Venus "vs" Aphrodite

[Agaliha]

I've been interested in both of these goddesses lately.
First because of their link to water, the ocean and my reoccuring obsession with it. And secondly because I was "lead" to them (long with some other things I'm still trying to figure out, heh). I figure I could look into them as well. I suspect someone or something is behind my obsession and link to the ocean. I just don't know who (well I know it's not Yemaya, that's about it...could be someone in the Aztec region or Crete...or hell if I know, lol).

Last night I got information about Aphrodite and read some, but not all (there was a lot of info!). But I realized I neglected to get much about Venus...

Anyway, it would take me "forever" to learn everything about them, I was wondering if people who know about or honor them can tell me about them.

(Free free to post links to where I can read the info instead of writing it all here ;) )

What are the major differences between them-- lore, myth, personality, appearance, etc wise. I know there has to be more than just the differences of civilizations.

I know Aphrodite is linked to Crete (right?) but is Venus and if not where is Venus said to come from (besides the ocean?) ?

Um, that's all I can think of now...there was more, but yeah, I'll post them when I remember.

Does anyone here honor them (I know there are some)?

[Arion]

In my understanding, Venus was originally a minor goddess of vegetation until she was equated with Aphrodite and given all her associations. Aphrodite came from the middle-east and was heavily associated with the ocean. My favourite website on Aphrodite would have to be this one. http://www.moonspeaker.ca/Aphrodite/aphrodite.html

[Agaliha]

Interesting, thanks! I didn't know Venus was a vegitation goddess.

So are her roots less associtated with the ocean than Aphrodite's?

[Laoghaire]

In my humble opinion, Venus and Afrodite/Aphrodite were just the same goddesses. It's possible it didn't understand your post, so sorry...

Aphrodite was there first, in the Greek Mythology. After that, when the Roman Empire grew they "took over" the Greek pantheon, they only changed the names. So Aphrodite became Venus, Goddess of love, born out of the sea. Just like Zeus became Jupiter and Ares Mars.

So, basically, they are the same goddesses. But, afterwards, different stories were written about both of them.

I can be wrong!

[Agaliha]

In my humble opinion, Venus and Afrodite/Aphrodite were just the same goddesses. It's possible it didn't understand your post, so sorry...
Aphrodite was there first, in the Greek Mythology. After that, when the Roman Empire grew they "took over" the Greek pantheon, they only changed the names. So Aphrodite became Venus, Goddess of love, born out of the sea. Just like Zeus became Jupiter and Ares Mars.
So, basically, they are the same goddesses. But, afterwards, different stories were written about both of them.
I can be wrong!

I respect your view and I am closer to that belief than say hard polytheism...but not everyone sees the gods like that. There are many that see them as seperate and different. I think they have the same energy and all of that, but I recogize their differences.
Even if the Romans just changed her name, they have different histories, personalities and myths-- not everything is exactly the same. Those differences is what I was curious about.
For example I just learned Venus was a vegitation goddess in the beginning and as far as I know, Aphrodite was not. Samw with Hestia and Vesta-- they're similar, but are honored differently with differences in their aspects.
I guess I'm interested in their evolution and cultural aspects and differences. Does that help clarify my questions?
:)

[Agaliha]

Okay, I have some more questions:

Do people honor either Aphrodite or Venus for anything other than sexuality aspects-- nowdays I mean? I keep seeing spells to invoke them for love and relationships, but what about other things? Does their power extend beyond that small category? Can they be all-around partons?
How would they be honored today besides honoring the sexual aspects?

[Agaliha]

Ha! I did not know this:

"Venus Genetrix ("Mother Venus") was Venus in her role as the ancestress of the Roman people, a goddess of motherhood and domesticity. A festival was held in her honor on September 26. As Venus was regarded as the mother of the Julian gens in particular, Julius Caesar dedicated a temple to her in Rome."

That's my Birthday-- September 26th. :) Pretty cool.

[Arion]

The Roman gods might have been identified with Greek gods later on, but they were originally completely seperate. Eventually Aphrodite became equated with Venus, but Venus was a goddess of flowers and vegetation, and not a particularly important goddess. I don't think she was associated with the ocean until she was identified with Aphrodite.

[Agaliha]

The Roman gods might have been identified with Greek gods later on, but they were originally completely seperate. Eventually Aphrodite became equated with Venus, but Venus was a goddess of flowers and vegetation, and not a particularly important goddess. I don't think she was associated with the ocean until she was identified with Aphrodite.

So it would be safe to say Aphrodite is the water goddess and Venus is the eath goddess with water associations though Aphrodite.


Venus, in Roman religion and mythology, goddess of vegetation. Later, she became identified (3d cent. B.C.) with the Greek Aphrodite.
FROM: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0850661.html


I can't find anything that talks about Venus' history before her linkage to Aphrodite :shaker: Pissing me off. ::sigh::

Venus has Etruscan roots older than Rome too.
I found this:

Alpan or Alpanu was a Underworld goddess. She was also the goddess of sexual love. She was sometimes depicted wearing loose cloak and sandals, otherwise she was naked. She was also usually seen bedecked with jewellary.

and

Turan
Goddess of love. Turan was identified with Roman goddess of love, Venus. She was a tutelary goddess of Vulci.
Her sacred bird was a white swan and a dove. Her other attribute was the blossom.

(http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/etruscan.html)

"Venus was a goddess of chastity" -- I didn't know that either! Seems to be the opposite of what is known of her today (the "sex goddess")

ETA:
Found something!


Venus: Oscan Herentina and Libitina: Goddess of Love, also considered a goddess of flowers and of gardens.
Her earliest Roman name appears to have been Murcia as a goddess of gardens and spring flowers, later interpreted as Myrtea, Goddess of Myrtles. She may then have been a goddess of spring flowers and gardens, with which She was closely identified at Rome. First mention of Venus is in 217 BCE when Venus Erycina was brought to Rome from Sicily, by order of the Sibylline Books following the Roman defeat at Lake Trasieme (see Atargatis). That same year was held the Lecistratum introducing the Dii Consentes as Rome’s counterpart to the Greek Olympians, and Venus became identified with Aphrodite. Venus Genetrix was the mother of Aeneas, and therefore regarded as the mother of the Roman people, and especially of gens Iulii through Aeneas’ son Julus. Julius Caesar built a temple to Her in the Forum in 46 BCE. The Templum Urbis built by Hadrian in 135 CE was dedicated to Roma and Venus Genetrix. Her festival on 1 April, Veneralia, was shared with Fortuna Virilis, and Verticordia (Concordia as a goddess who turns the hearts of women towards chastity and modesty). The Vinalia of 23 April was dedicated to Venus Erycina and Jupiter. The Vinalia of 19 Aug. was dedicated to Jupiter and Venus Libitina, where She was also recognized as a goddess of prostitution. She was closely identified with Flora, Herentina, and Libitina, yet She was unlike Etruscan Turan who was a Goddess of Love in marriage and chastity. Identified with Aphrodite She became the wife of Vulcanus (Greek Hephaestus). As Venus Victorix She charmed Mars, a popular motif in Roman art. The mother of Cupid and also the mother of Priapus by Bacchus, most if not all of Her myths were derived from Greek myth.
http://www.societasviaromana.org/Collegium_Religionis/deities.php?lang=no


Site about Turan-- http://www.thaliatook.com/turan.html

[Arion]

Okay, I have some more questions:

Do people honor either Aphrodite or Venus for anything other than sexuality aspects-- nowdays I mean? I keep seeing spells to invoke them for love and relationships, but what about other things? Does their power extend beyond that small category? Can they be all-around partons?
How would they be honored today besides honoring the sexual aspects?
I made a whole thread dedicated to showing that there was way more to Aphrodite than love, lust and libido. It's around here somewhere if you scroll down in the Gods and Goddesses forum. I worship her as an all-encompassing mother goddess, since that's what she was before the Greeks took her over. She's not exactly motherly in the sweet, domestic, June Cleaver sense, but she is linked with the Great Goddess of creation, and the sexual urge that induces life. She is very complex, and can certainly be honoured as more than a love goddess.

[Agaliha]

I made a whole thread dedicated to showing that there was way more to Aphrodite than love, lust and libido. It's around here somewhere if you scroll down in the Gods and Goddesses forum. I worship her as an all-encompassing mother goddess, since that's what she was before the Greeks took her over. She's not exactly motherly in the sweet, domestic, June Cleaver sense, but she is linked with the Great Goddess of creation, and the sexual urge that induces life. She is very complex, and can certainly be honoured as more than a love goddess.

I remember that thread. I'll re-read it. :)

[coeur]

In my experience any working with Venus/Aphrodite results in me talking to a flirty, giggly woman who thinks it's about time I found a boyfriend. She can, of course, be serious, but mostly she finds great amusement in people's love lives. To her it's like watching Jerry Springer. She is, however, pretty effective, and she has her own sense of humor. The main problem is really catching her attention. I'm sure as a love goddess, she's heard and seen it all, and so unless if you have a good reason to be calling on her, she could possibly just ignore you.

Overall, I prefer to work with lesser deities that aren't quite so famous (Haniel comes to mind as a substitute for Venus). They tend to work better for me for some odd reason.

[Agaliha]

Interesting, Coeur.
That's not the impression I've gotten from either of them--symbolism, historical and cultural wise, but it's personal and different for everyone.

[Theres]

The Roman gods might have been identified with Greek gods later on, but they were originally completely seperate. Eventually Aphrodite became equated with Venus, but Venus was a goddess of flowers and vegetation, and not a particularly important goddess. I don't think she was associated with the ocean until she was identified with Aphrodite.

correct.
nor was Venus at the battle of Troy.

[Agaliha]

Too bad all the original history of Venus is lost amogst the union of her and Aphrodite.
I found some interesting information...though now I'm confused on who the "real" Venus is and the correct way to honor her-- as earthy vegetation/flower goddess or as the watery 'seductress'.
Hummm....

[plumedsnake]

What does anyone say about the fact that there were many different aphrodites in Greece alone. Each city or locale seemed to have it's own aphrodite. And not only Aphrodite but Jupiter and all the other gods. Even within greece the manner in which they were worshipped, the rituals involved, and the character of the dieties seem to change from locality to locality.
If Aphrodite can be so unlike aphrodite within Greece, I'm not too surprised that she is different from venus even if they have been equated.

[Theres]

ALL Greek deities have local 'variations', if you will. that doesn't mean They were different deities.

Greek gods were identified by name, epiphet and locale. so we see Demeter Eleusinia, Apollo Apotropaios, Zeus Polias, etc.

Hekate Propolos and Hekate Enodia may have different functions in different areas, but They were still Hekate.

[Agaliha]

ALL Greek deities have local 'variations', if you will. that doesn't mean They were different deities.
Greek gods were identified by name, epiphet and locale. so we see Demeter Eleusinia, Apollo Apotropaios, Zeus Polias, etc.
Hekate Propolos and Hekate Enodia may have different functions in different areas, but They were still Hekate.

Yup, I remember seeing those differences when I read all their epiphets. They have ones for places, functions, appearances and all of that.
That site PurplePanther posted in this thread (http://www.moonspeaker.ca/amazonsframe.html) has lists of many Goddesses epiphets (go to the part two area).
Here are all of Aphrodite's (http://www.moonspeaker.ca/Aphrodite/aphtitles.html) (there are a lot!)
Here's a place one:
Erykina - of Mount Eryx on Sicily, site of one of her temples; of the heather
Here's a local aspect:
Koloios - Goddess of the grotto; Samothrakian title, presided over birth and childcare, also had town named for this aspect of her
Mechanitis - inventor; used at Megalopolis
Melanie/Melanis - dark one; used at Korinth, Thespiae, and Mantinaea
Descriptive ones:
Prostatis - protector
Psithuros - whispering voice
Pythionike - victorious serpent

Only a few of Aphrodite's titles were applied to Venus (Venus' titles here (http://www.moonspeaker.ca/Aphrodite/venus.html))

But really they are all Aphrodite.
Formally I'd assume she be called "Aphrodite [insert epiphet]" but maybe over time she was just called by that common epiphet giving the impression of seperate goddesses.
Also there are bound to be differences in various aspects of her because Greece is a large area (even larger back then) and there were lots of contact with other people though trade and all of that. Bits and pieces of other "love goddesses" were perhaps combined. And there was the whole Indo-European thing too.

There are a few goddesses from Crete that some think were the original Aphrodite and that when the migrations began and men became more powerful, her myths were changed...because they conquered Crete and settled to the mainland (I'm pretty sure). Just like the Greek Titans are thought to be from Crete, which I believe Theres told me in another thread :)

Anyway, it's really no different with all the deities, all of them had many names.

[plumedsnake]

ALL Greek deities have local 'variations', if you will. that doesn't mean They were different deities.

Greek gods were identified by name, epiphet and locale. so we see Demeter Eleusinia, Apollo Apotropaios, Zeus Polias, etc.

Hekate Propolos and Hekate Enodia may have different functions in different areas, but They were still Hekate.

I see what you mean. However what about if on studying the rituals involved with different dieties we find that not only can the same diety be propitiated in different ways in different locales, but often the worship of one diety can be extremely similar (ritually) to the worship of another with a different name; this to the extent that two differently named dieties can be more similar in almost all other aspects (ie ritual, and descriptive) than dieties that they share the same name with.

I don't know quite how to continue with my point without talking convoluted bollocks. There are so many angles of approach.

Okay, first, there's the straight up approach, no mincing words. I believe in the worship of the earth. That Places have power. In other words, I believe that locales are themselves the dieties. Though the diety can be present in other forms, and expressed through them, such as objects and even in human beings; They are directly interfaced through interaction with the environment. It is almost like we can get spiritually nourished from our environment if we knew how.
I think that the purest form of this approach to religion is actually the Shinto faith in Japan. The dieties are strictly places where a particular type of energy is especially concentrated.
Secondly, In my tradition, I know that all the orisha are actually places, rivers, mountains, woods. In the tradition all of the earth is the diety and different locales are different aspects of it. That is why (and people might think I'm crazy because of this) as I live in London, I make devotion to the river thames. Sure I make devotion to Oshun and other water goddess in the tradition, but I feel that Thames is more pertinent to my situation. One of the strongest spiritual experiences that I've had recently was going up to scotland and climbing up a mountain close to Arthur's seat. I'm sure what happened was I locked in to the energy of the diety that was the mountain. It was such a clean purifying feeling, relaxed but very high on energy. And very sexual too. For the next few days after that I woke up in the morning with a massive erection and a strong feeling of being alive. I messed it up when I started drinking and smoking again.
Thirdly, I know that the location of churches and shrines are very important all over the world. Old churches in europe where built exactly where the ancient pagan shrines were. I remember reading, but don't quote me on this, that there are even correlations between the saint of the churches and the pagan dieties that ruled there before.
Fourthly, All dieties are the same diety; They are simply earth energies. The Earth in her totality being simply the mother of all dieties.
The energy of dieties can be found in other objects and people. Certain people are predisposed to be more in tune with a certain frequency of energy, ie a certain diety. It is therefore advisable to that person to seek out locations, foods and other things that would be a source of nourishment for them of that certain energy no matter what it is called.
Fifthly, I don't know of any traditional culture anywhere in the world where any source of water is not a goddess or nymph of some sort. Even in christianity the sightings of the virgin are always near springs or fountains. Every year there are sightings of Oshun near the river at the oshun festival in africa. And there a hundred and one sightings of the Lady of the Lake in old british lore.
I could go on and on . . .
Just one last thing, in orisha tradition it is true that Oshun is often propitiated by those seeking babies or love etc, but she can also be propitiated for victory over enemies, just as Ogun who is popularly seen as a diety of war and violence can be sought to help with love or childbirth etc. Other times during divination, a client can be instructed to go and make offering to a very particular diety at a very particular shrine. If the client were to go to the same diety at a different shrine that would be futile.
Ultimately, dieties are not just concepts that people dreamt up and mixed and added bits to at their whim. They were real energies that they interacted with in different locales.

[Arion]

Formally I'd assume she be called "Aphrodite [insert epiphet]" but maybe over time she was just called by that common epiphet giving the impression of seperate goddesses.
Also there are bound to be differences in various aspects of her because Greece is a large area (even larger back then) and there were lots of contact with other people though trade and all of that. Bits and pieces of other "love goddesses" were perhaps combined. And there was the whole Indo-European thing too.

There are a few goddesses from Crete that some think were the original Aphrodite and that when the migrations began and men became more powerful, her myths were changed...because they conquered Crete and settled to the mainland (I'm pretty sure). Just like the Greek Titans are thought to be from Crete, which I believe Theres told me in another thread :)

Anyway, it's really no different with all the deities, all of them had many names.
What annoys me about her epiphets, is that people attach a love association when there really isn't one. Like "Urania", which means "heavenly", similar to Uranus, god of the sky. One would assume it associated Aphrodite with the sky, but no, apparently it refers to "heavenly love" *rolls eyes*. Or Scotia, meaning "dark one", referring to the night as a time when people make love, ignoring the fact that in some regions, Aphrodite was a dark goddess of death. Then there are the titles that you'd have a really hard time associating with love, such as Epitymbria, "of the tombs", or Androphonos, "man-slayer". Some people just can't seem to grasp the concept of a deity having power over more than one thing. The gods are complex, it is possible for one to rule both love and death, and anything in between.

[Agaliha]

I didn't know people did that, Purple. I suppose that happens because they can't get out of the "love goddess" mind frame. Heh. I'm sure it'd get annoying.

[David19]

Fourthly, All dieties are the same diety; They are simply earth energies. The Earth in her totality being simply the mother of all dieties. The energy of dieties can be found in other objects and people.

I liked your post, but i thought i'd respond to this bit, i don't think that all deities 'are the same deity' especially when their personalities are different (sometimes very different from each other), e.g. Yahweh is a 'jealous' god, Zeus seems to like having sex with anything, Apollo is bi/gay, etc.

I just thought i'd add that, as from a lot of people's experience's that i've been told, like one person told me that when she tried calling Artemis Diana, Artemis laughed.

[_Banbha_]

What annoys me about her epiphets, is that people attach a love association when there really isn't one. Like "Urania", which means "heavenly", similar to Uranus, god of the sky. One would assume it associated Aphrodite with the sky, but no, apparently it refers to "heavenly love" *rolls eyes*. Or Scotia, meaning "dark one", referring to the night as a time when people make love, ignoring the fact that in some regions, Aphrodite was a dark goddess of death. Then there are the titles that you'd have a really hard time associating with love, such as Epitymbria, "of the tombs", or Androphonos, "man-slayer". Some people just can't seem to grasp the concept of a deity having power over more than one thing. The gods are complex, it is possible for one to rule both love and death, and anything in between.
I agree PurplePanther. I think this is a trend in Neo-Paganism and not one I entirely understand. It just seems to be inaccurate to view Her as one aspect based on anticdotal evidence (literature) than solid evidence of what actully was (temples and titles). The list for both of their titles all in one place like that is quite impressive and really brings it home.

I followed your other thread as well and I'm glad Agahlia began this one. I've learned a lot about Venus. :) What does Venus mean? I think of verdent because of her being a Spring vegatation Goddess...but I'm just guessing.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e189/EtainOcean/Goddesses_and_Heros/venuss.gif


Her antiquity was recognized by the Greeks when she was described as emerging from the seafoam as a primordial Goddess figure. Her being a only recognized a Goddess of romantic love just doen't begin to cover it for me.

[Philosophia]

I think this page says a lot of what her functions are:
http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/AphroditeGoddess.html

[plumedsnake]

I liked your post, but i thought i'd respond to this bit, i don't think that all deities 'are the same deity' especially when their personalities are different (sometimes very different from each other), e.g. Yahweh is a 'jealous' god, Zeus seems to like having sex with anything, Apollo is bi/gay, etc.

I just thought i'd add that, as from a lot of people's experience's that i've been told, like one person told me that when she tried calling Artemis Diana, Artemis laughed.

It is like something that is flexible and can become different things by a process of adaptation. It is the same earth but in some regions it's mountains and others it's valleys and in yet others it's plains, or deserts or oasis. Or another analogy is the same guy, but as a baby he is babyish and as an adolescent he is impulsive while as an adult he becomes wise and deliberate. Still the same guy.

Oh! and another thought. To what extent are myths descriptive anecdotes about gods and to what extent are they historical/political analogies of what happened to their organised worship. What I mean is that I once read somewhere that Zeus raping all those nymphs was actually an historical account of when the male orientated religions took over political power and subjugated the Goddess worshipping religions. And that the Bacchae was a historical, though metaphorically expressed, account of the entry of the Dionysus cult into greece and the resistance of the authorities to the cult. If that is valid then it must be taken into account when trying to understand the character of the gods.

[star_belfire]

Purplepanther already said how Venus was a vegitation goddess and Aphrodite was not so I guess you could say that Aphrodite has more of an aquatic connection.

Venus is my matron so I have a very deep connection to her so if I was going to tell you a goddess to choose I'd have to say Venus but thats not my place.

Meditate on this issue and she just what goddess comes to your aid. It could even be Salacia (Neptune's wife) if love goddessses aren't you thing.

[Arion]

Aphrodite is tricky because she didn't start of as a Greek Goddess. She was a powerful mother goddess of the eastern Mediterranean area, similar to Hera, who is actually native to Greece. When peoples travelling by sea brought Aphrodite worship to Greece, they didn't really know what to do with her, they already had Goddesses (Hera, Demeter and Hecate) that performed her functions, and Poseidon was their God of the Sea. "Hera" was even an epithet of Aphrodite's, giving her the association with earth.

She did come from a culture that seemed a bit sexier than the Greeks, so she was more erotic than they knew their gods to be. They must have emphasized that part of her and made her into a goddess of love, sex, and desire, since the positions of mother goddess, sky goddess, sea goddess, earth mother, death goddess, life-giver etc. had already been filled.

Also, it's interesting to note that in Athens, Aphrodite Urania was called the Eldest of the Fates and sister of the Furies. Not quite parallel to her young and beautiful image in the mainstream. Some sources call her the Grandmother of Time and Goddess of Fate. This is why I love Aphrodite, she is so complex and multi-facted, just when you think you've got her figured out, she shows so many more of her sides.

[Grimr]

Venus was just another vision of Aphrodite in a Roman sense.

Aphrodite was born out of the sea too.

The stories of Venus and Aphrodite are almost identicle.

With my certain belief in the great mother goddess Eurynome I just see Aphrodite as the manifestation of love by Eurynome the great goddess I worship.



http://classicartrepro.com/data/large/Crane/Renaissance_of_Venus.jpg

[Agaliha]

Though the stories of Venus and Aphrodite are identical they weren't always so. They started off as different goddesses, if you read earlier in the thread, Venus was an agricultural earthy goddess and was the godess of chaste women...then as time went on and the Greeks mingled with the Romans Venus basically became Aphrodite.

I wonder why the Romans so readily changed the function and meaning of one of their (oldest?) goddesses. Venus is probably nothing like her original form.

Is this just an example that humans can create and change the gods to meet their needs or do some see it as Venus chosing to become Aphrodite even when they didn't start off the same?

I wonder what else is lost of her in the merge of Aphrodite, what things were forgotten.

[Grimr]

Though the stories of Venus and Aphrodite are identical they weren't always so. They started off as different goddesses, if you read earlier in the thread, Venus was an agricultural earthy goddess and was the godess of chaste women...then as time went on and the Greeks mingled with the Romans Venus basically became Aphrodite.

I wonder why the Romans so readily changed the function and meaning of one of their (oldest?) goddesses. Venus is probably nothing like her original form.

Is this just an example that humans can create and change the gods to meet their needs or do some see it as Venus chosing to become Aphrodite even when they didn't start off the same?

I wonder what else is lost of her in the merge of Aphrodite, what things were forgotten.



Though the stories of Venus and Aphrodite are identical they weren't always so. They started off as different goddesses, if you read earlier in the thread, Venus was an agricultural earthy goddess and was the godess of chaste women...then as time went on and the Greeks mingled with the Romans Venus basically became Aphrodite.


You are probally right that the orginal Venus lost alot of old descriptions and symbolic meanings when Rome adopted many Greek forms of thought and belief.

I have never thought of it in that sense before.

I do know that alot of early Romans were greatly affected by early Etruscan thought and the Etruscan belief structure.

You may want to start studying the ancient Etruscans.

If I am not mistaken some very traditional forms of Strega witchcraft have Etruscan leanings.

Other then that I would not know where to begin on that issue.



I wonder why the Romans so readily changed the function and meaning of one of their (oldest?) goddesses. Venus is probably nothing like her original form.


When the Romans conquered Macedon and the rest of ancient Greece they adapted so many Greek forms of thought and culture.


There were even some Romans in office and in political life at the time that severely opposed the adoption of Greek lifestyles they called it.


Is this just an example that humans can create and change the gods to meet their needs or do some see it as Venus chosing to become Aphrodite even when they didn't start off the same?


I see it as the original Goddess Venus allowed herself be transformed to Aphrodite.

Ultimately I also think the people that had a strong connection to Venus helped that transformation.


I wonder what else is lost of her in the merge of Aphrodite, what things were forgotten

I think it is somthing worth looking into. :)

[Arion]

With my certain belief in the great mother goddess Eurynome I just see Aphrodite as the manifestation of love by Eurynome the great goddess I worship.



http://classicartrepro.com/data/large/Crane/Renaissance_of_Venus.jpg
I like Euynome's creation story, i think she has a lot in common with Aphrodite.
Is this just an example that humans can create and change the gods to meet their needs or do some see it as Venus chosing to become Aphrodite even when they didn't start off the same?

I wonder what else is lost of her in the merge of Aphrodite, what things were forgotten.
Humans are funny creatures, like with Isis worship being brought to Greece and Rome, she completely changed. She absorbed the characteristics of Greco-Roman goddesses and lost her original essence. It's weird that we can just change the gods.

[Brightshores]

From what I understand, the mythology generally says:

-Aphrodite was "born" when Uranus/Ouranos, father of Kronos (father of Zeus), was castrated by his son during a cosmic battle. His genitals fell into the sea, causing great foam and turmoil, and Aphrodite arose from the foam. I believe She is generally associated with Cyprus, which is the island many believe she first set foot on. She is, however, widely considered to be associated with various Middle Eastern Great Goddess figures, including Ishtar and Astarte.

-Venus, while often equated with Aphrodite in aspect and in many of her main myths, has many aspects of Her own. I believe she is more generally considered to be a more "political" goddess, and is strongly associated in some ancient Roman mythology with the foundation of the Roman state itself. She is considered to be the daughter of Jupiter, which differs from the Greek interpretation of Aphrodite being the daughter of the grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter). Also, in the Aeneid, Venus is considered to have been the mother of Aeneas, great hero and father of the Roman people. Julius Caesar and his family considered Her to be their ancestor.

That being said, absolutely, many of the aspects of Venus were conflated from those of Aphrodite before, during, and after the Roman conquest of Greece. More have probably been mixed together in the centuries since then, as many scholars, particularly during the Victorian period, were keen to develop a "systematic" and unified explanation of the ancient myths.

Of course, there are almost as many versions of the ancient myths as there were people who told the stories back then. No version can be claimed as "authoritative." So, I'm sure that what I've written will differ from many other interpretations. :awilly: (This can all be very confusing.) So if I'm wrong - please tell me!

Hope this helps!

[Theres]

... That being said, absolutely, many of the aspects of Venus were conflated from those of Aphrodite before, during, and after the Roman conquest of Greece. More have probably been mixed together in the centuries since then, as many scholars, particularly during the Victorian period, were keen to develop a "systematic" and unified explanation of the ancient myths.

certainly before the Roman conquest of mainland Greece.
i would think the two stories must have begun to merge with the first Greek colonists of 'Magna Graecia' (circa 700 BCE).

More have probably been mixed together in the centuries since then, as many scholars, particularly during the Victorian period, were keen to develop a "systematic" and unified explanation of the ancient myths.

yep, and i lay the responsibilty for this mess directly on the doorstep of Thomas Bulfinch. and since most of us learned our high school mythology from this collection, the confusion gets perpetuated through popular culture.
one of the things i hate most is reading a 'Romanized' version of the Illiad, as i just can't get past the fact that Venus, Minerva, Jupiter etc, had NOTHING to do with the battle of Troy a half a millenium before their respective cultures.

:rant:

[Brightshores]

one of the things i hate most is reading a 'Romanized' version of the Illiad, as i just can't get past the fact that Venus, Minerva, Jupiter etc, had NOTHING to do with the battle of Troy a half a millenium before their respective cultures.

Ugh! I can't say I've seen that particular brand of brilliant scholarship. :bastard: The Barnes and Noble "value edition" translation is bad enough! Gotta love the Victorian antiquarian legacy - we're only starting to dig out from under it now. At least they were enthusiastic about history - just not very careful! *sigh* Oh, well...