Aphrodite: The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess of Love

by Charles River Editors, Andrew Scott

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient descriptions of the goddess and myths *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “However impious the apotheosis of sexuality may seem in the light of the Christian tradition, modern sensibility can nevertheless also appreciate how in the experience of love the loved one and indeed the whole world appears transfigured and joyously intensified, making all else seem insignificant, a tremendous power is revealed, a great duty.” Attempting to cover all the forms the “Goddess of Love” encapsulates is no small affair. The roles she played in romance, marriage, procreation, and all of the other desires of humanity were myriad, but the aim of this book is to paint a slightly different, perhaps more esoteric version of Aphrodite from the usual image of her in mythology books. The fact is that Aphrodite, as an ancient Greek goddess, was not the anthropomorphic personage modern aficionados see painted on canvas and hewn out of stone. In addition to that, she was also so much more, which can be a difficult concept for the modern reader to discern. In fact, it was difficult for certain ancient readers to discern too; the 5th century BCE philosopher Plato expressed disgust at the idea that his gods would debase themselves in the adulterous, murderous, and mischievous ways they were said to have in their myths. However, it is important to remember that Plato represented a very small proportion of ancient Athenian society, and the rest of the populace didn’t seem to have much of a problem including the “personal” anthropomorphic aspect of the gods into their more “elemental” and “essential” beings. As the scholar Leopold Schmidt put it, “For anyone born a Greek and thinking like a Greek, the idea of a clean antithesis between unity and plurality is put aside where the supernatural beings are concerned. He has no difficult in conceiving unity of action divorced from any unity of person.” This is a very important point to remember when considering any of the ancient Greek gods, which can help the modern reader realize the depth of “character” that Aphrodite embodied for the ancient Greeks. Hers was more than the wooing gifts, more than the marriage bed, and more than the “propriety of women”. She was an elemental force and not one to be underestimated. The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess of Love looks at the story of the legendary deity and the various roles she played in Greek mythology. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Aphrodite like never before.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, History

84 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2017

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little freebie with a nice history and discussion of the goddess.

[FoyaBeninax · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good book to know the basics but too short and not enough detail.

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aphrodite by Charles River Editors Review 6/20/17
All you ever wanted to know and lots more about the Goddess of Love!

Attempting to cover all the forms the “Goddess of Love” encapsulates is no small affair. The roles she played in romance, marriage, procreation, and all of the other desires of humanity were myriad, but the aim of this book is to paint a slightly different, perhaps more esoteric version of Aphrodite from the usual image of her in mythology books. The fact is that Aphrodite, as an ancient Greek goddess, was not the anthropomorphic personage modern aficionados see painted on canvas and hewn out of stone. In addition to that, she was also so much more, which can be a difficult concept for the modern reader to discern. In fact, it was difficult for certain ancient readers to discern too. This is a very important point to remember when considering any of the ancient Greek gods, which can help the modern reader realize the depth of “character” that Aphrodite embodied for the ancient Greeks. Hers was more than the wooing gifts, more than the marriage bed, and more than the “propriety of women”. She was an elemental force and not one to be underestimated. Aphrodite: The Origins and History of the Greek Goddess of Love looks at the story of the legendary deity and the various roles she played in Greek mythology. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Aphrodite like never before.

What did I like? Here I am again, another book on history. I can never get to much. Charles River Editors take all the boring stuff out and leaves you with so much more. Learning for the first time or just refreshing your mind from long ago you can do it is the shortest time possible. I like all my data summed up and spit out in a way that everyone, no matter who you are can understand.

What will you like? Down to EARTH writing with photos of all the players involved plus online resources where you can further your learning if you so desire. It seems as I age I forget some of the details and this Editor puts it in short version but with lots of details, just not the boring ones.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. Some good basic information and does a decent job of expanding the reader's understanding Aphrodite as more than the lust & beauty deity she's been limited to in the modern mind. The writing could have been a little more clearer and engaging. Some of the parallels to Ishtar-Astarte were not super clear. I guess I was just expecting more from this ebook? But I could see this being a good starting point for someone who doesn't know a lot about Aphrodite or mythology. There were some good references for me to do some more research on my own, so I'm glad I read it.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aphrodite is a complex goddess of Greek mythology. The author does a great job of differentiating her roles and characteristics. The bibliography is extensive and useful.

[Snickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick read to get into the origin and mythology is Aphrodite. Quick read too!