#Athena gifting diomedes immortality

[backpackingspace]

Listen Athena is a equivalent of a dragon hording adventurers

[leynaeithnea]

Diomedes

Ok so this wikipedia article was a LOT more elaborate than I expected, I just spend over two hours going through it and making notes Nobody asked for it but here are my notes on Diomedes, theyre not consistent, i changed style and detail a few times, but alas here we go:

Diomedes:

strong defender of justice, deserves better

lost a lot of people

warrior very young

athenas favorite warrior

his fathers glory (and shame)

breast plate from haephestus

shield from his father blessed by athena

fathers sword

spear

boars, lion

most expiereneced warrior of achaeans

doesnt like achilles

brought 80 ships

Sthenelus, chariot driver, best friend, epigoni

youngest of the kings

(post homeric: offered immortality, divinified)

helped Odysseus kill Agemenons daughter

helped Odysseus kill Palamedes (bitch deserved)

brave, NOT haunted by hubris

wounds both ares and aphrodite (same day) and attacts apollo, but withdrew in time

granted divine sight to see immortals (on that day)

grew up way too soon

big battle when 14

more level headed than Ody (can take an insult)

doesnt hesitate to call out bs

“let him go or stay, the gods will make sure that he will fight” (hc: he tried, very humbled by the gods)

athena joined his fight once, driving his chariot and guiding his spear

“friends” with glaucus (trojan) (“i wont fight more immortals” “bro, our grandparents were bros”, “ok give me your gold armour, ill give you my bronze one”)

saves Nestor (ody runs away when he asks for help :(

wants to kill hector so he doesnt get taunted (Nestor says no, Zeus says no 3x /+1 lighting) he eventually turns back and gets taunted, he kills another guy

he attacks the trojans at night and wins, after hector boasted, in the end diomedes is the one worshipped as immortal

agamnenon wants to leave, Dio says hes a bad leader (yes), and that he’ll stay to fight the city that is doomed to fall, even with zeus fighting for the trojans, nestor says he has no better idea, proposed to appeall to achilles with gifts (ody and agamenon agree), they fail, Dio tells them “told you so” (but it doesnt matter anyway, theyll win)

he sleeps outside his tent in armour (they wake him n others at night for council about spies, Dio volunteers, he gets to pick a second, he goes for Ody, ody didnt rly want to go, Dio choose him anyway despite deserting him)

Dio and ody face the spy of the trojans Dolon, (hiding between corpses) he almost runs away but Athena “is fighting to be known” doesnt want someone else to strike first, so she makes Diomedes throw the spear and orders him to stop, Dolon tells them good gossip, including white horses, Dio kills him

they do some more bs, like killing people in their sleep (dio) and stealing horses (ody) dio considers unaliving more until athena suggests he may stop so other gods dont get jealous

both kings are good at being stealthy AND open combat

Rhesus horses are badass (first sign for the fall of troy), Dio gets them (bedding gift?), people without the horses and king leave W for the achaeans

Lord of War Cry

dio throws a spear at hector, apollos helmet saves him, but he mingles with the crowd, first time that Dio speaks back and calls him a dog (even the best men loose their temper at times)

Paris shoots his foot, (fucking moron blasts about it, Dio gives him a verbal lashing) he withdraws under cover of Odysseus, ody gets an ouchy

agamennon wants to flee (again), Dio tells them they should just let themselves get wounded again

Dio wins all funeral games of patroclus (though wounded) – Athena makes sure of it – draws first blood in the fight with Ajax, they stop him worried he’d kill him

Athena appears to him undiguised, Athenas favorite

kills some amazons, Achilles kills his cousin (who was a bitch), dio mourns him though and wants to have achilles punished

Dio and Ody bring Achilles son to Troy after Achilles death (bc they could not win the war without him there)

Ody and Dio sent to negoiate for peace after Paris’ death (by poised bow that the two of them stole?)

dio and ody gotta steal a statue of athena, ody disguises himself as beggar at night, dio follows later and brings the statue out

Ody tries to stab him in the back?? (to get the glory himself???) Dio catches it and ties him, and shoves him infront of himself, but refrains from punishing him because they need him (“for the greater good”)

dio is one of the warriors inside the trojan horse

dio leaves immediatly after the fall of troy (after the achaeans angered athena through the rape of cassandra by ajax the lesser) and arrives home safely (favored by the gods) Post Trojan war possibilities:

when he gets there his wife has commited adultery and keeps him out of town (palamedes brother having told he brought a different woman) aphrodite being pissed about the scratch helps her get many lovers, he has to leave again

gets kidnapped by some guy to get sacrificied to ares, gets saved by a girl

comes to the court of some other king who offers him his daughter as wife and lands, if he fights for them, so he does, and has two sons with her

he refuses to fight more trojans later on, he just wants to live in peace

birds haunt him and his men (his men cried so much over his death they got turned into birds)

[sonoftydeusthemusical]

My friend has never heard of Diomedes before; how would you describe him? Like his motivations, his way of thinking, his strengths and weaknesses, his relationships, major plot points?

(I would explain him myself but I'm still not that far in the Iliad.)

Hello, thank you soooo much for this ask and sorry for the late reply!

First of I want to say that we’re by no means experts on Diomedes. We’re still in the process of learning more about him and discovering and exploring him through this musical, so people with a background in ancient studies might have a more detailed/accurate analysis of him than we can provide at the moment. But we still try to answer you to the best of our abilities!

(You’re welcome to correct us in the comments/reblogs ^^” )

In the words of @holy_mother_of_whumpers:

Diomedes kicks ass more than anyone in the Iliad, is scolded more than anyone. Odysseus best friend (according to historians). Shitty childhood (incest, prophesies and and a lot of dead relatives, which is almost as ancient Greek backstories go), shitty post Troy (banished from his city, cursed by Aphrodite). Actually happy ending (founder of cities, immortalized by Athena).

He’s like Odysseus, but with an unbelievably tragic childhood and less disaster energy. He gets stuff done and slays doing it

But here’s our answer…sorry if this is turns out too long!

Starting out with your question about his motivations

Oath bound, Diomedes avenged his fathers death at the age of 14, sacking the city of Thebes (the epic surrounding it is called “Epigoni” but unfortunately it’s a story lost to history, also he was 4 when he took the oath, should that count rly? shouldn't there be an age of consent for oaths? anyway)

The story surrounding his fathers death is tragic and a bit disgusting (he ate brain and Athena who wanted to gift him immortality was too disgusted to do so)

Diomedes doesn’t remember his father, and he still gets compared a lot to him (just see Agamemnon low-key trash-talking him by stating how much of a better fighter his father was to motivate him for battle) so that kind of plays into his motivations

Additionally like so many other heroes, glory and honor are definitely also motivations of his. Often it is Athena who pushes or motivates him to many of his greatest deeds and other feats (like wounding Ares, throwing the spear at Dolon, beating everyone in the funeral games,…..yeah Athena HATES loosing)

What’s interesting that despite the fact that he was raised on war, later on – after Troy (and admittedly, even more warfare) – he’s said to have wanted to settle down more, founded his cities in peace (or as peaceful as life for kings was back then haha)

In the Iliad Diomedes is always the first to volunteer, and despite often getting treated rather badly (Nestor kicked him awake, my boy was even sleeping in his armour, Agamemnon calls him a coward) he tends to keep a cool head and doesn’t retaliate (…except that one time….or two?) BUT he also definitely doesn’t take BS, he calls out Agamemnon for being a bad leader when he suggests to leave (Diomedes insists they stay and fight until they won)

For his way of thinking…he’s rather pragmatic, a good strategist (mentored by athena), first to jump into the fray, trusts his own strength, knows when to back down/when to talk back, can get caught up in the heat of the moment in battles, doesn’t shy away from violence, lies & trickery…. (correct me on this if I'm wrong or missed something)

Strengths & Weaknesses

One thing that makes him stand out among the other heroes is that arguably, he’s one of the few greek heroes whose lives don’t end in a complete tragedy because of his hubris against the gods (…….wellll………..his wife betraying him after he injured aphrodite and being exiled for arogs is an instant where he still pays for his acts against the goddess, but its tame compared to many other heroes fates, who committed lesser crimes) and in the end he even gets deitified (or at least in some versions, like athena wanted to do with his father, but his father messed upppppp so…..)

He’s more level headed than many other heroes (cough Odysseus “i am in the infamous odysseus” King of Ithaca)

He’s one of the best fighters - or THE best fighter of the greeks next to Achilles, the trojans were more scared of him than of Achilles (….since Achilles didn’t fight) without him the Achaeans….would’ve probably lost the war

As for his weaknesses….one thing is something that’s not even within his own control: his young age (compared to the other kings), almost nobody realllyyyy respects him despite his badass deeds on the battlefield and good battle advice, his many ships he brought and his battle experience even before the war and two) the kind of lingering shame of his fathers final moments (nom nom brain, and failing to take Thebes), but also his fathers supposed greatness that he keeps getting compared to and has to live up to

Now…..his relationships…oh boy theres so many, I’ll try to sum up the most important ones I know in once sentence for each

His family:

His father: he doesn’t remember him, but people keep bringing him up and comparing him to him

We dont know much about his relationship with his mother

most…of his other (male) relatives die in his early youth (which is how he ends up as King of Argos) like his grandfathers, and his uncles…

The achaean kings:

Agamemnon: the boss who’s a bully, but Diomedes talks back to him sometimes at least (…unless he’s insulting him, he just accept that)

Ajax: Diomedes almost kills him during the funeral games….the acheans have to break up the fight

Achilles: Diomedes doesn’t like him, Dio is the only one who wants him punished for killing Diomedes cousin that everyone else hated

Odysseus: LOTS of tea to be found here (he seems to see Ody as a mentor figure and keeps picking him as companion for missions, they both have Athena as their patron goddess but while Odysseus leans a little bit more on the wisdom part, Diomedes leans more into the pure strength of battle, they work well together and have a bunch of missions together)

Comrades

Most noteable are Sthenelus (known him since early childhood) and Euryalus, who are with him in Troy, they were part of the Epigoni (its rly a long story)

His wife: is his cousin, he marries her to strengthen his rulership, in the end, its said that she betrayed him with a new lover and exiled him from his own kingdom (another long story)

Glaucus: they met on the battlefield and realized their grandfathers were bro’s so they didnt fight each other, and instead exchanged armours (but Diomedes got the better, golden armour, while Glaucus got the bronze armour..)

There is sooooo much more to say about him, all the stories of the Iliad, the events before AND after it, his relationship with Athena, etc. I barely scratched the surface here so maybe we have to make a whole series of posts about this one day so we can get more into detail because its so much! (Let us know if we should???)

I hope this answered some of your questions, though! And again thank you so much for your interest and apologies for the late reply!

[jacobpking]

Athena - Patron of Heroes

I wanted to draw Athena next to the heroes in Greek myth she helps out the most, in this case I decided on Diomedes and Heracles, both were gifted immortality after death.

[haesi-perpetuo-in-r2]

This is a really good summary. Allow me to add a couple more interesting things.

Tydeus’ death is a really interesting and weird story. So he got mortally wounded by a dude named Melanippus and Athena was gonna make him immortal to save him. But Tydeus (for some reason) decides he’s gonna eat the brains of Melanippus. And once Athena sees this she basically just lets him die.

Diomedes was a force of nature during the Trojan War. He was fighting this Trojan Aeneas (very important in later Roman culture and a topic for another time) and Diomedes is basically about to end Aeneas. However, Aeneas is the son of Aphrodite, so through a little divine intervention, Aphrodite saves her son. But what does Diomedes do? Well, he simply wounds the goddess’ arm and sends her running to Olympus and literally crying to her mother (no joke). He then attacks Apollo which basically ends in a draw. He then caught Ares’ spear and wounded Ares in the chest with it.

Of course, he was aided by Athena through all of this, even receiving the gift of being able to see deities, but Diomedes went toe to toe with three Olympians.

I feel like this may be opening a can of worms based on your page but uhh… who is Diomedes???

Was he a soldier in the Trojan War that Odysseus fought with that was gay for Ody? Lol

Ahahaha, no worries, I wasn’t aware of who he was either until I joined the EPIC Writing Server

So in short (as much as I know about him):

We need to go back until his father, Tydeus, actually. Tydeus was one of the Seven against Thebes, favored by Athena, and like many of that seven he lost his life in that war when Diomedes was (most popularly) 4 years old. Diomedes vowed revenge, and around the age of 14 he gathered the sons of the Seven against Thebes, they became the Epigoni (there is a lost epic about this story, why did it get lost…😭) and successfully conquered Thebes.

Before or after the Epigoni (don’t try to set up a timeline in Greek myth) he became the king of the city Argos. HOWEVER, he spent more time at wars then at home (with his wife Aegialia), or at least that’s thought.

Yes, he went to Troy to fight (whether because he was bound by the oath, or just because of fame and glory is unclear). He is said to be one of the youngest warriors but with the most experience, he was the third best among the Greeks, mostly because of Tydeus Athena favors Diomedes as well (she’s always so strict with him, like, c’mon Athena, he’s doing his best), which kinda connects him to Odysseus. If you read the Iliad, 95% of the time they are together. They go on a night mission together to steal horses, when the Trojans break through their defence and Diomedes gets shot in the foot, Odysseus covers him until he retreats, on another mission near the end of the war they steal the Palladium together and Odysseus betrays him and-

Ah… Too many stories for one blog… If anyone wants to share more, please feel free. (I’m looking at you @still-mourning-polites /lh 😂)

But here, this is one reason they are shipped like heck. I couldn’t decide, which translation to use, so here’s Robert Fagles’ (first pic) and Emily Wilson’s (second pic) of the Iliad, Book 10, when Diomedes has to choose who will accompany him on the mission

[a-d-nox]

hercules, greek hero who performed the twelve labors (5143)

“when talking about such a popular god, goddess, or hero i am going to for warn paraphrasing - of course all these stories have more details and all these popular gods have stories within stories. i would love to share them all/in detail but i would need a book and a lot more time to write it. my attempt in writing these posts are to inform you on the high level story of the god’s or goddess’s life. that being said if any one of the events regaled in the post pique you interest - please let me know i don’t mind giving a more in-depth tale of any of the events mentioned.”

hercules (the non-disney version).

Hercules is the son of Zeus and Alcmene (sometimes listed Amphitryon - the grandchild of Perseus, the hero who slew Medusa). Zeus, of course, courted Alcmene in secret - the night of Hercules's conception, Alcmene disguised herself as her husband Amphityon after sleeping with him, in order to sneak out to Zeus. In this myth and having slept with two men on that night, nine months later, Alcmene gives birth to Iphicles and Hercules (lol twins? medically speaking, unlikely due to the DNA that is unshared between the two). Hera learns that Hercules is Zeus's demi-god son and immediately is enraged - sending snakes into the cradle of the two newborns. Hercules strangles these creatures, whilst Iphicles cries. In most myths, after this occurrence, there is a time jump (sometimes not: Hercules kills his music teacher, Linus, accidentally in a fit of rage, thereafter he faces a fate who wishes him to choose between a happy, unmarketable life and tragic, rememberable life - he chooses neither) in which Hercules is a man, father of many children, and a slayer of the Cithaeron Lion. This lion was thought to have preyed on Amphitryon's and Thespius's flocks of sheep. After hunting the lion for fifty some days, Hercules famously donned the skin of the lion, creating the deadhead of the beast - showing he was the top predator. Thespius's way of thanking Hercules was then having his daughters sleep with Hercules. After his youth Hercules marries the Theban King Creon's daughter, Megara. Hera, not having forgotten her spiteful ways, cursed Hercules. Hercules ends up slaughtering his family members in a fit of madness caused by Hera (sometimes he kills just Megara, sometimes just the children, and sometimes all of the above). To atone for his crimes Hercules visits a Pythia who informs him to seek his cousin Eurystheus and do whatever he asks of him.

Thus the Twelve Labors of Hercules are born. First, the Nemean Lion whom Hercules killed with his bare hands because the lion's skin was invulnerable. After slaughtering the creature, he shed the Cithaeron Lion's fur to wear the Nemean Lion's like armor. Second, Lernaean Hydra whom Hercules killed with the help of his nephew, Iolaus, who cauterized the site of decapitation each time Hercules lobbed off a head to prevent new heads from growing back. After defeating this creature, Hercules coated his arrows in the creature's poisonous blood. Third, the Ceryneian Head who was requested to be brought back alive to Eurystheus, who wished to give it to Artemis. This doe was thought to have antlers and breath fire - making this not as easy a feat. Fourth, Erymanthian Boar. Fifth, Augean Stables which involved cleaning the stables of King Augeas's immortal cows. Sixth, Stymphalian Birds, the man-eating birds in which Hercules's shot down with his poisonous arrows after scaring them out of hiding by using Athena's gifted rattle. Seventh, Cretan Bull as we recall from the Minos post, Minos had deprived Poseidon of his sacrifice - Hercules captured the bull and gave it to Eurystheus who release's it in the city of Marathon (later, Theseus kills the Cretan Bull because it terrorizes this city). Eighth, steal the Mares of Diomedes - these flesh eating horses were lured away by Hercules who fed them his own horse. Ninth, steal the Girdle of Hippolyta - the Amazonian queen received this gift from her father, Ares (which shows the militant nature of the Amazons she led), yet Hercules defeated them. Tenth, steal the Cattle of Geryon who were guarded by Orthrus, the two-headed dog - Hercules ends up killing the dog, Geryon, and Geryon's shepherds. After these first ten Hercules was supposed to be even but it was Eurystheus who demanded two more. Eleventh, the Golden Apples of the Hesperides. How Hercules learns of the location of these apples varies; in some he asks Prometheus who is set free by Hercules, in others, Hercules captures Nereus. Either way he finds his way to the garden to discover Hera's guard - Ladon, the dragon. Sadly, Hercules kills the beast but can't get into the garden because the creature's body is in the way. This causes Hercules to ask Atlas to get them - Hercules says he will take on Zeus's task to Atlas (holding up the heavens) whilst he gets them. Atlas agrees and retrieves the fruit but attempts to leave Hercules to hold the heaven's. Hercules tricked Atlas into taking it back and then leaves Atlas there to continue holding up the heavens. Twelfth, retrieving Cerberus from the Underworld - he convinces Hades into letting him borrow the creature.

Many years after these tasks, as we recall from the Nessus post, Deianira naively gives Hercules a tunic which peels and burns away his skin. Hercules dies in agony - after his death ceremony, he becomes a god of Olympus and Hera allows him to marry Hebe. IN MY OPINION Heracles in your chart represents a) where you are godly in the mortal realm, b) if/how you are a womanizer, c) where you are the best at hunting/searching/tracking, d) where you may feel a higher being is out to get you, e) where you atone for doing horrible things by doing horrible things, f) the tasks you may be forced to do, and/or g) where you feel betrayed by those you love.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of heracles along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of heracles AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede heracles!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS/PLANETS: hebe (6), hera (103), minos (6239), nessus (7066), prometheus (1809), pythia (432), zeus (5731 / h42), iphiklos (43706), augeias (13184), diomedes (1437), hippolyta (10295), orthos (2329), nereus (4660), hades (h41), and cerberus (1865)!

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[godsofhumanity]

rank the men from the iliad (+ explanations)

1. Hector 

WHAT do i even need to say????? Hector is literally brilliant!!! He’s kind, he’s smart, he’s brave, he’s honourable, he’s loyal, he’s a fighter. Even Zeus thought he was so good that he deserved to be saved and only didn’t save him from Achilles because Athena begged him not to. I also really love Hector because even though he’s so awesome, he’s not arrogant or pretentious like Achilles, he’s just so grounded and nice.

2. Odysseus

Remember when Odysseus tried to avoid participating in the war by pretending to be insane? AGHHHHH ODYSSEUS, KING!! That really indicates what kind of a man Odysseus was- kind, and strong, and preferring peace to violence. This guy also stopped Achilles from being stupid and forcing his soldiers to keep fighting even though they were exhausted. Also.. Trojan horse epic prank.. great work, Odysseus.

3. Priam

Oh, Priam! The scene where Priam goes to Achilles himself and begs him to give Hector’s body back is what does it for me. Priam, a king, has to cross enemy lines and bow down before his enemy, the man who murdered his son, and beg him to have the smallest bit of sympathy and give back the body so that they can give Hector the proper burial rites so that he can pass on to the land of the dead. Can you imagine how humiliating that must have been? What strength of mind this old man must have had to go to Achilles, a spoiled brat, and ask for mercy! Priam is just... words can’t describe. I have so much respect for him. He really put family first, always.

4. Polydamas

Hector’s good friend and a Trojan commander. He gives Hector some really good battle advice but my man Hector never listens 😭😭😭 Props to Polydamas for trying though xx

5. Diomedes

Honourable, valiant and not pretenious despite being the ONLY mortal warrior to actually wound the immortal gods (Ares)!!! I LOVE this dude!! He’s smart, he’s brave, he’s cunning, he’s resourceful. Fantastic work, Diomedes!

6. Nestor

i like him because he’s a little bit funny, but also extremely wise and sensible. everyone appreciates him and listens to his advice when he gives it.

7. Aeneas

Aphrodite, Apollo AND Poseidon loved this dude and saved his life on separate occasions, so you know he’s a good one!!

8. Ajax the Greater

remember when Hector and Ajax had a big fight, and then they just stopped and gave each other gifts???? KINGS! Ajax is just very honourable, and he’s an excellent fighter. i like him! sad ending though :///

9. Patroclus

Did you know that Patroclus was actually older than Achilles, despite most modern adaptions portraying him as younger? Anyways, i don’t hate Patroclus. He had the spirit- he was brave and courageous, albeit a little brash. 

10. Deiphobus

i feel like we always forget that Deiphobus married Helen after Paris died. the fact that Athena chooses to impersonate Deiphobus during Achilles’ fight with Hector, indicates that Deiphobus was trusted and beloved by Hector, which further suggests that they had like-minded personalities. still, he’s further down this list because of the myth where he carries Helen off and marries her- Deiphobus, my dude, did you not just watch an entire war unfold because Paris did the exact same thing? Idiots! The lot of them!

11. Menelaus

Menelaus isn’t exactly a strong fighter, but i actually kinda like him! As a king, i think that if Menelaus had simply just sat back down and been like “okay, my wife got kidnapped, let me just leave it be because a war is too much”, that would have made him look really weak. He 100% was in the right for waging war, because Paris was WRONG and never should have done what he did. I genuinely do think that Menelaus did love Helen, though I’m undecided about whether Helen reciprocated. Either way, Menelaus is okay in my books- he just did what he had to.

12. Achilles

ugh. i used to really like Achilles, but the more of the Iliad i read, the more i disliked him. He’s so arrogant and pretentious and hot-headed. He thinks he’s a god. obviously, i hate what he does to Hector, and i don’t think he was all that honourable. He was just a spoiled brat.

13. Paris

Troy’s resident dumbass. for real, Paris is just so dumb.. i don’t like him! he makes so many bad decisions, and everyone else has to pay for them. He knew that Helen was off limits- being married, and already being a mother with a child who needed her, so what did brave Paris do? Kidnap Helen! AGHHH YOU IDIOT! YOU FOOL! 

14. Agamemnon

i hate this guy. i feel bad for him because he had to sacrifice his own daughter for the sake of the war.. but other than that,, he’s just so angry and scary and brutal,, and i don’t like him. also, his own wife killed him, so what does that say about the man?

**these are just my opinions,, feel free to disagree!!

[oddnub-eye]

The Demigoddness of Achilles

Achilles is the premier demigod featured in Homer’s Iliad. While other demigods are featured in fairly prominent roles, like Helen and Sarepedon, Achilles is the one who has both the most screen time, and time dedicated to him as a character. This allows his “demigoddness” to stand out in contrast to several other characters, especially the more human characters.

I am well aware that demigoddness is not a word, but I’m using the word because I can’t think of a better one. I also like saying “demigoddness” out loud.

Being a demigod means being both a human and a god, born from one of each. That much is incredibly obvious, but where it becomes interesting with Achilles is that he seems to take behavior from both sides of his ancestry in equal parts; something that sets him apart from other demigods, not just in the Iliad, but in the mythology as a whole. Heracles is barely a human, far more god than man, even experiencing an apotheosis. He performs inhuman feets and his “human” narratives are few and far between. Even his “human” narratives still involve fantastical monsters and elements. His sack of Troy is preceded by saving a Trojan princess from a sea monster. His sack of Pylos involved him battling several gods. Heracles engages in very little “purely human” narratives.

Now, that is not to say that the Iliad is a “purely human” narrative. The gods are an incredibly key part of its narrative, influencing events and either aiding or impairing the mortal character’s efforts. But, where Achilles’ stands apart is just how close he is with the deathless gods. Where Diomedes backs off when faced with Apollo, Achilles chases him. When he loses his gear to Hector, new armor is made for him by Hepasteus himself. When the gods communicate with Achilles, they don’t take the form of a close ally or a dream, they appear to him directly, speaking with him. (Compare Athena taking the form of Deiphobus to trick Hector, versus communicating with Achilles directly when he fought the river.)

He’s prideful and irrational, when his pride is damaged, he withdraws from the fight, prays to his mother to have Zeus aid the Trojans, just as Athena, Hera, and Poseidon rage at Troy for its past slights against them. When Agamemnon rages, Nestor or another king will speak to him as an equal, Diomedes dresses him down when he suggests retreat, and he takes Nestor’s suggestions. When Ajax the Greater, Odysseus, and Phoenix come to Achilles, he remains angry through their counsel, even when faced with gifts and promises that should sway a mortal. His pride remains damaged, and it has not yet been fixed.

Even Achilles’ arestia begins with the gods. As he races out onto the battlefield for the first time, finally drawn from his tent, Zeus frees the gods, allowing them to run free on the battlefield, and act as they please. Poseidon causes the world to quake so fiercely that even Hades fears that he shall send all mortals to the House of the Dead, “And terror-struck in the underworld, Hades lord of the dead cringed and sprang from his throne and screamed shrill, fearing the god who rocks the ground above his realm, giant Poseidon, would burst the earth wide open now and lay bare to mortal men and immortal gods at last the houses of the dead..”

As Achilles’ begins his rampage, his moment, the gods show off their great power, fighting each other and aiding mortals as they please.

However, this does not mean that Achilles is entirely different from the mortal characters in the Iliad. He is pointed out for his deep respect for the god, praying to them as frequently as the other characters, and yielding respect to them more often than not.

Moreover, Achilles also experiences growth. The gods are ageless, deathless. Poseidon’s rage at Troy never fades, Athena and Hera cannot forgive the slight done to them by Paris. Yet, at the prompting of the Gods and by Priam’s words, Achilles is able to move past his rage towards Hector, return the Trojan Prince’s body, and even declare that he himself shall enforce a truce to allow Priam to give the body its proper due. A stark contrast to his behavior in the previous books, callous and often cruel.

It is through this act, an honorable act, that Achilles shows change. He acts not in the callous or crass manner of previous books, but instead chooses to act with comparatively more virtue. The Iliad is about Achilles’ wrath, and ultimately, his abandonment of it, his growth beyond it.

It is through this lens that Achilles begins to feel more like “a demigod” than many other characters throughout greek mythology, or even within the Iliad himself. He rages like a god, yet grows like a human.

[tipsycad147]

Chiron Greek Mythology

Chiron was an important character in Greek mythology, known as the justest and wisest of all the centaurs. He was highly intelligent and was a tutor to several important figures in Greek myth. Chiron possessed knowledge of medicine and was civilized in comparison to other centaurs, who were often regarded as wild and savage beasts.

Although Chiron was believed to be immortal, his life ended at the hands of Heracles, the demigod. Here’s the story of the most respected and loved centaur in all of Greek mythology and how he came to his tragic end.

Chiron’s Origins

Chiron was the son of Philyra, an Oceanid, and Cronus, the Titan. Centaurs had a reputation for being barbaric. They were lustful and only interested in drinking and merrymaking. However, because of his parentage, Chiron was different from other centaurs and had a more noble, honorable disposition. Chiron was also slightly different in appearance, since his front legs were said to be those of a human rather than those of a horse, like the average centaur.

When Chiron was born, his mother Philyra was disgusted and ashamed of her child. She abandoned him but he was found by Apollo, the god of archery. Apollo raised Chiron and taught him everything he knew about music, the lyre, prophecy and medicine.

Apollo’s sister Artemis, the goddess of hunting, took it upon herself to teach him hunting and archery and under their care, Chiron grew into an intelligent, kind, peaceful and unique character. Because he was the son of Cronus, he was also said to be immortal.

Chiron the Tutor

Some sources say that Chiron became well versed in numerous academic fields by learning and studying everything on his own. He became a respected oracle and tutor to many heroes in Greek mythology as well as the god of wine, Dionysus.

Among his pupils were several famous names including Achilles, Peleus, Jason, Asclepius, Telamon, Nestor, Diomedes, Oileus and Heracles. There are many sculptures and paintings depicting Chiron teaching one or the other of his students skills, such as playing the lyre. s

Chiron’s Children

Chiron lived in a cave on Mount Pelion. He married Chariclo, a nymph, who also lived on Mount Pelion and they had many children together. Among them were:

The Pelionides – this was the name given to several of Chiron’s daughters who were nymphs. The exact number is uknown.

Melanippe – also called Hippe, she was seduced by Aeolus, the keeper of the winds, and was later turned into a mare to hide the fact that she was pregnant from her father.

Ocyrrhoe –  she metamorphosed into a horse after revealing to her father his fate.

Carystus – a rustic god who is closely associated with the Greek island, Euboea.

Chiron Saves Peleus

Throughout the myth of Chiron, he is closely linked with Peleus, father of Achilles. Peleus had been wrongly accused of trying to rape Astydameia, the wife of King Acastus of Iolcus, and the king was plotting his revenge. He wanted to kill Peleus but he had to come up with a cunning plan so as to avoid bringing down the Erinyes on him.

One day when they were both out hunting on Mount Pelion, Acastus took Peleus’ sword while he slept, and hid it away. Then, he abandoned Peleus, with the idea that Peleus would be killed by the savage centaurs who lived on the mountain. Luckily for Peleus, the centaur who discovered him was Chiron. Chiron, who’d found Peleus’ missing sword, gave it back to him and welcomed the hero into his home.

According to ancient sources, it was Chiron who told Peleus how to make Thetis, the Nereid, his wife. Peleus followed Chiron’s advice and tied up the Nereid to prevent her from shapeshifting and escaping. In the end, Thetis agreed to marry Peleus.

When Peleus and Thetis got married, Chiron gave them a special spear as a wedding gift, polished by Athena with the metal point crafted by Hephaestus. This spear was later handed down to Peleus’ son, Achilles.

Chiron and Achilles

While Achilles was still a baby, Thetis tried to make him immortal, which involved several dangerous rituals that Peleus soon found out about. Thetis had to flee the palace and Peleus sent Achilles to Chiron and Chariclo, who raised him as their own. Chiron made sure to teach Achilles everything he needed to know about medicine and hunting which later turned him into the great hero that he became.  

Chiron’s Death

According to the myth, Chiron was supposed to be immortal, but he was killed by the Greek hero, Heracles. Heracles and his friend Pholus were drinking wine when the smell of the wine attracted several savage centaurs to Pholu’s cave. To fight them all off, Heracles had to use several of his arrows, poisoned with the blood of the terrible Hydra. One of the arrows went straight into Chiron’s knee (how Chiron came into the scene isn’t exactly clear). Because he was immortal he didn’t die, but began to feel unbearable pain. Heracles tried everything he could to help because he had never meant to hurt Chiron, but Chiron couldn’t be cured. The poison of the Hydra was too strong.

After nine days of terrible pain, with Heracles weeping near him, Chiron realized that there was only one way he could end his suffering and he asked Zeus to make him mortal. Zeus was full of pity for him but there was nothing else to be done so he did as Chiron asked. As soon as Zeus took his immortality away, Chiron died from the wound. Zeus then placed him amongst the stars as the constellation Centaurus.

According to an alternate version of the story, Chiron made a deal with Zeus to sacrifice his life in order to free Prometheus who was being punished for introducing fire to mankind.

Facts About Chiron

1- Who is Chiron?

Chiron was a centaur, known as the justest, fairest and wisest of all centaurs.

2- Who are Chiron’s parents?

Chiron is the son of Cronus and Philyra.

3- Who killed Chiron?

Heracles kills Chiron by accident, poisoning him with a Hydra-blood arrow.

4- Why is Chiron famous?

Chiron is known for being the tutor to several of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology, including Achilles, Diomedes, Jason, Heracles, Asclepius and many more.

5- Was Chiron immortal?

Chiron was born immortal but requests Zeus to make him mortal so that he can die.

Wrapping Up

Chiron played an important role in Greek mythology by teaching many of the greatest Greek heroes.  Although he trained most of them, Chiron wasn’t known for being a hero himself. He was mostly a side character who stayed in the background, providing the main characters with guidance and assistance.

https://symbolsage.com/chiron-greek-mythology/

[swaglexander-the-great]

Hey!!!! Dumb question but what exactly is the Iliad?

THE ILIAD: A SUMMARY

The Short Version: A yarn about blokes getting shitmixed in a war over Miss Hellenic Beauty Champion because some gods thought it would be a Lol.

The Long Version: A Homeric epic poem passed down through spoken word over generations that was penned down in about 800 BC. In the mythological timeline, it ends the Age of Heroes (by wasting them all). It covers the Greek seige of Troy, a whole lotta gods Messing With Shit, a Poseidon who needs anger management, a few hundred names and lots of General Epicness ft Diomedes and Patroklus. Sit back my buddy, let’s go through a quick summary of the books.

Book 1: Apollo ghettoblasts the Greeks with Pain because Agamemescunt kidnapped his priestess Chryseis. Being a douchebag, Agadouchebag Mr Steals Yo Girl from Achilles, which leads to in͟ten̛şȩ ͟śul͜ki͢n̶g͡ . Achilles’ divine Ma brokers a deal with the Zeus goose (not literally thank goodness, although it’s a definite possibility) so that the Greeks won’t win until they realize how fucked they are without Achilles and go crawling back to him for help.

Book 2: Zeus messes with Agafuckface by telling him to attack Troy. Agamemhoe messes with Zeus by telling his entire army to fuck off back to Greece. Odysseus, with Athena’s help, uses his wicked ol’ tongue to lick  Agaiceheart back into  shape (not literally, although very possible in Ancient Greece). There are 31 paragraphs of names about Greeks and 16 paragraphs of names about Trojans going to war. The epic story continues.

Book 3: The armies meet. Memealaus (sorry, Menelaus) and Paris decide to have a 1v1 to end this shindig. Paris is saved by Aphrodite and a cloud because he is a Weak Bitch, so we gear up for another 9 years and 11 months of war. Helen tells Aphrodite to go fuck Paris herself if she likes him so much, but Aphrodite threatens Godly Bitch Revenge is Helen ever talks back to her like that again.

Book 4: Menelaus gets grazed by an arrow. Like a football player with a stubbed toe, this means war. He also apparently had ‘shapely thighs and fair ankles’. Watch out for the Zeus eagle, boi. Fighting commences. Diomedes appears. He is awesome, as usual. We continue to the next chapter.

Book 5: Pretty much an entire chapter about Diomedes being a son of a gun and killing fucking everything thanks to Athena. A dude called Sthenelus gets a rock hard boner watching all of this. Aeneas thinks it’s a good idea to take on Diomedes. Mistake. Big Mama Aphrodite has to save him, also with a cloud. Diomedes hasn’t quite reached Critical Awesome yet, so he stabs Ares and Aphrodite as well. Hera calls Ares a little bitch and we carry on.

Book 6: Just a lot of death really. Diomedes was going to kill a bloke, but they realize they are family friends, so just do a little swapsie of armour. Hector gives Paris a spray for being a cowardly little bitch, Paris agrees, and they set off for battle.

Book 7: Hector decides to 1v1 and get this over with. Menelaus tries to accept, but his wingmen Restrain Him. Ajax gets picked out of a hat to fight, but after a bit of a tussle it gets dark, so the fighting pair give each other presents and go home for the night. The next day, they all take a holiday from fighting and the Greeks build a wall. Poseidon is triggered. (reason here.)

Book 8: Due to Poseidon being triggered, Zeus forbids any godly interference on both sides of the war. Hera and Poseidon bitch about Zeus as the Greeks get casually wreckt by the Trojans, but decide not to act on it. Lucky for the Greeks, the Trojans decide sleeping is better than winning, so leave off for the night.

Book 9: The Greeks hit Fuck It and decide to grovel to Achilles for help. Before they do, Diomedes gives Agasaggytitnon a spray for being a douchebag, and everyone agrees that he is indeed a douchebag. Sthenelus probably pops another boner. Back in the tent with the power pair, Achilles and Patroklus, Patroklus tries to be the polite bf to the pleading Greeks, but Achilles is still thinks Agamoomoo called him a ‘vile tramp’ so refuses to help. The drama continues.

Book 10: Odysseus and BAMF Diomedes go on a sneak mission and  heroically stab the Trojans in their sleep. They also heroically steal some horses. The epic heroism continues.

Book 11: Hector takes a leaf out of Diomedes’ book and decides to shitmix the Greeks. He successfully shitmixes the Greeks, giving Agamugface a well-deserved arm wound. Paris shoots Diomedes in the foot, but Diomedes literally does not give a shit. Some random dude gives Odysseus a bit of a stab, Ajax gets Confused By Zeus but survives, but things still look Grim. Sweetheart Patroklus sees the Grimness and decides to try and use his wiles to break Achilles out of his Uber Sulk.

Book 12: The Trojans continue to roadhaul the Greeks, which will come back to bite Hector, but we do meet a dude called Thootes. He doesn’t do shit, but his name is great. There is graphic violence, and the Trojans go to chuck a Greek ship on the barbie. 

Book 13: Poseidon rises from the sea, back being a buddy to the Greeks now the his great enemy The Triggering Greek Wall has been overcome.There is a shit ton of fighting wherein the Greeks do well and Poseidon is happy because he’s getting vengeance for his other traumatic wall experience.

Book 14: Hera sees Poseidon disobeying Zeus and getting sweet wall vengeance and while probably thinking she married the wrong brother, decides to use Titty Distraction so that the Greeks don’t get chucked on the Trojan barbie. Titty Distraction predictably works A+ and the Trojans get slightly shat on with gratuitous eyeball violence. Hector gets hit by a rock and almost has the most anticlimactic death since Amycus, who suffered death by Elbow Punch.

Book 15: Zeus wakes, calls Hera a scurvy knave and tells Poseidon to Fight Him. Poseidon does not want to Fight Him, so melts back into the ocean and stops helping the Greeks. Apollo resurrects Hector from his rock to the face and the Trojans joyously return to their mission to barbeque the Greek ships.

Book 16: Honeyboo Patroklus (still on his way to Achilles since Book 11) sees Apollo and his Brojans on the warpath and breaks Achilles’ heart with Man Tears. While Achilles and Patbroklus have a very, very long, heartfelt conversation, the Trojans start to toast the Greek ships. Achilles gives (yes gives) Patroklus his armour and tells him to fuck shit up, but not to win without him. Fighting commences, we discover the word hurly-burly, Sarpedon dies in a shower of Zeus-induced blood rain and Patroklus becomes Diomedes 2.0 until he is gang bashed by Hector, Apollo, a literal god, and some awkward random called Euphorbus. Sasstroklus delivers a final fuck you, pulls the finger at all three of his killers and blazes it down to Hades.

Book 17: Hector takes Achilles’ armour off Patroklus, marking him as target #1 for the Sulk King. The Trojans and the Greeks spend an entire chapter having a tug of war with Patroklus’ body. Ajax and Menelaus comment mildly on how Zeus is helping out the Trojans, and the god shines a bit of sunlight in chagrin for being called out. The Greeks win the tug of war thanks to Double Ajax Tactics.

Book 18: In which Achilles goes nuts. Everybody has a cry because Patroklus was a Swell Guy (seriously,as swell as a Hawaiian surf that guy). Achilles goes and therapy-screams at the Trojans, who see the mad bloke and back the fuck off -  rightfully so, as Achilles is planning some good old human sacrifice to his dead ‘rider’ Patroklus. Meanwhile, Hephaestus quick-smelts some smashing new armour for Achilles with his household robots.

Book 19: Achilles gets dolled up for battle. Agadickbutt and Odysseus try to placate the madman with gifts, including Briseis, the dame Agamemnope stole from Achilles, but Achilles’ quota of fucks has run out indefinitely. He saddles up and gets ready to fuck up his bae killer.

Book 20: Zeus R͡ELE҉ASE͜S̵ ͝T̀H͜E͡ ́ǴO̷D͞S͝ and lets them play for whichever team they like, so long as Achilles doesn’t sack Troy just quite yet. It’s probably a friendly game similar to football in god terms. Athena invents the spear boomerang, Hera and Poseidon do some casual sunbathing, while Achilles paints the town red rather literally. 

Book 21: Achilles finds men too weak and decides to take on a literal river (Scamander). Achilles realizes this was A̴ B̸ad ̶I͜de͟a͡and decides he’ll stick to men. We’re not sure whether Diomedes would have backed off from a river, but I guess we’ll never know. Apollo saves a dude called Agenor from Achilles molestation and in doing so also saves the Brojans. The epic story continues.

Book 22: Apollo says surprise Achilles, tricked ya into chasing me boi, I’m immortal. Achilles stares him dead in the eye for a full minute then says ‘fuck you’ and rides off back to Troy. Hector decides it’s time for another 1v1, but at the last minute considers that this idea was insane and fuckin legs it. Achilles chases Hector around the wall of Troy three times presumably to this soundtrack. Hector finally stops to fight, and thanks to the Athena Spear Boomerangᵀᴹ, Achilles avenges his Patroklus. Hector performs the minor miracle of talking whilst having a spear sticking out of his throat before he dies, then Troy’s hero gets roadhauled and everyone is Sad. 

Book 23: Ghost Patroklus pays Achilles a visit, like a sexy Obi wan Kenobi and tells Achilles to bury him already. Patghostklus also beseeches that their bones be laid (ha) together when Achilles inevitably gets fucked on by Fate. Achilles says of course bby I was gonna do that anyway, and tries to make out with a ghost, but this isn’t a Whoopi Goldberg type deal, so Patroghost gets sent back down under. They put the fun in funeral by having games and giving out toasters and such as prizes.

Book 24 (The End): After ‘yearning after the might and manfulness of Patroklus’, Achilles continues to roadhaul Hector until Apollo gives his fam a spray about the dishonour of it. Hera says he’s only mortal scum so who gives a fuck and Zeus says chill wife and commands Achilles to RE̵L͘E̡A̷S͢E ̴T́HȨ H̀ȨC̕T̵O̷R͡ (sorry I can’t help it). With Hermes as a bodyguard, Priam (Hector’s dad) goes to get the body back. Achilles and Priam have a man-cry bonding moment over Dead Loved Ones, Hector is whisked off to be buried and there ends the Iliad! There’s none of the ankle-shooting, wooden-horse-building shenanigans in there, they all come in later texts such as the Aeneid and Ovid, although I still can’t find the exact text where Achilles gets shot. If y’all know, send me the link ;)  I fucking found it nvm

Anyhoo, that was…Jeez, that was The Iliad (aka the longest post in existence). Well, my retold, abridged more slightly less serious version.It’s definitely worth a read, if you can get past all the names!

Check out more Greek Stories here :D

[tipsycad147]

Aphrodite – Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty

The goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite (known as Venus in Roman mythology) is one of the most recognizable names in Greek myth. Aphrodite is portrayed as a woman of stunning appearance, with whom mortals and gods alike fell in love.

Who Is Aphrodite?

A few scholars believe that the worship of Aphrodite came from the East as many of the attributes given to her recall those of goddesses from the ancient Middle East – Astarte and Ishtar. Although Aphrodite was mainly considered “Cyprian”, she was already Hellenized by Homer’s time. She was worshipped by everyone, and was called Pandemos, meaning of all the people.

According to Hesiod’s Theogeny, Aphrodite was ‘born’ on the island of Cyprus, but there’s some debate about how she actually came into being. Some accounts state that she sprang from the foam in the waters of Paphos, from the genitals of Uranus thrown into the sea by his own son, Cronus. The very name Aphrodite comes from the Ancient Greek word aphros, meaning sea foam, which aligns with this story.

Another version written by Homer in Iliad says that Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. This would make her the daughter of a god and a goddess, similar to most of the Olympians.

Aphrodite was so beautiful that the gods feared that there would be a rivalry amongst them because of her beauty. To solve this issue, Zeus had her married off to Hephaestus, considered the ugliest of the gods. The god of metalworking, fire, and stone masonry, Hephaestus had not even been considered a serious contender for Aphrodite because of how he looked. The plan, however, backfired – Aphrodite wasn’t loyal to Hephaestus as she did not love him.

Aphrodite’s Lovers

Although she was bound to Hephaestus through marriage, Aphrodite took on many lovers, both gods and mortals.

Aphrodite and Ares

Aphrodite had an affair with Ares, the god of war. Helios caught the lovers and informed Hephaestus of their tryst. Angered, Hephaestus designed a fine bronze net that would trap them within it when they next lay together. The lovers were only freed after the other gods laughed at them and Poseidon paid for their release.

Aphrodite and Poseidon

It is said that Poseidon saw Aphrodite naked and he fell in love with her. Aphrodite and Poseidon had one daughter together, Rhode.

Aphrodite and Hermes

Hermes is a god who doesn’t have a lot of consorts, but he was with Aphrodite and they had an offspring named Hermaphroditos.

Aphrodite and Adonis

Aphrodite once found a baby boy that she took to the underworld. She asked Persephone to take care of him and after some time she visited the boy who had grown up to become a handsome man, Adonis. Aphrodite asked if she could take him back, but Persephone wouldn’t allow it.

Zeus decided to settle the dispute by dividing Adonis’ time between the goddesses, but it was ultimately Aphrodite that Adonis would choose. He paid for it with his life, dying in her arms after either Ares or Artemis sent a wild boar to kill him. As the story goes, anemones sprang from where the blood of Adonis fell.

Aphrodite and Paris

Paris was tasked by Zeus to judge who was the most beautiful amongst Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. The latter won the contest by promising Paris the most beautiful girl in the world, Helen, the Spartan queen. This triggered the bloody war between Troy and Sparta that lasted a decade.

Aphrodite and Anchises

Anchises was a mortal shepherd who Aphrodite fell in love with. The goddess pretended to be a mortal virgin, seduced him, slept with him, and bore him a son, Aeneas. He paid for this affair with his sight when Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt.

Aphrodite: The Unforgiving

Aphrodite was a generous and kind goddess to those who respected and revered her, but like the other gods, she didn’t take slights lightly. There are several myths that outline her anger and vengeance against those who slighted her.

Hippolytus, son of Theseus, preferred to worship only the goddess Artemis and in her honor, swore to remain celibate, which angered Aphrodite. She made Hippolytus’ stepmother fall in love with him, which resulted in both their deaths.

The Titaness Eos had a brief affair with Ares, even though Ares was Aphrodite’s lover. In retaliation, Aphrodite cursed Eos to be perpetually in love with an insatiable sexual desire. This caused Eos to abduct many men.

As the Trojan war raged, Diomedes wounded Aphrodite in the Trojan War by cutting her wrist. Zeus warns Aphrodite not to join the war. Aphrodite took her vengeance by causing Diomedes’ wife to start sleeping around with his enemies.

Aphrodite’s Symbols

Aphrodite is often depicted with her symbols, which include:

Scallop shell – Aphrodite is said to have been born in a shell

Pomegranate – The seeds of the pomegranate have always been associated with sexuality. However, in ancient times, it was also used for birth control.

Dove – Possibly a symbol from her precursor Inanna-Ishtar

Sparrow – Aphrodite supposedly rides in a chariot pulled by sparrows, but why this symbol is important to her isn’t clear

Swan – This could be because of Aphrodite’s connection to the sea

Dolphin – Again, possibly due to her connection to the sea

Pearl – Perhaps due to her association with shells

Rose – A symbol of love and passion

Apple – A symbol of desire, lust, sexuality and romance, Aphrodite was gifted a golden apple by Paris when she won the contest of being the fairest

Myrtle

Girdle

Mirror

Aphrodite herself remains a powerful symbol of passion, romance, lust and sex. Today, her name is synonymous with these concepts and to call someone an Aphrodite is to suggest that they are irresistible, gorgeous and have uncontrollable desire.

The English word aphrodisiac, meaning a food, drink or object that stimulates sexual desire, comes from the name Aphrodite.

Aphrodite in Art and Literature

Aphrodite is well represented in art throughout the ages. She was most famously captured in Sandro Botticelli’s 1486 CE, the Birth of Venus, prominently displayed in the National Museum in Rome. The judgment of Paris is also a popular subject in ancient Greek art.

Aphrodite is usually depicted clothed in Archaic and Classical Art with an embroidered band or girdle across her chest, which supposedly held her powers of seductive allure, desire, and love. It was only later during the 4th century BCE when artists started depicting her naked or semi-naked.

Aphrodite has been referenced in many important literary works, most notably Venus and Adonis by Shakespeare. More recently, Isabel Allende published the book Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses.

Aphrodite in Modern Culture

Aphrodite is one of the most popular of the Greek goddesses referenced in modern culture. Kylie Minogue named her eleventh studio album Aphrodite and the tour for the aforementioned album also displayed countless images tied to the goddess of beauty.

Katy Perry in her song “Dark Horse”, asks her lover to “make me your Aphrodite.” Lady Gaga has a song titled “Venus” with lyrics referencing the famous painting The Birth of Venus which shows the goddess covering herself while standing over a seashell.

In the mid-20th century, a neo-pagan religion was founded with Aphrodite at its center. It’s known as the Church of Aphrodite. In addition, Aphrodite is an important goddess in Wicca and is often invoked in the name of love and romance.

Aphrodite Facts

1- Who were Aphrodite’s parents?

Zeus and Dione or Uranus’ severed genitals.

2- Did Aphrodite have siblings?

Aphrodite’s list of siblings and half-siblings is long, and includes the likes of Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Helen of Troy, Heracles, Hermes and even the Erinyes (Furies).

3- Who are Aphrodite’s consorts?

The most notable are Poseidon, Ares, Adonis, Dionysus and Hephaestus.

4- Did Aphrodite marry?

Yes, she was married off to Hephaestus, but did not love him.

5- Who are Aphrodite’s children?

She had several children with different gods and mortals, including Eros, Aeneas, The Graces, Phobos, Deimos and Eryx.

6- What are Aphrodite’s powers?

She was immortal and could cause mortals and gods to fall in love. She owned a belt which, when worn, caused others to fall in love with the wearer.

7- What is Aphrodite known for?

Aphrodite is known as the goddess of love, marriage and fertility. She was also known as the goddess of the sea and seafarers.

8- What did Aphrodite look like?

Aphrodite was portrayed as a stunning woman of breathtaking beauty. She was often depicted nude in artwork.

9- Was Aphrodite a good warrior/fighter?

She wasn’t a fighter and this is clear during the Trojan War when she is asked by Zeus to sit it out due to getting hurt. However, she is a schemer and with great power in controlling others.

10- Did Aphrodite have any weaknesses?

She was often jealous of beautiful and attractive women and didn’t take slights lying down. She also cheated on her husband and didn’t respect him.

In Brief

Alluring and beautiful, Aphrodite remains a symbol of a stunning woman who understands her beauty and knows how to use it get what she desires. She continues to be a significant figure in neo-Paganism and modern pop culture. Her name is among the most popular of all the figures of Greek mythology.

https://symbolsage.com/aphrodite-greek-goddess-of-love/