What do you think?
Rate this book
Aphrodite: Captivating Greek Myths and Facts Involving the Olympian Goddess of Love
Did you know that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was also associated with the sea?
Born from a strange mixture of divine blood, severed genitals, and seafoam, Aphrodite washed up on the shores of Cyprus long before the emergence of her fellow Olympians. A figure who is as petty as she is relatable, she is not only a key deity of the Greek pantheon, but she is also a central figure in many of the myths we know and love today.
With influences possibly rooted in the goddesses Ishtar and Astarte, there are scholars who believe that the concept of Aphrodite was imported to Greece from the Middle East or West Asia. Contact between cultures might have led to her incorporation into the main Greek pantheon, with her foreign origins explaining some of the regional differences regarding not just her birth but also her personality. While her connections to beauty and love are her most well-known attributes, places like Sparta and Cyprus also viewed her as a war goddess.
Depictions of Aphrodite’s powers can reveal quite a lot about how the Ancient Greeks viewed love. By looking at the life-threatening consequences faced by the mortals who cross Aphrodite’s path, one can see how, in Ancient Greece, a sour end to a relationship could destroy a person’s life through the tainting of their reputation and their honor.
This book focuses on myths that are either centered around Aphrodite or feature her as an important character. Because of her volatile nature and quick temper, Aphrodite could just as often be a force for good as she could be a force for evil. While it would be impossible to gather all the different stories related to Aphrodite in their entirety in one collection, this book provides the interested reader with a nice, if somewhat modest, the assortment of narratives that display different facets of this fascinatingly complex goddess.
Some of the myths you’ll discover by reading this book ’s birth and unexpected marriageThe life and death of AdonisHow Psyche and Eros’ love defied divine wrathPygmalion’s arrogance and his unusual mistressThe beginnings of the greatest war ever foughtAnd more!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about Aphrodite!
Born from a strange mixture of divine blood, severed genitals, and seafoam, Aphrodite washed up on the shores of Cyprus long before the emergence of her fellow Olympians. A figure who is as petty as she is relatable, she is not only a key deity of the Greek pantheon, but she is also a central figure in many of the myths we know and love today.
With influences possibly rooted in the goddesses Ishtar and Astarte, there are scholars who believe that the concept of Aphrodite was imported to Greece from the Middle East or West Asia. Contact between cultures might have led to her incorporation into the main Greek pantheon, with her foreign origins explaining some of the regional differences regarding not just her birth but also her personality. While her connections to beauty and love are her most well-known attributes, places like Sparta and Cyprus also viewed her as a war goddess.
Depictions of Aphrodite’s powers can reveal quite a lot about how the Ancient Greeks viewed love. By looking at the life-threatening consequences faced by the mortals who cross Aphrodite’s path, one can see how, in Ancient Greece, a sour end to a relationship could destroy a person’s life through the tainting of their reputation and their honor.
This book focuses on myths that are either centered around Aphrodite or feature her as an important character. Because of her volatile nature and quick temper, Aphrodite could just as often be a force for good as she could be a force for evil. While it would be impossible to gather all the different stories related to Aphrodite in their entirety in one collection, this book provides the interested reader with a nice, if somewhat modest, the assortment of narratives that display different facets of this fascinatingly complex goddess.
Some of the myths you’ll discover by reading this book ’s birth and unexpected marriageThe life and death of AdonisHow Psyche and Eros’ love defied divine wrathPygmalion’s arrogance and his unusual mistressThe beginnings of the greatest war ever foughtAnd more!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about Aphrodite!
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2022
27 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2025
Note that I have listened to the audiobook and not read the book itsself. It's a nice overview of the myths surrounding Aphrodite and the author prefaces the book with a reminder to put the myths in the context of their time and that in modernity, certain themes would have had a whole other connotation. He makes clear that he doesn't intend to deep dive into the myths and discect them, but to give an overview of the myths that characterise Aphrodite. It doesn't cover all myths, as it skipped over the affair of Aphrodite and Ares, so be wary of that. As a listener, the narrator did a really nice job of delivering the myths in a compelling way.
May 5, 2022
Mythology was not covered in my early schooling, and I"ve always looked at the subject as uninteresting and just plain old. Yet every time I read one of Captivating History's many mythology books, I'm caught up by the fantastic stories and how they resonate with people today. This book was so fascinating that I read it in a single sitting. As will all of these books, the author makes sure readers understand the difference between today's sensibilities and attitudes about life and love in the distant past.
After a clear explanation of Aphrodite and her importance in the pantheon of Greek goddesses, readers are then told stories of Aphrodite and her lovers, then Aphrodite and her children, and finally, Aphrodite and her favorites. The tales are clearly told, and readers get a firm grasp of the many facets of Aphrodite's personality. This is time well spent.
After a clear explanation of Aphrodite and her importance in the pantheon of Greek goddesses, readers are then told stories of Aphrodite and her lovers, then Aphrodite and her children, and finally, Aphrodite and her favorites. The tales are clearly told, and readers get a firm grasp of the many facets of Aphrodite's personality. This is time well spent.
August 2, 2022
The book talks about Greek mythology in general and that a lot of information has been lost over time. It also talks about mystery traditions, the different ages of Greece and how Aphrodite was seen as the goddess of love, sex and beauty.
She is also related to Ishtar, and Venus is her Roman equivalent. It goes into more details and it also gives some of the stories about her including her lovers, her birth and wedding and various others which are rather interesting. The book also includes suggestions for further reading.
It covers a good bit of information and is written in a very understandable fashion.
She is also related to Ishtar, and Venus is her Roman equivalent. It goes into more details and it also gives some of the stories about her including her lovers, her birth and wedding and various others which are rather interesting. The book also includes suggestions for further reading.
It covers a good bit of information and is written in a very understandable fashion.
May 20, 2022
Thank you, BookSprout, for the ARC!
I requested this book because Aphrodite is my favourite goddess (and my claimed god parent). It was fun and interesting to explore the the different nuances and facets of Aphrodite.
The storytelling similar to Fry’s Greek myth books which helped me enjoy it. Rather than dense essays, it was more of a story format with plot and dialogue. And still, I learned a lot while revisiting stories I already knew.
I requested this book because Aphrodite is my favourite goddess (and my claimed god parent). It was fun and interesting to explore the the different nuances and facets of Aphrodite.
The storytelling similar to Fry’s Greek myth books which helped me enjoy it. Rather than dense essays, it was more of a story format with plot and dialogue. And still, I learned a lot while revisiting stories I already knew.
dnf
August 14, 2023DNF.
November 27, 2024
Fantastic! Review to follow.
I have been enthralled with ancient Greek Mythology , since I was a child.
I have read countless books on the subject through the years and just read this one a few days ago. It was delicious. I gobbled it up very quickly.
This was an extremely well researched, work, concentrating on the Greek stories of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and one of the most fascinating of all Gods and Goddess’s.
A few of the stories were actually new to me. They are all timeless tales, most that I have read about many times , but somehow it still feels new and fresh every time as any person who delights in Greek Mythology will know exactly what I’m talking about.
The tale of Eros and Psyche has always been one of my favorite stories. I love the format of this book.
So much is covered .
We read all about Aphrodite’s role in the Trojan war, and we read all about her loves, and all were written about in colorful and fluid detail.
I would easily recommend this delightful book to any students of Greek Mythology.
Whether you are new to the genre, or like me, have been endlessly fascinated by these beguiling tales for what seems like eternity, there is little doubt that you will love this book.
It stands as a beautiful and regal love letter to Aphrodite.
It was obviously created by artists, artists of the written word, who, just like Pygmalion in his creation of Galatéa, clearly adore the subject they write so eloquently about.
I have been enthralled with ancient Greek Mythology , since I was a child.
I have read countless books on the subject through the years and just read this one a few days ago. It was delicious. I gobbled it up very quickly.
This was an extremely well researched, work, concentrating on the Greek stories of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and one of the most fascinating of all Gods and Goddess’s.
A few of the stories were actually new to me. They are all timeless tales, most that I have read about many times , but somehow it still feels new and fresh every time as any person who delights in Greek Mythology will know exactly what I’m talking about.
The tale of Eros and Psyche has always been one of my favorite stories. I love the format of this book.
So much is covered .
We read all about Aphrodite’s role in the Trojan war, and we read all about her loves, and all were written about in colorful and fluid detail.
I would easily recommend this delightful book to any students of Greek Mythology.
Whether you are new to the genre, or like me, have been endlessly fascinated by these beguiling tales for what seems like eternity, there is little doubt that you will love this book.
It stands as a beautiful and regal love letter to Aphrodite.
It was obviously created by artists, artists of the written word, who, just like Pygmalion in his creation of Galatéa, clearly adore the subject they write so eloquently about.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews