#the erotes of aphrodite

[friaxza]

the erotes of aphrodite—the best boyband in greek mythology

[royal-wren]

In honor of Pride, I'm going to list a few Hellenic deities to think of more actively during this time

Aphrodite: Historically known to be intersex and trans, especially under the name Aphroditos. Not to mention as a goddess of love, that means all kinds of love and expressions of it. Everyone in the LGBT+ umbrella can turn to her without worry.

Apollon: He is known for epithets like the Unshorn, and for literally wearing feminine clothing for the time.

Artemis: Known for embracing masculinity and more masculine traits like her interests, mannerisms, and appearance (attire). Also known to be aro/ace spec.

Athene: Most know her to lean more toward masculinity, but she's more an equal mix of both masculine and feminine (nonbinary by human terms). Also known to be aro/ace spec and wlw as well.

Dionysos: Like Apollon, is known for wearing feminine clothing for the time and occasionally a feminine appearance to match. Embracing the unconventional and what lies outside of society's standards and mentalities is his thing, and it shows with epithets like Androgynos.

Hekate: A goddess of the liminal (everything in between), boundaries, and transitions, of paths and crossroads (which are more than physical ones).

Hera: As a goddess of women, that includes every kind of woman no matter what, there is no room to try and exclude anyone from that. She's also a goddess of marriage and one to lean on for rights on that matter.

Hermes: A god of the liminal, the god of transitions, boundaries, paths, and roads, and a god of romantic unions, the god of fire - the literal and figurative sparks that ensue as a god of friction, a weigher of love like Aphrodite. Before the late Classical and Hellenistic periods was also known to be aro/ace spec as outside of cultic unions, a majority of his immortal (and deity) children are goddesses as well, and he has two nonbinary (one intersex) children, Palaistra and Hermaphroditos, and occasionally the father of Eros either by Aphrodite or Artemis (and no this is real, you're just not ready for this conversation on this information).

Leto: In worship, she has the cult epithet Phystiê (the Grafter) that relates to a myth of her helping Leukippe transition at the wishes of his mother to avoid death. With the grafter epithet, she has a festival in her honor, Ekdysia (Stripping (Festival)). One of her sacred animals is the Ichneumon (Egyptian Mongoose), which was known to be both male and female in an individual member of the species.

Palaistra: The goddess of wrestling and daughter of Hermes is nonbinary, being both genders at once and neither at the same time

The Erotes: It kind of goes without saying that they should be here for a month of love, identity, and acceptance.

The Kharites: As goddesses of joy, merriment, and festivity/celebration, it feels as essential to have them here as the Erotes are. During Pride, they will lift your spirits and cause you to cheer.

[helpolnix]

Sexual relationships with your gods are valid

I saw a post not too long ago speaking on intimate relationships with your gods and also the idea of “god spouses.” And while it’s fine to have your own opinion and express that I felt like it dismissed the relationship one may have with a sexual deity or even one that’s not primarily thought of to be sexual!

There are so many gods that help others feel comfortable enough to live freely in their bodies, masturbate, be with their loved ones and more. Why dismiss or undermine that because you believe you can’t have a more intimate relationship with a deity?

Gods are what they need to be for you. A friend, lover, partner, sibling, parent, best friend, teacher, mentor, what have you. The gods can absolutely touch you. Is it rarer than one may think? I personally don’t think so. And yes this does get into some harder conversations about psychosis and being wary of those symptoms. But I believe people know what they feel.

And who really cares if your god didn’t actually make you come. You felt connected to them in that moment, you did that for them, in one way or another. That’s valid. Don’t let others tell you differently or dismiss your experiences.

[beautyofaphrodite]

Ἡδυλογος

Hedylogos, God of Sweet-talk and Flattery

(All images found on Pinterest)

[apollomes-supremacy]

Love twins 💌

[khaire-traveler]

any of the gods specialize in lovers (A & B) separated for the sake of B's (pre-established) friendship with the sibling of A (a heavy one i realize, but i'm on a writing kick atm & the Muse demands i seek someone to ask)

Hey, Nonny,

I would say probably Aphrodite, Eros, Pothos, or Anteros.

Aphrodite: Goddess of love, pleasure, and procreation. She is quite literally known as The Goddess of Love™ of the Greek pantheon. Her domain over love is very broad and all-encompassing.

Eros: God of love. He is most famous for having a bow and arrow that he'd shoot at others to either make them fall in or out of love (Apollo and Daphne, for example). There are two main origins/versions of him: one that is a primordial god born at the creation of the universe, and another that is the child of Aphrodite (usually Aphrodite and Ares, but there are other known origins).

Pothos: God of passionate longing, yearning, and desire. Although his role typically seems to be a bit more rated R, you could also consider him a god of passion generally. You don't need to present him in an explicitly sexual role. He was depicted as sprinkling a powder from a bowl onto people to make them feel a passionate longing for someone else.

Himeros: God of sexual desire. His role is pretty self-explanatory. Although he is also typically associated with some R rated things, you could consider him a god of desire generally, especially since he is mentioned as the personification of "longing love". I'd say he definitely doesn't have to be explicitly sexual.

Anteros: God of requited love and the avenger of the unrequited. Interestingly, he is depicted as being the opposite of Eros in some art of the two. He is the personification of "love that is returned" - reciprocated love. He's also been depicted as the punisher of those who scorn love and the avenger of unrequited love, which I feel could work very well in the story you're telling.

I hope these were helpful to you! Can't wait to hear about your story, if you're willing to share it. Take care! 🧡

[beastsovrevelation]

Lady Crowley, inspired by Aphrodite of Knidos.

She might as well have been the one who posed for Praxiteles.

[thyme-for-spells]

Friday workings with Aphrodite <3

We did a self-love and self-improvement bowl today. Pretty crystals, a cinnamon stick, a feather, a seashell, rose petals, quartz, and lemon balm. This was done atop a mirror with the Erotes’ statue and Aphrodite’s statue nearby. Next to Aphrodite is her oil, her candle, and a radical self-love and attraction spell I did a year or two ago.

[fair-fae]

whomp whomp

Ngl I get the need to be cognizant about characters that are technically "adults" but are purposely infantilized while also fetishized to look like/evoke thoughts about minors, or characters that are minors but are sexualized, especially in media coming out of Japan (though the west definitely has our own problem with sexualizing underaged characters) but like. I hate when people take a character who is obviously an adult and not presented to look like a child in any way and pick apart why they're, I guess, secretly supposed to look like a kid or "minor-coded" or something lol especially in anime-ish styles where most characters look "young" by default. "They're short" "she's flat-chested/has small boobs" "she has a babyface" "she has a high-pitched voice" "they like cute things" "they have a fun and youthful personality" "she doesn't have the most exaggerated hourglass shape in the world" "they're not big and ripped with muscle" "she wears girly clothes" Like, cool! You just described me. A real life fully grown, 30yo adult woman with sexual agency. Guess I shouldn't exist. Guess anyone who has ever found me attractive is a pedophile. Like what the fuck lol. (Bonus points for a new one I recently heard: "she has pigtails." Ah, yes! Women already get harassed IRL for wearing their hair in what should be an innocuous really basic hairstyle they might think is cute. But let's sexualize and infantilize it further! You're really a champion of the women and children.)

[beautyofaphrodite]

Πόθος

Pothos, God of Passion

(Requested- All images found on Pinterest)

[the-sand-woman]

Art Piece of the Day #003

Eros Fishing

Museum: Hatay Archaeology Museum

Collection: Antakya

Type: Mosaic

Context: Antioch

Date: Unknown

Period: Imperial Roman

Description: One of the Erotes, winged love-gods, catches fish with a hook and line. (Theoi).

[covenawhite66]

Erotes re a collective of winged gods associated with love and sexual intercourse. They are part of Aphrodite's retinue. Erotes is the plural of Eros meaning Love and Desire.

Erotes are

Anteros "Love Returned"

Hedylogos "Sweet-talk"

Hermaphroditus "Hermaphrodite" or "Effeminate"

Himeros "Impetuous Love" or "Pressing Desire"

Hymenaios "Bridal-Hymn"

Pothos Desire, Longing", especially for one who is absent).

[xoeyfourr]

[thetis-sea-nymph]

This is giving the exact same energy as that anonymous ancient dude who is said to have ejaculated on the statue of Aphrodite of Knidos

Meanwhile, in Italy...

"Former culture undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi defends the girl who climbed Giambologna's Bacchus statue in Florence miming a sexual act. 'It is a transfiguration: when art is truer than life. An amorous exaltation. No real man can compete with Cellini's Perseus. A drunk girl performs a critical act, not an erotic one.'"

[bugwolfsstuff]

You seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff more than I’d have the patience to do the Wikipedia delving for, so is there a god of homosexuality in Greek mythology or is that just Aphrodite and Eros

There technically (as far as I can tell) isn't one but sometimes Ganymede is portrayed as an erote/god of homosexuality and desire

Tho that might be a modern interpretation, so Aphrodite and Eros are your best bet

Also Theoi.com is good for Greek/Roman mythology things, it actually has some of the classical text (I like to read Dionysiaca book 10 on it for fun)