Aphrodite: Goddess of Love And Beauty

Aphrodite in Greek mythology is the goddess of love and beauty. Her symbols were the scepter, myrtle, and dove. Aphrodite holds great power over gods and mortal alike. Aphrodite was not only the provoker of love, but also the victim. She was represented in numerous plays and stories. In the tale of her romance with Adonis her vulnerability is shown as moving. This points to the fact that even the gods could suffer, and were …

…aroused passion for the wearer. So great were Aphrodite's seductive abilities that every god, including the great Zeus, desired her as his wife. However, Aphrodite was too proud for any of her suitors and rejected them all. As a punishment, Zeus made her the wife of Hephaestus, the homely and lame smith-god. This union did nothing to curb Aphrodite's actions, and she discouraged Hephaestus from sharing her bed in addition to being unfaithful to him.