Aphrodite & Eros by Barbara Breitenberger

A trace of this notion seems to be contained in the tradition that in the contest of Typhon with the gods, Aphrodite metamorphosed herself into a fish, which animal was considered to possess the greatest generative powers. According to the cosmogonic views of the nature of Aphrodite, she was the personification of the generative powers of nature, and the mother of all living beings. As she was walking on the sea-coast flowers sprang up under her feet, and Eros and Himeros accompanied her to the assembly of the other great gods, all of whom were struck with admiration and love when she appeared, and her surpassing beauty made every one desire to have her for his wife. 3Īccording to Hesiod and the Homeric hymn on Aphrodite, the goddess after rising from the foam first approached the island of Cythera, and thence went to Cyprus. 2 Later traditions call her a daughter of Cronus and Euonyme, or of Uranus and Hemera.

1 With the exception of the Homeric hymn on Aphrodite there is no trace of this legend in Homer, and according to him Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Some traditions stated that she had sprung from the foam ( ἀφρός, aphros) of the sea, which had gathered around the mutilated parts of Uranus, that had been thrown into the sea by Cronus after he had unmanned his father. One of the great Olympian divinities, was, according to the popular and poetical notions of the Greeks, the goddess of love and beauty.

Aphrodite & Eros by Barbara Breitenberger