V is for Venus
Cheating slightly with this one, since there's no letter V in the Greek alphabet. Venus is the Roman version of the goddess Aphrodite, so I'll be talking about her.
Aphrodite (or Venus) was the goddess of beauty, love, pleasure and procreation. It is said that Aphrodite was born when Cronus castrated his father and threw his genitals into the sea, and she was created from the sea-foam. She was married to the god Hephaestus, though she was often unfaithful to him.
It has been said that the Trojan War was at least partly Aphrodite's fault. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, only one goddess, Eris (Discord) was not invited. She went to the wedding anyway, and put an apple down on the banquet table. Inscribed on the apple was 'for the fairest.'
Athena, Aphrodite and Hera all believed the apple was meant for them, and Paris was brought to judge, since he was the most handsome mortal in the world. Each of the goddesses bribed him; Hera told him she would help him rule the world, Athena told him she would make him victorious in battle, and Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen, who unfortunately was already married to the King of Sparta.
Paris chose Aphrodite, who allowed him to elope with Helen, causing her husband and brother to raise an army to retrieve her, thus starting the Trojan war.
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| Nöel-Nicolas Coypel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
It has been said that the Trojan War was at least partly Aphrodite's fault. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, only one goddess, Eris (Discord) was not invited. She went to the wedding anyway, and put an apple down on the banquet table. Inscribed on the apple was 'for the fairest.'
Athena, Aphrodite and Hera all believed the apple was meant for them, and Paris was brought to judge, since he was the most handsome mortal in the world. Each of the goddesses bribed him; Hera told him she would help him rule the world, Athena told him she would make him victorious in battle, and Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen, who unfortunately was already married to the King of Sparta.
Paris chose Aphrodite, who allowed him to elope with Helen, causing her husband and brother to raise an army to retrieve her, thus starting the Trojan war.
![Nöel-Nicolas Coypel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANo%C3%ABl-Nicolas_Coypel_-_Birth_of_Venus_-_WGA05593.jpg){kind=link}
I just knew it would all end in spears (sorry tears) . . . . .
ReplyDeleteWas Snow White a spin off of this?
ReplyDeleteQuite a birth story she had.
ReplyDeleteHow vain these Gods were!! Every one of them.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that story. This has probably been my fav A-Z theme. :)
ReplyDeleteGood job on the cheat Laura, love this story as well.
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteYou might like the song by Bjork, Venus as a Boy.
She's an odd duck--but a creative one!
XO
Pen
Visiting from A to Z: www.penelopecrowe.blogspot.com
She started the Trojan War? Bad Goddess!
ReplyDeleteI never liked her much. Too troublesome. Reminds me of that annoying girl in high school who always wanted the boys to fight over her.
ReplyDeleteAphrodite/Venus was a real troublemaker! Eris sounds like the inspiration for Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.
ReplyDeleteShannon at The Warrior Muse
That's a pretty cool story!
ReplyDelete