Aphrodite

Here are the notes I took from one of my classics classes. I will continue to add more information as time allows, this is from Dr. Marchand's teachings.

Ἀφροδίτη

            Goddess of lust, sex, human sexuality and fertility, and everything associated with it.  She is associated with eros, which is not the same as romantic love; it is sexual desire, attraction, and in fact, the effects of eros and of Aphrodite are often described in ancient sources in rather unpleasant terms.  She has two husbands – as fits her personality (sometimes Ares, sometimes Hephaistos, and she is the only goddess who has myths about her infidelity).  Again, of course this is not moralizing or saying that it is occasionally ok for women to be unfaithful (it wasn’t!), but it is simply describing the nature of desire.  She is consistently shown nude, something not appropriate for other goddesses.   In the Iliad, Aphrodite is the child of Zeus and a figure named Dione – Dione is a feminine form of the name Zeus – like “Zeusette” – so this is simply a way of trying to make her part of the extended family of Zeus, but in the Theogony, we get a different version of her, and one which rings truer: there she is an older god even than Zeus, and as such, she is one of the few gods who has some power over Zeus; even Zeus is subject to the force of eros.  

Pagan Meditations

I am currently reading Pagan Meditations by Ginette Paris. I don't know if it is completely accurate in regard to historical references. However, the beginning deals with Aphrodite and provides different origin myths for her. At this point I'm enjoying the book as it's putting many great ideas in my head for a research project that may lead to an honors thesis, masters thesis and future book projects. 

Leda and the Swan

So, why is Helen of Troy beautiful enough to start a war? While the idea of Helen being the impetus for a long drawn out 10 year battle is suspect, there is a reason, albeit an odd one, that she is so darn pretty to look at.

Helen herself tells us this in Euripides version of Helen:


 "My own fatherland, Sparta, is not without fame, and my father is Tyndareus; but there is indeed a story that Zeus flew to my mother Leda, taking the form of a bird, a swan, [20] which accomplished the deceitful union" ~Eurpides 16 - 20


Mortal man cannot look upon the true appearance of Zeus, therefore his escapades generally involve his taking the form of an animal. Here he takes on the guise of a swan, a creature known for extreme grace and beauty if not often unwarranted aggression. The swan and Leda, herself a beauty, create Helen and her sister. 
Collection of The J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, California Malibu 86.AE.680


Of course, there is much more to the story, including one being that Zeus' fatherhood evidenced when Leda lays an egg, while the sister is of the mortal father. And, in true Greek myth, other stories branch off into the realm of goddesses throwing the egg between Leda's legs as she gives birth. This story led Spartans to worship Helen as a goddess. But the point remains, there is a practical explanation for Helen's extreme beauty. 

Certainly there are many other more plausible explanations for the battle of Troy. Agamemnon believes empires expand through conquest. He uses his brother's rage at the affront of losing Helen to further increase his domain. While more likely, this story is not nearly as fun to retell as that of Helen and her prince.

Euripides. The Complete Greek Drama, edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. in two volumes. 2. Helen, translated by E. P. Coleridge. New York. Random House. 1938.

Borrowed from the Perseus Project

Persephone aka Kore

Greek - κορη  (actually means girl, maiden, daughter)
Persephone is the daughter of the Goddess Demeter. She lives part of the year in the underworld with her husband Hades and the other part on earth to appease her mother.
Her return to the earth is celebrated at Ostara as she is associated with seeds and spring.