Who are Aphrodite’s Parents?
Aphrodite is one of the most famous and beloved goddesses in Greek mythology.
She is the goddess of love, beauty, desire, and pleasure.
She has inspired countless artists, poets, and lovers throughout history.
But do you know who are Aphrodite’s parents?
The answer may surprise you, as there are two different versions of her origin story.
Aphrodite’s Parents According to Hesiod
The oldest and most widely accepted version of Aphrodite’s birth comes from the Greek poet Hesiod, who wrote the Theogony.
The Theogony is a genealogy of the gods, around the 8th century BCE.
According to Hesiod, Aphrodite’s parents were none other than Uranus and the sea.
Uranus was the primordial god of the sky, and the son and husband of Gaia, the earth goddess.
He fathered many children with Gaia, including the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires.
However, he hated his offspring and imprisoned them in the depths of the earth, causing Gaia great pain and anger.
Gaia plotted with her youngest son, Cronus, the leader of the Titans, to overthrow Uranus.
She gave Cronus a sickle and told him to ambush his father when he came to mate with her.
Cronus did as he was told, and castrated Uranus with the sickle, throwing his severed genitals into the sea.
From the blood that spilt on the earth, Gaia gave birth to more children, such as the Furies, the Giants, and the Meliae.
From the foam that formed around Uranus’s genitals in the sea, a beautiful goddess emerged.
She was Aphrodite, whose name means “foam-born” or “risen from the foam”.
The waves carried Aphrodite to the island of Cythera, and then to Cyprus, where the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons welcomed her.
They adorned her with gold and jewels and brought her to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods.
There, she was accepted as one of the Olympians and became the goddess of love and beauty.
Aphrodite’s Parents According to Homer
Another version of Aphrodite’s origin comes from the Greek epic poet Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, around the 7th or 6th century BCE.
According to Homer, Aphrodite’s parents were Zeus and Dione.
Zeus was the king of the gods and the son of Cronus and Rhea.
He overthrew his father and freed his siblings, the Olympians, from their imprisonment.
He then divided the world with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, and became the ruler of the sky and thunder.
Dione was a Titaness and the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
She was one of the first generation of gods, and the mother of many water nymphs.
She was also a consort of Zeus and bore him several children, including Aphrodite.
Aphrodite was born as a full-grown goddess and joined the Olympian pantheon.
She was the goddess of love and beauty and had many lovers, both divine and mortal.
She was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship, but she was unfaithful to him with Ares, the god of war, and others.
Aphrodite Urania and Aphrodite Pandemos
Some ancient sources, such as the philosopher Plato, tried to reconcile the two versions of Aphrodite’s birth by distinguishing between two aspects of the goddess: Aphrodite Urania and Aphrodite Pandemos.
Aphrodite Urania was the “Heavenly Aphrodite”, who was born from Uranus and the sea.
She was the higher, purer, and more spiritual form of love and the patroness of intellectual and platonic relationships.
She was also associated with the stars and the sky.
Aphrodite Pandemos was the “Common Aphrodite”, who was born from Zeus and Dione.
She was the lower, carnal, and more sensual form of love and the patroness of physical and erotic relationships.
She was also associated with the earth and the people.
Conclusion
Aphrodite’s parents are not as simple as they seem.
Depending on the source, she could be the daughter of Uranus and the sea, or Zeus and Dione.
She could also represent two kinds of love, the heavenly and the common.
No matter who her parents are, Aphrodite is a fascinating and influential goddess, who has captivated the hearts and minds of many generations.
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