destroy men with her honoured functions as he calls them and more destructive that the Titans. He fails to understand the true nature of Aphrodite stands on as a woman and her femininity and empowerment to women in the kingdom, he saw Aphrodite’s seductive nature as a crime bestowed upon men at that time to lead them into temptation and for her to gain more power

The goddess broke patriarchy rules that women had been subjected to during those times which is why many followed and did rituals for her, she was not the obedient and subject to your man type of woman this gave many hope that the position of women in their society was about to change. She was able to go wherever she desired, be involved with whoever she wanted and express whatever she felt like expressing at that time. She enjoys life as it is presented to her while fulfilling her desires as a woman.

Aphrodite’s nature had given women of that generation and this generation the courage throughout the years to embrace their femininity and to be able to stand up for themselves as females. The virginal sweet talks, lover’s smiles and deceits have worked well in their favours as their able to achieve many of the things they weren’t able to do before her. She cut up binary male and female roles that existed during that time, females could finally relate to a woman who represented power and equality.

It is said that she was involved with warfare and politics and helped may sea travellers to travel safely to their destination. Her involvement in such matters that were only connected to men might have raised eyebrows but her dedication as a woman was greatly appreciated by her followers through rituals and statues. Hesiod’s interpretation of Aphrodite stems from his misogynistic mind that a woman’s role in life was to create havoc among society he does not provide anything good that comes out of the birth of Aphrodite or any goddess compared to the male gods.

While male god were awarded the luxuries of life, and allowed to bed and wed females they wanted, females were not allowed the pleasure of discovering their sexual preferences or making choices in fear of being disowned by their fathers or sold as slaves. Male gods were praised and worshipped more than women while the woman had to kneel before their feet. Aphrodite’s emergence brought about a whole new cycle of women’s power and embracing your desires

In conclusion, the birth of Aphrodite played a significant role in ancient Greek times by allowing and giving women a chance to play a bigger role in society. She gave women a chance to discover themselves as sexual beautiful beings and for them to stand up as females. She defied patriarchy rules set before women and became a goddess many looked up to despite what her flaws were.

Symbolism of Aphrodite in Western Culture: Opinion Essay

Aphrodite

Aphrodite, the Greek goddess is the epitome of sexual love, beauty, pleasure, and passion. These female qualities are as relevant today as they were in Ancient Greece, and we see her as a symbol of female beauty which is to be appreciated. Her symbolism figures in western culture; in literature, we use the word aphrodisiac as something which arouses or intensifies sexual des. There are clear links between the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the Roman equivalent Venus, both influence western art, for example through Andy Warhol’s Details of Renaissance Paintings (Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus 1482) 1984. The screen print gives the original image a mechanical effect giving a different and modern perspective. (Gains W.V 2000) Warhol was fascinated by fame and stardom and so styled the Birth of Venus in his own unique way for the masses to appreciate. The intention being to challenge and influence individual attitudes to modern pop culture.

A Warhol details of a renaissance here and note as Figure X

Aphrodite’s birth presents an array of variants; one of these works is from the poet Hesiod and his work on Theogony. It demonstrates an understanding of the birth of the gods, the creation of their world, and the creation of humankind. (Bremmer & Erskine, 2010). This variation comes from line 188 of the Theogony, the castration of the god Uranus (the Greek word for sky) (Hesiod, 700 BC). Aphrodite was born from the severed male reproductive parts of Uranus which were disposed of in the sea by his son, Cronus. He carried out this act as his mother, Gaia was frustrated with her dead children being reinterred into her by Uranus. From these severed members a young maiden arises, froth forms, and out of this comes Aphrodite. The Greek word Aphros literally translates from the Greek word “foam”. This demonstrates a clear link to Aphrodite as she arose from the foam on the genitals of Uranus. reference needed. Dr P Nugent

Painting of Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus 1482

The visual representation of this scene is the emergence of Venus from the sea of foam. Botticelli named the young maiden Venus, however, we know Greek Culture preceded Roman Culture so it is not unreasonable to see the interchange of the names of Venus and Aphrodite. This interchange is supported in the works attributed to the Goddess Aphrodite. For example, Aphrodite of Knidos and the Venus de Milo sculptures were almost interchangeable as they were originally attributed to the master sculpture, Praxiteles.

The depiction, created by Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus is one of the most famous pieces of art in the world due to its alluring form. It represents love coming to the world, however, we generally relate love and beauty to Aphrodite (Cyrino, 2010). The contrast of the background to Venus’s pale skin accentuates her pallor; a noteworthy feature as white skin was a symbol of the upper class and signified beauty. This painting shows the reverence with which this renaissance piece was painted this is in stark contrast to the treatment of women in Ancient Greece. The delineation of Aphrodite is better than the treatment that women would receive in Ancient Greece. In this representation, Venus wears her hair in the late fifteenth-century style which reflected Botticelli’s interest at the time. It demonstrates some progress in the rights of women from Ancient Greece. He implements nuances from this period, so introducing new themes based on classical myth. Venus’s milky form against the dark background also lends a marble-like appearance to her body, connecting her to the sculpture of Aphrodite, Aphrodite of Knidos being the original form. This point is further amplified by Winckelmann in 2019 who observed ‘The whiter the body is, the more beautiful it is as well’ (Winckelmann, 2019)

Aphrodite was also known to be independent, deceitful, manipulative as well as sensual and promiscuous. She had numerous affairs which were in stark contrast to the perceived role and function of a Goddess. With her divinity over love and lust, she made God’s consort with mortal women this trickery did not go unpunished, Zeus who had ultimate power over love and desire cast a spell of desire on Aphrodite thus proving that Aphrodite did not exclusively have control of love and lust. This ultimately proved that her father had dominance over his daughter and was willing to implement this. Her behavior reinforced the question we have of; how could men believe in women if their own deity could not conform to the pre-established laws or societal rules. This encouraged forced seclusion and maltreatment of women as men would create a pseudo sphere within the domestic environment. (Meehan D. 2017) In some cultures, this continues to this day; where we see traditional domestic roles being completed by women.

Hephaestus and Aphrodite

Zeus and Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. Hera rejected him, casting him to the earth, as she was ashamed to give birth to a cripple. Rescued and raised to be a master smith by Thetis and Eurynome, he used these talents to create an array of gifts which he sent to Olympus. One of which was the golden throne for his mother Hera (Smith, 2010). Hera, over-enthused by her splendid gift, sat upon the throne when invisible unbreakable chains bound her. She cried out to the other Olympian gods to free her but not one was capable of doing so (31). Emily can you find a primary research source and others :). This represents the issue of abandonment.

It became clear that the only one who could free her was the creator of such an intricate trap, Hephaestus (31) source?. Zeus petitioned the gods to free Hera demonstrating man’s power over women by offering up Aphrodite’s hand in marriage as a prize to anyone who was able to do so. Confident that her beloved Ares, God of War who she had been consorting with would prevail, Aphrodite accepted the terms. Ares was driven back by the Hephaestus, God of Fire, Smiths, Craftsmen, Metalwork, and Stonemasonry with a shower of flaming metal and failed the challenge (31). However, Dionysus put forward an interesting proposition to Hephaestus; that he may lay claim to Aphrodite by freeing his mother. 116 Hephaestus consented and ascended to heaven with Dionysus, released his mother, and then wedded the beautiful Aphrodite. 116 Aphrodite later committed adultery with Ares and was caught in the act by Hephaestus; this led to the banishment of Ares from Olympus. 117 It indicates Aphrodite was a possession, she was the most desirable goddess in all of Olympus. Her beauty defied all, and in doing so encouraged many to take the challenge to rescue Hera.

Pygmalion

In this myth, Pygmalion was a master sculptor of Cyprus. He followed and observed prostitutes stating that he would never fall in love with women but instead would use his talents to create a woman out of ivory (11). Pygmalion worked so long with the statue of Galatea, as time progressed it became more beautiful than any other statue or in fact any woman. With each chisel and hammer, he found the strokes that he was applying were those of affection and adorned her with gifts: he had shown his adamant distaste for females who wasted their lives in wretched shame, yet fell in love with his own creation (12). This symbolizes his contentment with loneliness which was only achieved through a warped sense of reality. This can be proven through the adornment of Galatea with inanimate objects, jewelry, flowers, and shells. When Aphrodite’s festival day came he left offerings at her altar – he did not admit his feelings for the Galatea but asked in Ovid’s poem “Give me the likeness of my Ivory Maid”. Upon his return from the altar, he kissed the statue and it turned into a woman. The goddess had granted his gift, this further consolidates her infinity for love. Aphrodite blew life into the statue and the relationship, clearly, there was more to Aphrodite than the deceitful nature we have seen. It establishes there is more to a woman than that depicted by Greek teachings; of male lust and how women are impeded by the sexualized nature that males place upon them.

Aphrodite of Knidos

The original Aphrodite of Knidos sculpture represents the first completed sculpture of a nude female form. It is a pivotal point from which we can rank all other statues; early 19th-century art historians suggested a sequence of developments where Aphrodite became progressively undressed. We see a young male perform acts of carnal pleasures towards this marble statue symbolizing the relationship between Greek society and women. Establishing men’s behavior towards women, where they are seen to take without consent. Women were viewed as manipulative and deceitful receiving oppressive treatment and enforced seclusion as a result. Meehan D. 2017

The ages have taken many sculptures as their victims through the advancement of time. Aphrodite in the nude is the most prominent, these sculptures represent Western Culture in the modern day. Showing the values which the West has always perceived to be important (Beard & Henderson, 2001, p. 113). Aphrodite embodies beauty, which is held in high esteem in both ancient and modern history. Aphrodite has been loved, however despite her popularity Zeus had the power. She symbolizes wealth and privilege within society along with eternal loveliness and the sublime aesthetics which is shown through the nude sculptures. Aphrodite of Knidos is often attributed as being the first female nude sculpture that is sexualized. Emily & duiness please find the source!!

This sculpture follows centuries of repressed female nudity, the modest pose of Aphrodite commands attention as it invokes feelings of desire and lust in man. Almost encouraging erotic or titillating notions about the female form, the most notable gesture is the right hand covering the female sexual anatomy out of modesty and fear. Her gaze is soft and to the left, as she remains serene in her modesty and declines to engage with the viewer. The entirety of the goddess is gorgeous, this overwhelms the viewer as she is the epitome of harmonious feminine features. The flawless attributes of the cream-white ivory maiden represent purity and also the man’s sexual desire toward the unblemished woman. This is in stark contrast to the sculptures of Atlas and Hercules where the focus is on the male physique, atonements, and accomplishments. Aphrodite instilled in men a need to voluntarily exhibit their protective nature towards women; to fight and protect them. However, it is also disparaging as it was clear men and women were not viewed as equals, and women were considered subordinate. This is dehumanizing and demoralizing and perpetuates future notions of gender inequality.2

Critical Analysis of Euripides’ Hippolytus: Euripides’: Role of Aphrodite

In Euripides’ Hippolytus we observe motifs that have been repeated in other plays (e.g the Bacchae). In the prologue, a god/goddess (in our case Aphrodite) speaks and announces their plan to avenge their honor and to punish the people (or person) who reject their cult.

In some plays (for instance the Bacchae) a god decides to punish the people, who reject their cult or the people who chose to honor another deity, directly either by killing them or driving them insane. In other cases, an Olympian God chooses to punish someone indirectly; making/forcing (probably without their consent) other people (who usually are the closest and dearest to the punished person) to accomplish the deity’s plan, on their behalf. The reason why people are punished by the gods is because they have committed hubris and they behave arrogantly, thus they have to be reminded of their mortality.

Hippolytus

In Euripides’ Hippolytus, Theseus’ son, Hippolytus has taken an oath to serve and honor Artemis (the Goddess of Virginity and the most appropriate Goddess, according to his views and beliefs. l.15-16 Instead, he honors Apollo’s sister Artemis, Zeus’s daughter, thinking her the greatest of deities) , despising and insulting Aphrodite and everything associated to her cult (e.g. marriage, love) (l.13-14 Hippolytus says that I am the worst of deities. He shuns the bed of love and will have nothing to do with marriage). As a result, he must and will be punished by the Goddess. Aphrodite, though, chose to accomplish her revenge plan, using Phaedra (Theseus’ young wife and Hippolytus’s stepmother) as her instrument. Phaedra is a young queen who is concerned a lot about her reputation and honor and because of that, she is the perfect candidate to execute Aphrodite’s plan. This Phaedra is another version of what Euripides had imagined and written as Phaedra. The first one, it was believed, was more brazen and forward and because of her husband’s extramarital affairs, she made sexual proposals to her husband’s son. The second version of Phaedra is the exact opposite of the first. She is depicted as chaste, the representation of female virtue and aidos, a woman who knows very well the conventions of the Greek social life which force women into silence in order to gain glory. The new Phaedra is not a well-born female character who asserts her sexual desire. One could argue that the new Phaedra is almost like Hippolytus, both concerned with aidos, eukleia, and chastity. That is the reason why Aphrodite chose Phaedra to destroy Hippolytus because they are not completely different.

The Goddess made her fall in love with her stepson, an emotion that will drive her to madness-alienating her from her real character. What is striking is that in the play Aphrodite states clearly her plan and course of action and Phaedra becomes aware that she was mad. Phaedra will commit her crimes after she recovered from her insanity and realized what has really happened. Her madness was caused by Aphrodite but because of the heroine’s character, there is a clash between the goddess’ powers and revenge and Phaedra’s moral character. In this play, although we observe Phaedra’s change of identity due to the imposed madness, in the end, she will take revenge not only because Aphrodite made her do it, but because she was exposed and rejected.

Madness’ Origins

The play’s plot and Phaedra’s madness are motivated mainly by Aphrodite’s desire to punish Hippolytus for his beliefs about her. As a Goddess, she is concerned about her eukleia, (and so does her chosen pawn Phaedra) but what matters most to her is that she cannot accept being rejected by a young boy. This rejection made Aphrodite angry and malicious and desires are projected on Phaedra’s character, who will work in parallel with the goddess. The irony is that both women work in parallel and so does Artemis with Hippolytus. The main difference though between the pairs is that Artemis will protect Hippolytus whereas Phaedra is simply used and manipulated by Aphrodite, who does not seem to take into consideration what will happen to Phaedra.

As it was stated earlier, Phaedra is presented as the unwitting victim, a respectable wife and woman, who cares deeply about her reputation and eukleia, and because of her traits, she was coldly chosen by Aphrodite to become her instrument (l.48-49 I do not set such store by her misfortune as not to inflict on my enemies such penalty as will satisfy me) so as to avenge herself. Phaedra is the epitome of the ideals of aidos, modesty, sophrosyne, wifely chastity, and good reputation. When she acknowledges that she is struck by love for Hippolytus, she cannot even say his name out loud without feeling ashamed (l.350-52 Whatever his name is, son of the Amazon -You mean Hippolytus?-Yours are the words, not mine.). A woman with such high sense of shame and aidos (l.244 For I am ashamed of my words) could not even be able to harbor feelings for her stepson- or for any other man apart from her husband. Consequently the beginning of her madness (falling in love with another man, fantasizing of him and his activities and all the things that are associated with him, and expressing the wish to join him has been characterized as madness – as the Nurse said l. 212-14 My child, what are these words of yours? Stop saying such things before the crowd, hurling wild words that are borne on the madness!) was fabricated by Aphrodite and it started as an eroticized/ vengeful madness (l.27-28 his father’s high-born wife Phaedra saw him, and her heart was seized with a dreadful longing: this was my devising), caused by an external force and not by the heroine’s needs or desires. The reason why this is madness is that Phaedra was a very chaste person, highly concerned about her reputation and most importantly she was married and because of Aphrodite’s imposed madness she was struck with love for her step-son.

Fantasies

After having being stricken by eros, and having realized that a deity must have done that to her (l.240-41 I was mad, I fell, and it was the doing of some divinity), she tries to carry herself with dignity. She struggles to resist Aphrodite’s powers and she wants to die rather than live with such shame (l.244 my gaze is turned to shame). What Phaedra has not realized yet, is that she has already surrendered herself to Aphrodite’s wishes, even though she tries to remain chaste. Her fantasies (l. 208-11, Oh, oh! How I long to draw a drink of pure water from a dewy spring and to take my rest lying under the poplar trees and in the uncut meadow!- l.215-222 Take me to the mountain: I mean to go to the wood, to the pine wood, where hounds that kill wild beasts tread, running close after the dappled deer! In heaven’s name, how I want to shout to the hounds and to let fly past my golden hair a javelin of Thessaly, holding in my hand the sharp-tipped lance!) are delusional and by expressing them, she proves that an eroticized madness has conquered her mind. Her words are a sample of involuntarily or induced speech of delirium which was caused by Aphrodite. Phaedra’s fantasies make no sense to the Nurse and the Chorus but to audience and to us the meaning is clear. While she describes her fantasies, the vocabulary that is used contains so many words that refer to intercourse and sexual desires (e.g 199 My limbs are unstrung – the force of eros which makes the limbs feel weak), and that causes pleasure and pain to Phaedra. While we read Phaedra’s fantasies we could easily say that she reminds us of the first version of the female protagonist, the forward and without boundaries woman. This Phaedra seems unknown to us because we know who she was. To the Nurse, this outburst is clearly a sign of madness and a meaningless speech (l.212-14 My child, what are these words of yours? Stop saying such things before the crowd, hurling wild words that are borne on the madness!) but so does Phaedra believe about her condition when she comes to her senses (l.241 I was mad). Analyzing Phaedra’s fantasies we could argue that her madness is driven by her sexual needs and desires. However, I believe that her delirium speech is dictated first and foremost by Aphrodite and then by Phaedra’s real needs.

She knows very well that this kind of madness is more powerful than her judgment (rationality l.240 Where have I wandered from the path of good sense?). This makes her parallelize her speech with passion and her silence with judgment and she finds herself in-between. (l.247-48 For to be right in my mind is grievous pain, while this madness is an ill thing). According to her statement, to be in right judgment is rationality and sophrosyne but remain silent is agony and pain that she cannot stand while she is alive. However, speech is an evil thing because it makes you succumb to your passion. The only solution for her is to perish, abandoning thus rationality, an extreme choice that will make her relieved.

Even though Phaedra knows that she has been possessed by a divine madness (and that her phrenes/wits are now dictated by a goddess) the play’s Chorus try to understand what has caused Phaedra’s illness. With their questions they try to understand the origins of her disease and they wonder whether it was Theseus’ deeds – an indirect mention/contrast to the first version of Hippolytus where Theseus was indeed a philanderer (l.151-54 Or is it your husband […] Does some other women rule his passion, someone in the palace, making secret love to him apart from your bed?), if she received bad news from her homeland, Crete. They start to realize that their queen’s illness is caused by a deity but their guess is not the right one (l.141-142 Has some god, Pan or Hecate, possessed you, dear girl? – l.145-147 Are you being worn down for some fault against Dictynna of the wild beasts, having failed to offer her the holy batter?). The Chorus, even unintentionally, have managed to underline the quality of Phaedra’s character by proving that her marriage is normal and that she honors the Gods, as a proper woman would do. Only the Nurse knows the real person who caused the heroine’s madness after she discovered her secret love for another person (l..438-39 but it is the wrath of the goddess that has descended on you. Are you in love?). Nonetheless, Phaedra tries as much as humanly possible to suppress her emotions and to stop her secret love for Hippolytus from destroying the house.

After Madness

Phaedra’s eroticized madness made her appear as if she were an adulterous wife, having no power and control over her mind and desires. Given the fact that Phaedra was chaste, her mad character and former identity led to a battle and struggle between her interior self and external image in the eyes of the society. Phaedra chooses to die so as to honor the society and the customs that dictate her life, as well as the name and reputation of her children (at this point she reminds us of Medea and her concern about her children and their eukleia). She knows that by protecting her eukleia she protects the good reputation of womankind. As a woman, she is aware of the slander women have to face if they do not exhibit self-control in every aspect of their life (domestic or public).

As it was stated previously her madness consists of many layers. Firstly, her madness was eroticized and dictated by Aphrodite’s wrath but from now on she will start being dominated by her eukleia, and fear of exposure (l.400-402 I was unable to master Cypris, I resolved on death, the best of plans, as no one shall deny). Phaedra is extremely concerned about her fame and reputation like any male hero (e.g Achilles) and she lives by her own modified heroic code. Her resistance is the only obstacle to the fruition of Aphrodite’s plan. She is adamant on remaining silent and keeps torturing herself until her feelings are revealed to Hippolytus, which will lead her to death, so as not to carry such burden on her. It is only normal that she has plenty of changes of mind because Aphrodite tries to bend the heroine’s wits and will. Therefore the female protagonist is somewhere between silence and speech, passion and rationality, love and self-honor. Her judgment has already chosen the path she will follow and she is determined to hide her “sickness” by remaining silent (l.394 to conceal my malady in silence).

The reasons why she chose to remain silent, vary. First of all, she wants to preserve her eukleia (that is her motivation throughout the play). By preserving her eukleia she protects her children and her house (l.41-21 My friends, it is this very purpose that is bringing about my death, that I may not be convicted of bringing shame to my husband or to the children I gave birth to) and at the same time, she does not set a precedence for the rest of the womankind. She is becoming the woman they can look up to. Furthermore, she will avoid being judged by other women but at the same time she will be forced to live a life without being able to enjoy her so desired honor and eukleia. (l.403-404 For just as I would not have my good deeds unknown, so may I not have a throng of witnesses to my shameful ones!).

Being virtuous and having aidos are the meaning of life and she cannot have one without the other then does not deserve to live, simply because she has failed in acknowledging the good life. (l. 426-27 One thing only, they say, competes in value with life, the possession of a heart blameless and good).

The Lying Note

Her great speech though seems to contradict her lying note about Hippolytus. The lying note was Phaedra’s last attempt to save her reputation and honor. Hippolytus was informed about her feelings, which he does not only reciprocate but he feels disgusted by them. Nonetheless, he became a witness to Phaedra’s secret thus he must be silenced. (l.689-90 For he, with his mind whetted to a fine edge with anger, will utter to his father against my name […] l.713-14I swear by Artemis the holy, Zeus’s daughter, that I shall never reveal to the daylight any of your troubles! ). Moreover, the heroine had heard his hateful speech against women, which hurt Phaedra, and it became the breaking point for her. Now she does not feel love about Hippolytus but pain because of his words. Having not heard his speech, Phaedra would have remained silent to suffer until she died, but now she cannot face Theseus without guilt, because she would become the kind of the woman she hates (l.415-416 how can these women look into the faces of their husbands?l.661 then see how you look upon him, you and your mistress). Furthermore, she despises women who are unfaithful and brag about their affairs. Therefore she could not be the person who would initiate a relationship with Hippolytus, or even think of it, had it not been caused by Aphrodite’s powers (l.241 I was mad, I fell, and it was the doing of some divinity).

Conclusion

Although Aphrodite informs us that Phaedra’s honor will remain intact, it will be Artemis who will protect her reputation, after having protected Hippolytus’ name and restored order and justice (l.1298-1301so that he may die with a good name, make plain, too, the maddened frenzy of your wife or, if I may call it so, her nobility. […] l.1428-1430 poetry sung by maidens will forever make you its theme, and Phaedra’s love for you shall not fall nameless and unsung).

In her mind Phaedra lived and died by her heroic code. Her eroticized madness evolved to an obsession about honor and eukleia. The irony though is that Phaedra suffered from eroticized madness and when she recovered she was left with the consequences of the eros’ force. The induced eros made her have fantasies about Hippolytus and how she could have joined him. When she came back to her senses and heard Hippolytus’ speech, she realized what a bitter emotion is to love someone who does not share this feeling but on top of that, he feels repulsed. and her efforts to be remembered as honored and respectable would be characterized as a failure because from the beginning she was just a pawn and Aphrodite is indifferent towards her (l. 48-50 I do not set such store by her misfortune as not to inflict on my enemies such penalty as will satisfy me).

But it was that obsession, her high sense of aidos, and her duty and obligation as a woman, mother, and queen to preserve her good reputation no matter what the personal cost would be (suicide) that made her the perfect candidate for Aphrodite, otherwise her revenge plan would not have succeeded.

We have to keep in mind that madness was considered to be a disgrace but if to be in right mind causes unbearable pain the only resolution is (bloodless) death. With her suicide Phaedra managed to expose Aphrodite as an amoral goddess and her Nurse as an oath breaker who harmed her, instead of helping her. In the Danaid trilogy the young women – suppliants- are forced to get married with unwanted suitors, whom they murder on their wedding night. The women, (usually the virgins) rebel against the institution of marriage and what it represents for them; a life in a male-dominated society, which uses women only as reproductive instruments. It is a society, where women are ruled over by their husbands or fathers, even in their domestic sphere. When women are suppressed or isolated (e.g Medea, the Danaid girls) and treated unfairly in their domestic (and public) lives they proceed to commit crimes that shake the core of the social system to its foundations, which results to the gods’ provocation and finally their intervention, so as to settle women’s resistance to men’s claims to power over them. Because of the nature of the crimes they commit, women are depicted as mad (unless there is an obvious reference of divine-induced madness) without having control over their minds. In my opinion, their crimes are their primitive reaction to the injustice they face.

Apollo and Aphrodite: Comparative Essay on Greek Mythology

Mythology is a collection of myths that the ancient Greeks used to convey. These myths are about the world’s history, creation, the lives, actions of gods, characters, mythological creatures, the roots, and the importance of worship and ceremonial rituals of the ancient Greeks. The stories of gods and goddesses in ancient Greece were an important part of daily life. They teach us religious rituals and gave meaning to the people. It has also been used by modern scholars to understand the nature of myth formation itself. This paper will compare and contrast the two gods and their stories, which show how important messages or lessons that they can convey for an audience which is found in their accomplishments, regardless of whether they are from the ancient or modern era.

I will start by comparing Apollo and Aphrodite’s characteristics. Among the first and powerful mythology, god is Apollo. Apollo was born unusually. He has several names such as God of Sun, God of Archer, God of Prophecy, God of Rationality, and God of Music. He is the only god that has the same name in Greek and Roman. His Epithet is Phoebus which means bright. He carries the lyre and the bow every time with him. The father of Apollo is Zeus and his wife is Leto. Apollo has several attributes including Bow and Arrow, Lyre, Laurel, Tripod, and Dolphin. He also personified Beauty, Balance, and Clarity. Apollo is called the Archer of far-shooting. He dislikes going to somebody near because he is often angry, and he likes to strike out people by hanging out a long distance from hidden places. He likewise has much power with him, yet they are connected so if any young men die suddenly it exemplifies that Apollo has shot his arrow. He is worshipped at Oracle and Festival.

Apollo had many love affairs which ended tragically. The first affair was with Cassandra, Trojan King Priam’s daughter. She was in love with Apollo and the gift of prophecy he offered her. Immediately, Cassandra changed her mind and rejected Apollo, then he became extremely angry at Cassandra, spitting into her mouth so that her claims would never be considered to be true. Apollo even fought for Troy War by shooting a dangerous arrow to the Greek camp where several Spartan warriors were destroyed. He also led and murdered the arrow that hit Achilles in the head. The second affair was with Marpessa. Apollo stole her from Ida. He tried to convince her that you are mine so in this situation, Zeus has to step in, and he kind of leaves all the decisions to Marpessa whether she loves Idas or Apollo. She chooses Idas over Apollo because with an outwardly youthful and stubborn god she is afraid to grow old. Apollo is happy and tells Marpessa and Idas then Apollo moves on to have a happy and wonderful life. The third affair was with Daphne. Daphne falls in love with Daphne and he tried to chase Daphne. She ran away and prayed for help to her father, and she became a laurel tree.

Aphrodite is another powerful god from mythology. Aphrodite is a goddess of love and desire, she has the power to make it very possible for others to fall in love. Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty and love, and a sailor’s protector. Aphrodite had an abnormal birth. She rose from the foam of the sea, beautiful and completely grown. Aphrodite was Zeus’ and Dione’s daughter. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was identified as sexual love and she has so much power that she can attract any guy that she desires. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire.

Attributes of Aphrodite are a cupid, nude, jewels, swan, apple, shell, dove, and mirror. Aphrodite had many affairs because of her beauty. Aphrodite became jealous of Adonis’ mother’s appearance, Myrrha, one day she decided to fall in love with her husband and ended up sleeping with him. When her father had found out that he had been tricked and that Myrrha was pregnant, he wants to kill her and her child. In this case, Myrrha turns into a myrrh tree to save herself. Myrrha gave birth to Adonis, with whom Persephone fell in love. Ares was another lover of Aphrodite who became jealous and Area were caught together by Helios. Helios tried to expose them to the other gods. Aphrodite was also the fundamental purpose of the Trojan War because Aphrodite changed into the mother of Aeneas and engaging youth Adonis who was killed by a pig in the celebration.

As I have categorized Apollo and Aphrodite as differences in the above paragraph, but there are several similarities that Apollo and Aphrodite shared such as they both had many affairs because of their beauty. They both had the same father Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods. Aphrodite was raised when the extreme genitals of Ouranos reached the ground, in which case she was essentially the great aunt of Apollo. However, the daughter of Zeus would make half-siblings of Aphrodite and Apollo. They both were born unusually way.

Altogether, both Apollo and Aphrodite were very beautiful gods, and has made numerous individual achievements, and are very friendly. The important moral that might be given to both the ancient and modern society that truthness’ and integrity are required in every human being because if you do something wrong, you should not hide the truth. You should be brave enough to accept your mistake instead of blaming other people. Secondly, the power of love is something that can heal anyone because if you love someone immensely, you should respect your partner or parent because that respect can justify how you are truthful and loyal can be. In today’s world, all the people around us are competing with us in everything so if you are doing good into your life, there will be hardly a few people who will feel happy for you and someone others would just feel tentative. I believe that people should be happy, loyal, and motivated to others if someone is moving ahead in their life. The reason that Apollo and Aphrodite didn’t have a good relationship because they were lacking the trust and purity of love. They both had multiple affairs, but they didn’t let know the truth to their partner which made things more complicated in their relationship and as well as their life. In the end, the two gods have many things in common however, both are not quite the same as one another due to different aspects.

Essay on Analysis of Athena and Aphrodite in Iliad

The focal point of this paper has been the narrative aspects of the Iliad. First, it delved deep into the portrayal of the goddesses in the Iliad. As well as how their actions influence the behavior of certain mortals. Lastly, one discovers that Aphrodite’s actions, in particular, have a significant impact on the fate of the mortal Helen of Troy. Before discussing the issues mentioned above, a brief explanation of women’s role in Ancient Greek society will be provided.

In the first chapter, one discovered that Ancient Greek society was a male-dominated one. Some philosophers argued that men were meant to be rulers and women ruled. Others even went as far as to claim that women were no more than a ‘benefit’ to men. Additionally, one finds that mortal ladies should mirror four distinct roles of their divine counterparts. These roles are the virgin as depicted by Athena while Aphrodite represents the temptress, and finally the wife as portrayed by Hera.

In the examination of the representation of the goddesses within the Iliad, one finds that each of the three ladies carves out a place for themselves in this patriarchy. Here is the Queen of Olympus and mythically she is connected to the creation of new life. Although this may be true, her later union with the mighty Zeus strips her of all her former glory. In the Iliad, her mythic history is alluded to after Zeus and herself have had a heated argument. In the Iliad, the ‘ox-eyed’ Hera is more concerned with the sanctity of marriage for mortals and therefore becomes much more than a mere personification of mother earth. As a wife, she may be in high regard, but as a mother, she is certainly not. The reason for this less favorable depiction comes back to her allegedly throwing her youngest son off Mount Olympus, and this is not the first time she is incredibly murderous toward her offspring. Throughout her lengthy mythical history, there have been several cases of her brutality towards her offspring, the most notorious is that of the twelve labors of Heracles. Hera is not the only immensely powerful goddess one encounter in Homer’s magnum opus. Next, one has Aphrodite who is a mighty ancient deity associated with the waters of life and even warfare. Therefore, one may find her union with Ares intriguing since it is a manifestation of the dynamic of love and war. Whenever Aphrodite wishes to get something, she much like Helen uses her beauty and desire to her advantage. As a divine being, experts associate her with her Semitic counterpart Ishtar. This association is based on several factors, and the most significant one is that their association with war and compassion. Lastly, there is the ‘grey-eyed’ Athena who is the incantation of the wisdom of the Great Goddess since allegedly she was born from Zeus’ head. The way in which she was conceived makes her the perfect combination of male attributes, such as strategic know-how and the softness of the female. In the Iliad, she is one of the most influential war goddesses, second only to Zeus herself. Thereby, placing herself way above her brother Ares, who is her male equivalent.

In the discussion of Helen’s fate, one learns that the origin of this myth originated at the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, where every god and goddess was invited to this celebration except Eris, the goddess of strife, discord, and chaos. Her exclusion enraged her very much and thus she concocted this scheme of pitting Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera against one another. Taken from her home and family, and put under a trance by the wicked Aphrodite. On the other hand, one can even go as far as to argue that Helen paints herself as the villain. The village elders exchanging views on Helen’s beauty seem not only to justify the outbreak of war but also that Helen does not have a choice she will forever be chained. Couple this with her representation as nothing more than a spoil of war, and this treatment of Helen eliminate her ability to choose entirely. Moreover, these seemingly conflicting ideas also call her role in abduction into question. On the contrary, one may explore the notion that Helen’s beauty and lust may accidentally cause conflict. Many authors, including Apollodorus, proclaim that when Aphrodite gives Helen away to Paris, she offers more than just beauty. Countless authors go as far as to claim that she offers desire more than anything. Aphrodite may offer desire but as Sappho so wonderfully points out the relationship between love and war is inherently intriguing. The reason why Sappho’s connection between love and war is so intriguing may go back to Aphrodite’s problem with moving from being an ancient goddess of war to being reduced to the goddess of love.

Essay on Aphrodite Characteristics

In a world where there seems to be more negative than positive, mankind begins to question if The Almighty is acting in an intentionally vengeful manner. While a godly vengeance may seem like a recent concept, there is evidence that it traces back to ancient times as well. In Greece specifically, there are examples of deities acting in harsh manners, against both mortals, as well as other Gods. The most notable examples would probably be ‘The Hippolytus’ by Euripides, and ‘Prometheus Bound’ by Aeschylus. While the former deals with Aphrodite’s punishment of a mortal, Hippolytus, the latter deals with Zeus punishing Prometheus, a dissenting titan. The very fact that we have a clear example of Zeus punishing Prometheus shows us that the deities of Olympus did not simply punish mortals, but also made efforts to discipline fellow immortals. In the following paragraphs, we will explore the nature of the ‘sentences’ handed down by Aphrodite and Zeus.

In Euripides’ ‘The Hippolytus’, the titular character has pledged to remain chaste, and not revere Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Hippolytus, instead honors a virgin goddess, Artemis. This greatly angers Aphrodite who is seemingly a well-beloved goddess. We can safely make this assumption as we know that there are few characters in Ancient Greek myth who remain chaste, thus, most revere Aphrodite. Having a notable exception in the form of Hippolytus serves to frustrate her. Her punishment is thus causing his stepmother, and wife of his father Theseus, Phaedra to fall in love with him. Due to Aphrodite’s powers, Phaedra is so overcome with love for her stepson that she cannot control herself and admits it to her nurse and the chorus. This causes quite a stir, and in an attempt to help her, the nurse informs Hippolytus of this. Hippolytus reacts with disgust and seeing his reaction, the nurse makes him promise to never tell anyone of this. When Phaedra hears that her secret has been revealed, she is embarrassed and immediately makes the chorus swear a pledge of secrecy. She then hangs herself. When Theseus returns and sees his wife’s dead body and reads the tablet she wrote prior to her death, he understands it to mean that his illegitimate son Hippolytus has raped his wife. In his anger, he banishes Hippolytus who cannot explain himself due to the promise made to the nurse. Theseus also prays to his father, Poseidon to kill Hippolytus, which he does by scaring the horse Hippolytus rides and causing him to fall and be mortally wounded. At this point, Artemis reveals the truth to Theseus but states that the main blame must rest with Aphrodite and that she will avenge her follower, Hippolytus’ death.

The tale of Prometheus on the other hand is far simpler in that after the creation of humankind, Prometheus disobeys Zeus’ orders and gives them fire. Zeus thus punishes him to be bound to a mountain in the Caucasus Hephaestus and be tortured for eternity due to this apparent betrayal. All of this occurs prior to the beginning of ‘Prometheus Bound’ and in the play we simply see Prometheus explaining his suffering and its reasons to those around him such as Oceanos, Io, and the chorus leader.

The most obvious similarity in the two examples is that neither of the victims of the punishment (Hippolytus and Prometheus) can be completely blamed for their actions. Hippolytus made a personal decision and decided to practice chastity and worship a goddess in touch with his beliefs. His neglect of Aphrodite is never shown to adversely affect her in any manner and thus we question if her reaction was disproportionate factoring in the apparent ‘error’ made by Hippolytus. While Prometheus’ actions can be argued to be far more severely opposing Zeus, it is a similar example as his actions do not directly negatively impact Zeus. In the exact same manner, we question if Zeus’ punishment was also disproportionate to the ‘error’ made by Prometheus. The second similarity is that Aphrodite and Hera are both Olympians and this act of doling out severe punishment to people ‘opposing’ them shows their proclivity towards vengeance and handing out serious sentences. The Olympians were apparently the most powerful deities in Ancient Greece and serve as a metaphor for how when a body is given seemingly ‘absolute’ power, the potential for misuse or even abuse of said power is very high. This has not only manifested itself in the literature regarding deities but also in recent history with dictatorships worldwide and other non-democratic bodies of power, especially with regard to politics. A third factor to consider is the collateral damage inflicted due to the punishments dealt. Collateral damage here refers to the consequences that are faced by all parties, whether intentional or not. In the case of Hippolytus, the direct damage would be his suffering and subsequent death. The collateral damage we see, however, is faced by more people. This extends to Phaedra’s suffering due to the pain of falling in love with her stepson and then the pain of unrequited love. She is also embarrassed when she learns that Hippolytus knows of her feelings and intends to rebuke her. She eventually hangs herself. Furthermore, Theseus is suffering as he sees his dead wife, believes his son is a rapist, and must banish him and ask Poseidon to kill his son. After this, it is revealed that his son was innocent and that the punishment he meted out was due to him not knowing the truth. Theseus must now live on without his dead wife and son, and with the knowledge that he played a direct role in his son’s death. The remainder of the household, most notably the nurse, also suffers due to the tragic deaths of two of the members of a said household, as well as Theseus’ further anguish. Theseus, Phaedra, and the rest of the household are never shown to behave in a manner that would anger or affect Aphrodite in any manner. The reader pities them and wonders if Aphrodite’s vengeance on Hippolytus was worth this much damage. Finally, we can make a safe assumption that Aphrodite has cost herself a follower in Theseus who cannot reconcile himself with such aggressive and disproportionate punishment. We can also assume that all who hear of this tale have a different view of Aphrodite after, even if they continue to worship her. The collateral damage in ‘Prometheus Bound’ is less clear, but with some context, we can understand it. Prometheus acted against Zeus’ wishes and gave humanity fire. As mentioned previously, this does not negatively impact Zeus, but due to his tyrannical nature and suspicion of his fellow deities (even someone like Prometheus who helped him defeat The Titans), Zeus acts in an exceedingly hostile manner. The direct damage is obviously the punishment that Prometheus suffers, whereas the collateral damage is interesting in how ironic it is. The collateral damage suffered due to this punishment actually winds up impacting Zeus the most. Firstly, we see that characters such as Io, the chorus leader, Hephaestus, and Oceanos clearly sympathize with Prometheus. We conclude that this serves as evidence in their minds, not only of Zeus’ aggression but also of his tyranny. This actually serves to make his supporters less loyal to him, even if it does not clearly manifest itself in any tangible manner that shows the characters in question opposing him. It is important however to note that a tangible manifestation is not required to prove the point of weakening support. The second and more important consequence is the fact that Prometheus has the power of foresight and knows who will defeat Zeus and usurp the throne from him in the same manner that he did to Kronos. Zeus sends Hermes to get this information, but Prometheus refuses. This is a clear indicator of Zeus’ loss due to his aggression. Thus, we see obvious collateral damage in both cases highlighted previously.

The nature of power and tyranny between the Olympians is clear and we see how their regard for whom they punish, how severely they do so, and their reasons why do not matter to them when they are in a vengeful state. In both cases, strong arguments could be made that the punishments were far too severe but, we note that the Olympians probably do not care much for this belief that is held by others. While we explored how they themselves are affected by their decisions, we must note that there is no indication of remorse on their behalf. The clear aggression and hostility of the Olympians never come through to serve as their downfall and we see that the all-powerful Olympians are not answerable for their actions and decisions, however wrong we can prove them to be. This of course does serve as an indicator that their power has worked to corrupt them, especially in light of the apparent complete lack of consequences faced by them.

Works Cited

  1. Kun, Loredana. Myth and Imagination in Ancient Greece and Rome. Vol. 1, York University, 2019-2020. Course Kit.

Essay on Ancient Greek Goddesses: Athena, Demeter, Hera and Aphrodite

Consider these creatures, these people who are not people, these inhabitants of heaven. The god has a headache, his son wields an axe, and the girl springs forth with a bow and shield. She is walking toward the world. Her own flies before her. It is twilight. Look at these clouds, this limitless and impenetrable sky. This is what remains. A crease runs through it like a bloodless vein. Everything is changed and yet the same.

According to Loraux, a goddess is simply a god in the feminine’, and nothing more than the feminine form of the word ‘god’, thus explaining why these women were treated differently to their mortal counterparts. Goddesses were the one group who differed in treatment from the rest of the female Greeks. Gender roles for gods and goddesses do not completely follow the traditional gender roles that Greek society established. In Greek myth, both male and female gods are able to give birth, thus showing the only instance where the male gods differ from their human counterparts, whereas the positions and functions of female goddesses differ considerably from those ordinarily assigned to human women. Human women would not have been able to make the decision to remain a virgin, but female gods could. Goddesses are placed between possible and impossible roles for women, for example, goddesses were still expected to be mothers for the most part, but if they were distant, neglectful, or committed infidelity they were not condemned for it like a mortal woman would have been. In addition, goddesses also have affinities both with male and female gods. For the most part, the lives of mortal women were controlled by domesticity, whereas goddesses, even those who were married were not constrained by familial obligations. Here, for example, defied her husband, and Aphrodite actively ignored hers, whilst many other major goddesses decided not to marry at all, a choice that mortal women would never have been given.

The women, both goddesses, and mortals, of ancient Greece, tend to be more closely defined than men by a particular sexual status, for example, the virgins Athena, Artemis, and Hestia, the promiscuous Aphrodite, the wife Hera and the mother Demeter. On the other hand, male deities are not defined by their sexual status, or even by their gender, with some mythology of Zeus or Apollo presenting them, like male mortals, with both men and women, as fathers, and in the case of Zeus, the god who birthed Dionysus and Athena. In addition, the roles attributed to female deities are mainly focused and defined within the sphere of what would have been respectable for women, mortal or immortal, with the exceptions of Athena and Artemis. This characterization of goddesses as virgins, sex symbols, wives, or mothers, in each case, necessitates a state of sexual maturity, for in order to assume these roles they must have passed beyond the childhood stage. That being said, whilst male deities are often depicted in their childhood, most goddesses whose ‘births’ we know about are born as full-grown adults, for example, Aphrodite emerging from the sea, and Athena from the head of Zeus. This is particularly interesting when examining virgin goddesses, as only mortal girls could be virgins, not grown women as they were expected to marry and have children as early as 14. The characterization of Greek goddesses is both genders specific and, as mentioned above, defined by a particular sexual status. In the case of Athena and Artemis, historians can identify many aspects of characterizations that they share with the gods, which transcend their identity as female and virgin, though this is only one part of them, and mythology presents them as dynamic figures who have a wide range of roles, many in the male sphere of influence. These goddesses not only display feminine attributes, but masculine ones too, for example, Athena, a warrior goddess, is a patroness of wisdom, a masculine trait, whilst also being the patroness of crafts, and Artemis is the goddess of the hunt but is also closely linked with the female life cycle from menstruation to death.

As mentioned earlier, many ancient Greek goddesses embodied gender-specific characteristics that were also attributed to a mortal women. Nevertheless, simultaneously, goddesses represented something that no mortal woman could aspire to, mainly independence and non-reliance on male figures. Adult goddesses both compromise feminine characteristics and yet transcend the limitations of the human female condition. Examples of this include: having multiple sexual partners, being powerful in their own right, and having no inclination to marry or have children, all things that mortal women had no choice in. Given the subordinate status of real women in ancient Greek society, it seems ironic that qualities deemed desirable by Greek men, such as wisdom, strategy, and intelligence, should be represented in female form.

By the 6th century BCE, the Greeks distinguished 12 major gods, ruled by Zeus and living on Mount Olympus. Whilst all the male gods are sexually active, and it is never specified necessarily with men or women, of the six main female goddesses, three are dedicated virgins, and Hera is a semi-virgin through her ability to regain her virginity annually by bathing in a sacred spring. Although both Hera and Aphrodite are mothers, neither of them is known for their maternal abilities, with Hera especially shown as a neglectful mother. Of the six, Demeter is the only goddess who fulfills the role of mother with any degree of success. For mortal women it was of the utmost importance that they were virgins at the time of marriage, and was of equal importance that women should marry and give birth, therefore in this sense, most goddesses were not great role models. They renounce the most important function ascribed to women by Greek society, with Hera and Aphrodite notable for their lack of devotion to their children, and many activities outside of the home, again contradicting the ideal of a modest and domesticated lifestyle for mortal women. Since they were not role models, they functioned instead for men as a reminder of the negatives of female sexuality and power, and for women, as something a woman could be if she were not held back by the patriarchy.

The goddesses of the Greek pantheon include Hera the wife, Demeter the mother, and Artemis the woman who rejects both marriage and motherhood. The goddesses are archetypical images of human females, as envisioned by males, and thus, the distribution of desirable characteristics among several females rather than their concentration on one being is appropriate to a patriarchal society. That a woman should be compared to a goddess is both obvious and dangerous. The gods are always available as the highest standard of comparison for mortals, but they were also anthropomorphic and badly behaved, and such comparisons frequently occur in Homeric poems. In general, the distinctive features of the Olympian goddesses signal the ways in which mortals will meet them. For example, Athena is most often shown in contests of skill in crafts and martial arts, Hera’s rivals claim equal marital happiness, or Zeus himself, and although Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, it is not hers alone. These goddesses though, and other less famous ones, were not just worshipped by women, both sexes would have prayed to them and offered them sacrifices, in the same way, they would with male gods. It is also interesting that some of the rituals associated with them were only open to women, for example, the Adonia, which was related to Aphrodite’s lover Adonis, and the Thesmophoria, whilst others such as the Panathenaia and the Eleusinian Mysteries were a celebration for the whole city to be involved in, no matter what gender, class or age.

The less well-known goddesses are the ones that conform more to gender roles, whilst the ones that rebel is the famous ones. Athena and Aphrodite, who are linked to war and sex, respectively, are arguably the most well-known goddesses from Greek times, even today, whilst others such as Hestia and Demeter, whilst still famous, are not talked about as frequently. This could be for one of two reasons: because those that do not conform were shocking and therefore talked about more, meaning more evidence for contemporary historians, or it is nothing to do with conforming to feminine ideals, and the goddesses were just subject to a different set of rules than mortal women. Therefore, those that would have been most important to society at the time, such as the goddesses of war and sex, symbolized the two main things that would have made up the lives of citizen men. Why then were goddesses not relegated to those areas in the feminine sphere of influence, instead of taking ownership of ‘male’ attributes and activities, and still completely respected?

No goddess is as defined by her sexual status as Aphrodite, the goddess of sex. The association suggested between the act of love, symbolized by Aphrodite, and the act of castration points to a prevalent fear of female sexuality, something that was a large problem in ancient Greek society, with even mortal women feared for a multitude of reasons. Female hyperactive sexuality was feared because it brought into question the legitimacy of any children between a husband and wife. Not only that, but it also showed that a husband was not capable of controlling his wife, something that would have been viewed as shameful and would have affected his reputation. For these reasons, Greek men must surely have viewed Aphrodite’s links with marriage as disturbing, as she is one of the Olympian goddesses that is sexually promiscuous and adulterous, and it is the belief that female excessive sexuality can unhinge and destroy a man. Although Aphrodite was married to the blacksmith god Hephaestus, she has well-known affairs with Olympians Hermes and Ares, as well as with mortals Anchises and Adonis. She is known to inspire adulterous desires in others, but by the fifth century, attitudes were changing; and in the tragic drama of this period, the disruptive effects of Aphrodite’s power to shatter marriages were seen even more vividly. As a sexually active goddess, Aphrodite is inevitably a mother, though this receives little to no recognition in myth. Historians believe that to join her promiscuity with motherhood would be to give a woman a ‘frightening accumulation of powers which would place her beyond the orbit of male control’. Hence, she is good at sex, but a bad mother, whereas in comparison Demeter is not a sexual being, but the perfect mother. Clearly, mortal women would not have been able to be promiscuous lest she becomes improper, and thus, Aphrodite’s indiscretions were considered only mildly censurable in a love goddess who is sacred to prostitutes. Thus, the same categories of thought prevailed in goddesses as in mortal women, goddesses were either ‘good mothers’ or ‘promiscuous whores’, and the stereotypical categories did not change. Thus showing that female goddesses were still figments of male imagination and could only be ‘proper’, or ‘improper’.

Among ancient Greek gods and goddesses, none is as famous today as Athena, who has been a constant feature in the literature and art of the Western world. Athena, like all Greek deities, was a construct of the Greek minds and could be depicted as taste dictated. Therefore, she does not conform to Athenian societal norms, and if anything, is at the opposite end of the spectrum, and often depicted as masculine in art and pottery from the period. For Athens, the most important goddess was Athena, with the most important cult being that of the Athena Polias. Athena is often represented as a highly androgynous figure, who involves herself in both masculine and feminine activities, the warrior goddess, was the protector of cities and fortresses, yet at the same time the patroness of arts and crafts. Thus, although she is a female god, she rejects the roles of marriage and motherhood, which Greek society saw as fundamental to a woman’s existence. Instead as stated by Hesiod, she is a fearsome queen who brings the noise of war and tirelessly leads the hose, she loves shouts and battling and fights, and hence the dominant image of her links her too masculine activities, often being depicted as an armed warrior. In many of her activities, Athena is like her mortal worshippers, both male, and female, though she is also strikingly different, especially from the women, as she is a virgin, and from the males, as she is female. It is also worth noting that whilst there was also a male god of war in Ares, Athena is arguably the more famous, and the god with better attributes. Ares, the god of war, is the patron of violence, bloodlust, and slaughter, ‘the raw force of war’, whilst Athena is strategic and intelligent, relating to female cunning, again bringing in a question of why the female god is intelligent, whilst the male does not think, attributes that normally, would have been given to the opposite sexes. The fact that Athena is the happy medium between masculine and feminine, in her patronizing of both the crafts, but also wisdom and war is important. She does not just dominate the male sphere, but is feminine too, both in her personality and attributes, but also in how she is depicted in artwork and scholarship from the period as the overseer of justice. Whilst she is often shown in battle dress with a spear and shield, she is often also depicted, in the same places, with flowing white peplos, a feminine garment of clothing, though attention is rarely, if ever, drawn to her sex.

Like Aphrodite, Hera is not depicted as a good mother. She was primarily worshipped as the goddess of weddings and marriage, and thus figures most prominently in myth as a wife and a queen. As a mother, she is negligible and frequently is made to act out the role of the archetypal wicked stepmother. Of all the divinities mentioned in the Iliad, Hera is the goddess most remote from humans. Though Hera conforms in terms of marrying, and bearing children, she was still not viewed as the role model that Greek girls would have aimed to emulate, as much as some of the goddesses mentioned later. Instead, she was the ‘Queen of the Immortals’, the female counterpart of Zeus, with her maternal side almost a consequence, rather than something to be proud of.

Lastly, Artemis, another virgin goddess, the twin sister of Apollo, and a child of Zeus by a minor deity named Leto. In myth, Artemis is destructive towards young women and inflicts awful punishments on women such as Niobe for boasting she has more children than the goddess Leto. For many Artemis is a paradoxical goddess, a virgin who aids women in childbirth, a fierce huntress who fosters wild beasts, and a bloodthirsty deity who both nurtures the young and demands their sacrifice. Artemis also oversees the transition of girls to adult status but is also a patron of warriors, and both Artemis and Athena were considered virgins because they had never submitted to a monogamous marriage. That being said, their failure to marry was misinterpreted as virginity, specifically by succeeding generations of men who connected loss of virginity only with conventional marriage.

The four goddesses mentioned above are those who are the most famous of the Greek goddesses, arguably more so than some male gods are. However, there are other lesser-known female gods, and surprisingly often conform more to Athenian societal norms. Whilst some of those mentioned above are virgins or mothers, they are also promiscuous, and depicted as being neglectful, suggesting that a woman, divine or not, could not be powerful and a good mother, otherwise she would be too dangerous. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, is one such goddess. She is the goddess who stays at home and represents permanence and security not only within the family but also within the community of which the family forms the foundation. Of all the virgin goddesses she comes the closest to providing a role model for young Greek women, for she is the only one who exhibits anything like the required degree of passivity. She was the archetypal old maid, preferring the quiet of the hearth and home to the ‘boisterous banquets and emotional entanglements of the other Olympians’, and is rarely depicted in the visual arts, instead being commonly envisioned as the living flame. Hestia resides in the home, both in the ‘guise of virgin and old woman’, thus, she more than Athena satisfied the quest for a goddess who was ‘free’ from most aspects of female sexuality. According to Xenophon, ‘without hearth and wife, there is no family’, showing just how important Hestia was, and how the female hearth and the citizen wife are tantamount to the continuation of the family. Lastly, the goddess of motherhood Demeter, whose name means mother in Greek. In the classical age, a woman’s chief value was her ability to bear children, and thus there were massively damaging effects of female celibacy. Demeter was also the goddess of the harvest and fertility of the earth. As fertility was mostly associated with women, and most of the female rituals were female-oriented, women were incredibly important because of their power to reproduce, and thus Demeter was an important goddess for the Greeks, men and women alike.

To conclude, goddesses were treated differently from mortal women for various reasons. They are gods and therefore exist as something unattainable in reality, but something that should be aimed for nevertheless. They were still conceived and existed in the collective male imagination, but their powers may have had a different impact on men and women. They existed in a place where myths and stories, no matter how outlandish, could be attributed to them, no matter their sex, and therefore they could be incredibly powerful. This power, therefore, meant that they had a certain level of capability and intelligence that humans, both men, and women, could only dream of, explaining why goddesses were respected, whilst mortal women were not. In addition, goddesses just did not have the same restrictions placed on them that mortal women did, and therefore the two groups would never have been seen as equal or treated similarly. However, even goddesses were viewed as being lesser than the male gods, just as in the mortal world, and therefore are not that different. As Padel has stated, as historians living thousands of years later, we use ancient Greek gods as a way to see into their society. By looking at them, we are able to see a sense of their world and relationships, and therefore get a more rounded view of why ancient Greek society was structured as it was. Whilst mortal women were ‘walking wombs’, forced to marry, goddesses were allowed a lot more freedom to be promiscuous, virgins, wives, spinsters, and many other labels, all whilst still retaining the respect and power given to them no matter who they were. The fact that they were goddesses, not real women, gave men the freedom to imagine them in this way, thus they still reflected male fears and secret wishes. Goddesses are divine and therefore shun human suffering, restrictions, and lifestyles, thus, to say that a mortal woman resembles a goddess is to ascribe to the mortal some of the radiance inherent in the bodies of the gods, of both sexes, as well as some of the goddess in epiphany. A goddess then is not a woman, but something else entirely. This is the difference between mortal women and divine beings.

Essay on Iliad: Aphrodite Promise in Marriage to Paris

In a broader discussion of men’s status and glory (kleos) in The Iliad, Homer describes women’s societal roles in their connection to men and the gods. While the male characters are fixated primarily on war and the gods’ prophecies, Helen is left to ponder the dreary emotions her circumstances evince. Although Homer initially portrays her as a spoil of war, Helen’s relationships with Menelaus, Paris, Aphrodite, and Hektor shed a unique light on her subjugated position, and heighten her humanity to readers. Through more in-depth inquiry into Helen’s encounters with these characters and the principles and hierarchies they observe, readers can glean moments that reveal her desires and agency.

Homer introduces Helen in Book II as the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Her beauty is known around the world –– even before she enters the story, Paris and Menelaus organize an international duel to decide her fate in marriage. Paris says to Menelaus:

to fight together for the sake of Helen and all her possessions. That one of us who wins and is proved stronger, let him take the possessions fairly and the woman, and lead her homeward (III. 70-72)

By placing her as the prize of the duel, Homer imbues no sense of power in Helen; he uses her superficially as a symbol of strength and glory, reinforcing women’s secondary role in their society. While her husband and Paris prepare to duel, Helen weaves a ‘red folding robe’ with the ‘numerous struggles of Trojans… struggles that they endured for her sake at the hands of the war god (III. 126-129).’ Homer uses Helen symbolically again here; however, in this instance, he describes the patterns she weaves into her tapestry, giving her a unique insight into the destiny of the men objectifying her. Moreover, this moment reveals Helen’s capacity for foresight, a quality revered in Homeric times because of its rarity and tactfulness (characters laud Odysseus for his cunning anticipations of the future). But neither Paris nor Menelaus pays any attention to her weavings and the dismal fate they may foreshadow; they only care about beating the other and claiming their prize.

The role of divinity in Helen’s deliverance to Paris further complicates our understanding of Helen’s desires and her agency. When Paris accepted Aphrodite’s bribe –– to help him win the most beautiful woman in the world –– he elected her most beautiful in Zeus’ beauty pageant, and in turn, curries favor from her. Aphrodite convinces Helen to escape with her to Paris’s quarters by metamorphosing into the figure of a wise old wool dresser. As Menelaus makes his final move to kill Paris in their duel, Aphrodite, ‘since she was divine, [and] wrapped him in a thick mist and set him down again in his perfumed bedchamber (III. 380-382).’ Helen, recognizing this ploy, asks Aphrodite: ‘Why are you still so stubborn to beguile me? Will you carry me further yet somewhere among cities fairly settled (III. 399-401)?’ Helen makes it clear that she does not want to go to Paris’ bedchamber, and instead wishes to go to a ‘fairly settled’ city, one where she can find peace. But Aphrodite wishes to help Paris fulfill his lustful desires, and persuades Helen to acknowledge their coalescing beauty. The dissonance between Aphrodite’s intentions for Helen and Helen’s wishes is particularly fascinating. Although Helen wishes to stay with Menelaus and return with him to Sparta as she sees he is rightfully entitled, Aphrodite, insists she is with Paris instead because of her appreciation for his external features. Helen’s coerced decision projects a severe strain on Meneleus’s kleos, galvanizing the war between the Trojans and Spartans –– and, eventually, the Greeks. But without Aphrodite’s intervention, Helen would return to her nostos with Menelaus according to the fixed ethical codes of Homeric society, and the war would never happen. Moreover, Helen’s resignation to go with Aphrodite and Paris illustrates her lack of agency as a mortal woman, reiterating her subordinate position in Homer’s world.

Helen attempts to rationalize her sprawling emotions when she confides in Hektor in Book VI. As the son of King Priam and the leader of the Trojan army, he must serve as a symbol of strength in times of war to signal stability to his people. By going to Hektor, Helen is trying both to express her guilt and forestall the impending war between the Trojans and Spartans. She says:

Brother / by marriage to me, who am a nasty bitch evil-intriguing, / how I wish that on that day when my mother first bore me / the foul whirlwind of the storm had caught me away and swept me / to the mountain, or into the wash of the sea deep-thundering / where the waves would have swept me away before all these things had/happened (VI. 343-348).

This moment reveals Helen’s desire to restore peace –– as she wished to have with Menelaus –– between the quarreling nations ‘before all these things had/happened.’ But the guilt she feels is in direct correlation with Menelaus’ rage, and she must embrace the ‘whirlwind’ in which she finds herself caught. She continues:

Yet since the gods had brought it about that these vile things must be, / I wish I had been the wife of a better man than this is, / one who knew modesty and all things of shame that men say. But this man’s heart is no steadfast thing, nor yet will it be so / ever hereafter; for that, I think he shall take the consequence. / But come now, come in and rest on this chair, my brother, / since it is on your heart beyond all that the hard work has fallen / for the sake of dishonored me and the blind act of Alexandros (Paris), / us two, on whom Zeus set a vile destiny, so that hereafter / we shall be made into things of the song for the men of the future (VI. 349-358)

As the leader of the Spartan army, Menelaus also must project strength and integrity to maintain harmony for his nation. To allow Paris to cuckold him, even after he cowered away from their duel, would be akin to conceding both his honor and the honor of his nation. Helen, in one of her few speaking roles in the story, asks Hektor to sit with her –– she has come to accept the fate, Zeus and Aphrodite carved, and wants Hektor to marvel with her at their misfortune that one day ‘shall be made into things of the song for the men of the future.’ Although Helen understands Menaleus’ rage and reasons for violence, she also recognizes that this outcome will be ‘vile.’ She attacks Paris for his lack of honor and ‘modesty,’ but also understands ‘man’s heart is no steadfast thing.’ Maybe, she hopes, men will write songs of her beauty and the war it inspired so that they can prevent history from repeating itself.

Helen fades into the background during the war, as the speaker develops various other interplaying storylines, but emerges again in Book XXIV, bookending the conflict with a somber message. When Helen addresses King Priam and his company in the third and last ‘song of sorrow,’ she recalls her fond memory of Hektor as a friend and expresses her guilt again for her role in starting the war. Helen says:

Hektor, of all my lord’s brothers dearest by far to my spirit: / My husband is Alexandros, like an immortal, who brought me / here to Troy; and I should have died before I came with him (XXIV 762-763)

At this moment, Helen reminds readers of her lack of agency. She indirectly describes Paris and Meneleus’s quarrel over her as a microcosm of the twisted ethical principles people in Homer’s world adhere to, wishing she had died instead. Aphrodite’s imposition on her homecoming (nostos) with Menelaus furthermore contributes to the discussion of men’s glory and reputation in the Iliad. Because Helen was denied the opportunity to return home and live a peaceful life, and forced into a superficially glamorous relationship with Paris, she has to deal with the cascading ramifications of her ex-husband’s rage.

In the only shared passage of Homer’s epics, Homer describes the patterns on Achilles’s shield: ‘…wrought in all their beauty two cities of mortal men (XVIII 490-491)’ –– one of peace (nostos) the other of rage (kleos). Homer’s Iliad is often referred to as the book of kleos; his sequel, The Odyssey, is referred to as the book of nostos. Whether they act of their own volition or are circumstantially motivated, characters in The Iliad choose the path of kleos; they rage against opposing characters to establish their status and glory. But Helen, from the beginning of Book II, seems to suggest that she was doomed to follow this path. Because of her remarkable beauty, Helen becomes entangled in the interplaying power struggles between Menelaus, Paris, Aphrodite, and Hektor, and can only express her agency in sole moments of reflection. When other characters such as Achilles come to understand their superficially glorious fate, they too try to forestall their demise –– realizing too late, their instinct for violence is misguided. Helen’s role in The Iliad not only illustrates the subordinate, objectified nature of women in Homer’s world but also offers unique commentary on the irritable nature of the men and gods’ conflicts leading to war. I still wonder, however, if Helen were to challenge the authority of Aphrodite or disguised her beauty in some way like Odysseus does upon his return to Ithaca, could she have extricated herself from her destined path? Homer seems to suggest this outcome would take a universal change of perspective –– a dedication to nostos amongst men and gods alike. But the hierarchical nature of Homer’s world inherently breeds discord, and, apart from deceit, the only way to find peace is to remove oneself from these power struggles entirely.

Hera Vs Aphrodite: Comparative Essay

Firstly, Hera not only reigns as Queen in Olympus but also in the Greek pantheon as a whole. On the surface, Hera is merely chosen to thoroughly dislike the Trojans simply because she is deemed less fanciable in the infamous account of Paris’ Judgment. She may be the Queen of the divine, yet mythologically she is rather complex and paradoxical since she is the goddess of lawful marriage and legitimate childbirth. Thus, she constitutes her subordination. The paradox of the Great Goddess’ plays well into patriarchy and Hera’s subordination to Zeus, her ‘husband,’ is revealed in the persecution of Lo by Hera herself, whom Zeus has disguised as a cow and describes as ‘ox-eyed.’ Further, she is the only one who dares to stand up to Zeus, the epidemy of patriarchal dominance. Hera wishes to wipe out Troy, reducing this great fortress to nothing but ashes. Her destructive nature can be traced all the way back to her origins in dissident feminine mythology. When Zeus stands in her way, she uses certain techniques such as seduction and deceit to get what she wishes, the best example of this is when she borrows Aphrodite’s girdle to stop Zeus from interfering in the battle.

There underneath the divine earth broke into young, fresh grass, / and into dewy clover, crocus, and hyacinth / so thick and soft it held the hard ground deep away from them. / There they lay down together and drew about them a golden wonderful cloud, / and from it, the glimmering dew descended

Here, one sees a direct account of the earth goddess Hera once, whose union with the sky god Zeus causes vegetation to spring from the earth. Although this may be true, in the Iliad her main concern is that of the sanctity of marriage for humans rather than the divine. Thus, within the framework of the narrative, she is much more than just an incarnation of mother earth, she is a much stronger and more vigorous individual. She may concern herself with the union of two individuals, yet marriage is far from presented as a positive image of women. So when it comes to their role, it is far from favorable. When Zeus realizes that his lovemaking with his wife is part of a grander scheme, he gets furious and threatens Hera with a horrific beating. This violent punishment reminds her of the numerous others she has been a victim of previously. For all Hera’s willingness to change her situation, she merely strengthens the power of the patriarch. Furthermore, in myth, she is most often depicted as a wife and a queen. As a mother figure, she is nothing to write home about. Doing her loveless marriage to Zeus, they get two daughters and two sons and the last was lame. In Homer’s account, Hera was so ashamed of her handicap that she preceded to throw him off Mount Olympus.

Then there is a goddess we honor and respect in our house. / She saved me when I suffered much at the time of my great fall / through the will of my own brazen-faced mother, who wanted to hide me for being lame. / Then my soul would have taken much suffering had not Eurynome and Thetis caught me and held me (…) / No other among gods and mortal men knew about us / except Eurynome and Thetis. / They knew since they saved me

As a wife, Hera may be held in high regard, but as a mother, she indeed is not. When it comes to Hephaestus, she has no motherly instinct. On the contrary, the sea nymphs not only gave him a safe base, love, and later a job. She does not seem to be a bragger either since it was only, she who knew the sea nymphs since they saved him. She may not be much of a mother, but the notion of discarding one’s disabled children is not a new phenomenon. Nowadays, one still hears of families neglecting their disabled children but not going as far as to murder them. Then again, some studies suggest that one should go for an abortion rather than carry out the pregnancy if the child is disabled. Hera may have thrown her youngest out of Olympus, but he does get his revenge in the end. A physical manifestation of Hephaestus’s revenge comes in the form of a gilded throne he gifts his ‘mother.’ When Hera places herself on this throne, it immediately confines her with invisible chains. When Hephaestus hears of his mother falling for his trap and his fellow gods wishing him to free her, he merely answers ‘I have no mother.’ He only agrees to release Hera if he gets offered Aphrodite’s hand in marriage.

This whole ordeal takes place while Hephaestus is significantly intoxicated. In reality, this is not the only time she cruelly mistreats her flesh and blood. Many a myth tells of her torturing and subsequent slaughtering of her many children with the skirt-chaser that is Zeus. In one horrific instance, she wishes Dionysus to become a plaything for the Titans. The most famous instance is by no doubt the twelve labors of Heracles. These cruelties often lead her to be depicted as a wicked stepmother rather than the caring maternal figure women should strive to be. Thus, one can conclude that she is most often depicted as malicious, irrational, and power-hungry. In contrast, to her depiction in later myths, she has a compelling origin as a powerful pre-Olympic deity.

Hesiod details a progression from female-dominated generations, characterized by natural, earthy emotional qualities, to the superior and rational monarchy of Olympian Zeus. Whether this corresponds to a historical change in Greek religion from an emphasis on the worship of female divinities to that of male divinities is unclear (…

In the quotation above one sees that at some point in history, the Greeks changed their worship of female deities to their male counterparts where Zeus is the most prominent. This change weakens the position of the ox-eyed Hera, making her a victim of patriarchy. O’Brien suggests that ‘Homer’s Hera rises out of the ashes of an early embodiment of matriarchal chaos.’ From this one can conclude that Hera has close connections to the creation of new life and the general creativeness of the feminine mythos. Despite this connection, her marriage to Zeus puts her in such a position that she cannot obtain any power in the universe. As stated by Mary Daly: ‘As patriarchy became the dominant societal structure, a common means of legitimization of this transition from gynocentric society was a forcible marriage of the Triple Goddess.’ Through marriage, males can obtain power, and thus we have the dynamic of ‘the ruler and the ruled.’ Building upon this a marriage should also provide a common understanding and comfort which is not the case in this marriage. Further, Hera’s ‘sudden’ loss of power combined with her move down in rank leads not only to rebellion but also to her fury. Yet, this righteous fury mixed with her helplessness against the tyrant Zeus is more laughable than heroic:

Crucially, this Hera has no power to smite. However, artfully she and Sleep tame Zeus, her machinations never passage cosmic ruin. They amuse, not frighten. Zeus may be outmaneuvered, but he has the power to smite as once before he subdued Typhon and her. This nurse of monsters has lost her bite.

Hera may have a hunger power, but her inability to obtain this combined with her forced compliance with patriarchy makes her out to be merely a shell of what she once may have been. These goddesses also have an internal discussion with their former selves and how to present the primal ‘Great Mother.’ According to Jean Shinoda Bolen, a feminist psychologist:

The Great Mother Goddess became fragmented into many minor goddesses, each receiving attributes that had once belonged to her.

This quote merely suggests that what once was has only been cut down to something lesser. One can see Aphrodite and Athena as significant examples of this ‘Great Mother.’ They seem to be a somewhat satisfactory model for the woman who wishes to stand up to the patriarch. Hera is not the only goddess with great cosmic powers one encounter in this grand narrative.

Secondly, Aphrodite who is the embodiment of sexual attraction and deep affection originally was the dominant force of creation. In the patriarchal framework of Greek myth, reduces her to nothing more than a flirt or a mistress. Despite her youthful appearance, Aphrodite is a mighty ancient deity associated with the waters of life due to her birth from sea foam. Yet, more interesting is her union with Ares shows the intriguing dynamics of love and war. Whenever Aphrodite wishes to get something, she much like Helen uses her beauty and sense of sexuality to roll men around her finger. Yet, this sense of allure and pure sexuality also makes her an easy target for objectification. In the framework of the Iliad Aphrodite works through her marionettes of Helen and even Hera herself. This marionette show is in full swing when she uses Helen to get information out of the Trojans, yet the village elders are utterly unaware that this beautiful maiden may be nothing more than a marionette. Rather than blaming the conflict on god’s intervention they merely claim it to be a question of beauty:

Surely there is no blame on Trojans and strong-grieved Achaeans / if for a long time, they suffer hardship for a woman like this one.

From this, we can gather that these elders are merely fascinated by her immense grace, elegance, and danger. Indeed, they cannot blame Paris for taking this bribe from Aphrodite. In the same fashion, Aphrodite helps Hera seduce her husband by lending her girdle to her. As a divine being, experts tend to compare Aphrodite with her Semitic counter, part Ishtar, whom citizens of Ancient Mesopotamia worshipped. This comparison has its basis in ample bother mutual association with the intriguing dynamic of love and war. How come, this dynamic is related to women in these ancient religions may it is because even then women were seen as dangerous. Alternatively, may it be because, like Sappho, they argue that desire is always a component of war? Then there is the question of whether or women really are the weaker sex or is it merely due to their religious focus being more in a matriarchal vain than the much later move to a stronger emphasis on the patriarch. This remains to be seen. When it comes to titles, Aphrodite has to title of Heavenly (Urania) while Ishtar has the honor of being the Queen of Heaven. In continuation of this, worshippers often used incense sticks to honor them and the sacrifice of doves they share as well. Moreover, many ancient texts argue that Ishtar especially was associated with sacred prostitution which archaeologists along with experts in the field have found to be inaccurate. Regarding Aphrodite and her centers of worship, there have also been accounts of priests reading erotica and some claiming that prostitution took place at her temple. A much-published example is that of the Corinthian athlete Xenophon who had won two disciplines at the Olympics in 464 BC with the help of Aphrodite. In this deal, he had promised to dedicate a handful of escorts to her as thanks. This renowned exchange was immortalized in Pindar’s Fragment 122:

A young woman visited by many, / attendants of Persuasion in wealthy Corinth, / who burn the fresh, amber drops of frankincense often fluttering in thought to the mother of loves, / Ouranian Aphrodite. / To you without blame she granted (…

Based on this, one may argue that there was a fragment of the professional who sold themselves in order to keep their promise to Aphrodite if they achieved what they wished. If one looks past Helen’s circumstances, one may even argue she became a lady of the night in order to appease Aphrodite. Thus, if one should look at Helen in this matter, one should also look past her family ties to the goddess of love share and thus her advantages regarding seduction and manipulation. This may also attempt to explain her twisted relationship with her captured brother.

Thirdly, there is Athena who is the incarnation of the wisdom of the Great Goddess since she was born from Zeus’ head this makes the great combination of the male archetype with the softness of the female. She also finds her place within the world of men. At first, her approach seems to be quite respectable. She is one of the greatest war goddesses in the Iliad, second only to Zeus himself; thus she has placed herself far above her brother Ares, who represents her male counterpart. Additionally, she establishes herself as a defender of cities, most notably Athens, which makes her an urban deity who concerns herself with the technology and culture of middle earth. Above all, she should be a magnificent manager, this side of Athena is especially prevalent in times of war. This depiction of her is particularly interesting and is not associated with chaos but rather strategy and discipline. Her intense focus on strategy, discipline, and above all democracy when motivates the Greeks to keep fighting.

Son of Laërtes and seed of Zeus, resourceful Odysseus: / will it be this way? / Will you all hurl yourself into your Benched ships / and take flight homewards to the beloved land of your fathers, / and would you thus leave to Priam and to the Trojans Helen of Argos, / to glory over, for whose sake many Achaians lost their lives in Troy / far from their own native country? / Go now along the host of the Athenians, give way no longer, / speak to each man in words of gentleness and draw them backward, / nor let them drag down to the salt sea their or swept vessels

Here, one sees a back-and-forth between Athena and Odysseus where Athene herself admits that it is Odysseus’ ability to manipulate, which she finds interesting. Plus, she uses his hunger for glory to point out why the Achaemenians should keep fighting. Another reason why Pallas Athena thinks they should keep fighting is to honor those men whom they lost instead of running home with their tails between their legs. Moreover, it is often through her aggressive masculine stances she exercises her power if not through words as seen in her empowerment speech to Odysseus. In both literature and art, she is depicted as a fearsome warrior this is also the case in the Iliad where Pallas is one of many intervening in the war. On the battlefield, she flies through the Greek ranks bellowing war cries to motivate them to go on. She has a finger in everything happening on the battlefield, from grabbing chariots and guiding spears into the chests of the enemy to fending off Trojan weapons with her bare hands. Many tales state that the mere sight of her golden helmet, huge spear, and flapping ages strikes terror into her opponents. When she intervenes the Trojans die like flies, not even the noble Hector can hide from her. The most excellent example of this is arguably the time when Athena convinces him to fight Achilles. In this scene, Athena plays the role of his brother to perfection by offering ‘his’ assistance. When Hector then agrees to fight, she only intervenes to hand back Achilleus his spear after a mid-throw after this she leaves Hector to face the music. Respect for fair play is not the warrior maiden’s strong suit though. Finally, while the grey-eyed Athena may have a great past as a matriarchal warrior goddess, despite this strong history, it is entirely erased by her connection with the patriarch and thus her strength is purely derived from the patriarch himself rather than playing on her feminine nature. She has thus become more masculine in her appearance and manner and is thus described as a lady driven by reasoning and intellect. Therefore, one may argue that Athena has lost her sense of the feminine by trading it for masculine brutality. Upon this one may suggest that she has neglected her roots in the feminine and more extremely her origin as a maternal figure.

Comparative Analysis of Apollo and Aphrodite

Greek mythology is a collection of stories that the ancient Greeks used to say. Such myths are about the world’s history and creation, the lives, and actions of gods, characters, and mythological creatures, and the roots and the importance of the worship and ceremonial rituals of the ancient Greeks. The stories of gods and goddesses in ancient Greece were an important part of daily life. They teach us religious rituals, and gave meaning to the people. It has also been used by modern scholars to understand the nature of myth formation itself. This essay will compare and contrast the two gods and their myths.

I will start by comparing Apollo and Aphrodite characteristics. One of the first and significant gods from mythology is Apollo. Apollo was born unusually. He has several names such as the Sun God, Archer God, God of Prophecy, God of Rationality, and God of Music. He is the only god that has the same name in Greek and Roman. His Epithet is Phoebus which means bright. He carries the bow and the lyre. Apollo’s father is Zeus and his Mother is Leto. Apollo has many attributes such as Bow and Arrow, Lyre, Flute, Music, Raven, Dolphin, Laurel branches and tripod. He also personified Beauty, Balance, and Clarity. Apollo is called the Archer of far-shooting. He dislikes going to somebody near because he is often angry, and he likes to strike out people by hanging out a long distance from hidden places. He likewise has much power with him yet they are connected so if any young men die suddenly it exemplifies that Apollo’s has shot his arrow. He is worshipped at Oracle and Festival.

Apollo had many love affairs which ended tragically. The first affair was with Cassandra, the daughter of Trojan King Priam. She was in love with Apollo and he awarded her with the gift of prophecy. Suddenly, Cassandra changed her mind and rejects Apollo, then he became extremely angry at Cassandra and he spits into her mouth so her actual predictions would never be believed as truth. Apollo also battled in favor of Troy by sending an unhealthy arrow toward the Greek tent which killed numerous Greek fighters. He also guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel and murdered him. The second affair was with Marpessa. Apollo stole her from Ida. He tried to convince her that you are mine so in this situation, Zeus has to step in and he kind of leaves all the decisions to Marpessa whether she loves Idas or Apollo. She chooses Idas over Apollo because she fears growing old with an externally youthful and fickle god. Apollo is happy and tells Marpessa and Idas to have a happy and wonderful life then Apollo moves on. The third affair was with Daphne. Daphne falls in love with Daphne and he tried to chase Daphne. She ran away and pray to her father for help and she transformed into a laurel tree.

Aphrodite is another significant god from mythology. Aphrodite is a goddess of love and desire, she has the power to cause others to fall in her love very easily. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, and a protectress of the sailor. Aphrodite had an unusual birth. She rose up out of sea foam, beautiful and fully grown up. Aphrodite was the child of Zeus and Dione. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was identified as sexual love and she has so much power that she can attract any guy that she desires. Aphrodite was married to Hephestus, the god of fire.

A attributes of Aphrodite are a shell, dove, mirror cupid, naked, jewelry, swan, and apple. Aphrodite had many affairs because of her beauty. Aphrodite was jealous of the beauty of Adonis’s mother Myrrha, so one day she tricked her into falling in love with her father and ended up sleeping with him. When her father had found out that he had been tricked and that Myrrha was pregnant, he wants to kill her and her child. In this case, Myrrha turns into a myrrh tree to save herself. Myrrha gave birth to Adonis, with whom Persephone fell in love. Ares was another lover of Aphrodite who became jealous and Area were caught together by Helios. Helios tried to expose them to the other gods. Aphrodite was also the fundamental purpose of the Trojan War because Aphrodite changed into the mother of Aeneas and engaging youth Adonis who was killed by a pig in the celebration.

As I have categorized Apollo and Aphrodite differences in the above paragraph, but there are several similarities that Apollo and Aphrodite shared such as they both had many affairs because of their beauty. They both had the same father Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods. Aphrodite was raised when the extreme genitals of Ouranos reached the ground, in which case she was essentially the great aunt of Apollo. However, the daughter of Zeus would make half-siblings of Aphrodite and Apollo. They both were born unusually way.

Overall, both Apollo and Aphrodite were very beautiful gods, and has made numerous individual achievements, and are very friendly. The lesson that would be given to both the ancient and modern audience would’ve been that truthness and integrity are required in every human being because if you do something wrong, you should not hide the truth. You should be brave enough to accept your mistake instead of blaming other people. The power of love is something that can heal anyone, if you love someone immensely, you should respect your partner because that respect can justify how you are truthful and loyal can be. The reason that Apollo and Aphrodite didn’t have a good relationship because they were lacking the trust and purity of love. They both had multiple affairs but they didn’t let know the truth to their partner which made things more complicated in their relationship and as well as their life. In conclusion, the two gods had shared several similarities, but both are different from each other for various reasons.