4th November: Aphrodite

The 4th day of the month is sacred to the goddess Aphrodite. So here are 10 things you might not know about her:

1. She is the Greek goddess of love, pleasure, beauty and procreation, the counterpart to the Roman goddess Venus and the Egyptian goddess Hathor.
2. One theory of the origin of her name is that it means "risen from the foam". This is probably because the most famous myth about her birth was that it came about when Cronus castrated Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea. Aphrodite formed from them and floated ashore on a scallop shell. According to versions of this myth, the Erinyes (furies), and the Meliae emerged from the drops of Uranus' Blood, making them her siblings.
3. Aphrodite is one of the few deities in the Greek pantheon to be married. Zeus insisted she be married off because he feared the gods would be continually fighting over her because she was so beautiful. The husband chosen for her was Hephaestus, the god of smithing. He was delighted and showers her with gifts of jewellery, including the cestus, a girdle that makes her even more irresistible to men. Aphrodite, however, is less enamoured and is known for having several lovers.
4. Her lovers include Ares, the god of war, Anchises and Adonis.
5. She has several children, none by her husband. They include Eros – god of love, Himeros – god of sexual desire, Pothos – god of longing and yearning and Himeros. The Graces or Charites are her children with Dionysus - the god of wine.
6. Ritual prostitution was a feature of her worship in ancient Greece. Having sex with one of her priestesses was an acceptable form of worship. Or one could make offerings of incense, fruit (particularly apples and pomegranates), flowers (particularly fragrant Roses), sweet dessert Wine (particularly Commandaria wine from Cyprus), and cakes made with Honey.
7. Aphrodite was associated with, and often depicted with, the sea, Dolphins, doves, Swans, Pomegranates, sceptres, Apples, myrtle, rose trees, Lime trees, clams, scallop shells, and Pearls.
8. She was often depicted as being vain, bad-tempered and easily offended.
9. The Venus de Milo, probably the most famous piece of Ancient Greek art, actually depicts Aphrodite, not Venus. The statue is famous for its missing arms. Originally the left arm held an apple while the right held a draped cloth and extension of the one wrapped around her legs.
10. Aphrodite was said to have a girdle with magical powers that was responsible for people falling in love.