OVID- AMORES I.3
APHRODITE
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture.
According to Hesiod, she was born when Uranus (the father of the gods) was castrated
by his son Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn
and foam about them. From the aphros ("sea foam") arose Aphrodite, and the sea carried
her to either Cyprus or Cythera. Hence she is often referred to as Kypris and Cytherea.
Homer calls her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.
After her birth, Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over Aphrodite's hand in marriage
so he married her off to the smith god Hephaestus, the steadiest of the gods. He could hardly
believe his good luck and used all his skills to make the most lavish jewels for her. He made
her a girdle of finely wrought gold and wove magic into the filigree work. That was not very
wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her, and she was all
too irresistible already. She loved gaiety and glamour and was not at all pleased at being
the wife of sooty, hard-working Hephaestus.
Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and mortals. Among her mortal lovers, the
most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some of her sons are Eros, Anteros, Hymenaios and
Aeneas (with her Trojan lover Anchises). She is accompanied by the Graces.
Her festival is the Aphrodisiac which was celebrated in various centers of Greece and
especially in Athens and Corinth. Her priestesses were not prostitutes but women who
represented the goddess and sexual intercourse with them was considered just one of
the methods of worship. Aphrodite was originally an old-Asian goddess, similar to the
Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Syro-Palestinian goddess Ashtart. Her attributes are a.o.
the dolphin, the dove, the swan, the pomegranate and the lime tree.
www.pantheon.org/articles/a/aphrodite.html
users.adelphia.net/~bnbhelm/project2/
APHRODITE
www.culturalresources.com/images/Aphrodite2
APHRODITE
...
academics.stonehill.edu/Fine-Arts/SlideArchiv
APHRODITE and EROS and
PAN
jeffrobin.hightechhigh.org/.../greek.htm
PHOEBUS APOLLO
w.students.sbc.edu/.../apollo%20belvedere.jpg
APOLLO
lendening.kumc.edu/dc/pc/Apollo.jpg
APOLLO
greek-god-apollo-oly-bf-m.jpg
MUSES
www.eliki.com/portals/fantasy/circle/define.html
The Muses are the Greek goddesses who preside over the arts
and sciences and inspire those who excel at these pursuits.
Daughters of Zeus, king of the gods, and Mnemosyne ("memory"),
they were born at Pieria at the foot of Mount Olympus. Their nurse,
Eupheme, raised them along with her son, Crotus the hunter,
who was transported into the sky as Sagittarius upon his death.
Their name (akin to the Latin mens and English mind) denotes
'memory' or 'a reminder', since in the earliet times poets, having
no books to read from, relied on their memories. The Romans
identified the Muses with certain obscure Italian water-goddesses,
the Camenae.
CALLIOPE
•
Calliope (Calliopeia), the "Fair Voiced" and the eldest Muse, is the muse of epic
poetry and is seen holding a writing tablet in hand, sometimes seen with a roll of
paper or a book, and crowned in gold. Calliope is known for taking a fancy to
Achilles and taught him how to cheer his friends by singing at banquets. She
also was called by Zeus to mediate the quarrel between Aphrodite and
Persephone over possession of Adonis. She settled the dispute by giving them
equal time, providing Adonis some sorely needed free time to himself. By Apollo,
she bore Linus, who was slain by Hercules, and Orpheus.
CLIO
•
Clio the "Proclaimer" is the muse of history and is often seen sitting
with a scroll and accompanied by a chest of books. She has been
credited with introducing the Phoenician alphabet into Greece. Clio
had teased Aphrodite's love of Adonis, and in consequence of her
wrath, Clio fell in love with Pierius, the son of Magnes and the king
of Macedonia. By Pierus, she bore Hyacinth.
ERATO
• Erato the "Lovely" is the muse of love poetry and
mimicry, and is seen with a lyre and sometimes
wears a crown of roses.
EUTERPE
• Euterpe the "Giver of Pleasure" is the muse of music
and is represented with a flute. It has been said she
is the inventor of the double flute. By the river
Strymon, she bore Rhesus who was slain at Troy.
MELPOMENE
• Melpomene the "Songstress" is the muse of tragedy
in spite of her joyous singing and is represented by
the tragic mask. She is sometimes seen with garland,
a club and a sword. She is often seen wearing
cothurnes, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors,
and a crown of cypress.
POLYHYMNIA
• Polyhymnia (Polymnia), "She of Many Hymns," is the
muse of Sacred Poetry and is seen with a pensive
look upon her face. She brings distinction to writers
whose works have won them immortal fame. She has
also been called the Muse of geometry, mime,
meditation and agriculture. Polyhymnia is often
veiled.
TERPSICHORE
• Terpsichore the "Whirler" is the muse of dancing and
is often seen dancing with her lyre and a plectrum, an
instrument used for plucking stringed instruments. By
the river god Achelous, she bore the Sirens.
THALIA
• Thalia (Thaleia) the "Flourishing" is the muse of
comedy and of playful and idyllic poetry, and is seen
with a comic mask. She is sometimes seen with a
crown of ivy and a crook. By Apollo, Thalia had the
Corybantes, priests who castrated themselves in
identification with the goddess, Cybele.
URANIA
• Urania the "Heavenly" is the muse of
astronomy and is represented by a staff
pointed at a celestial globe. She foretells the
future by the position of the stars.
APHRODITE and PAN
www.shunya.net/.../aphrodite-cupid-pan.jpg
BACCHUS
www.pantheon.org/articles/b/bacchus.html
The Roman god of wine and intoxication, equated with the
Greek Dionysus. His festival was celebrated on March 16 and 17.
The Bacchanalia, orgies in honor of Dionysus, were introduced in
Rome around 200 BCE. These infamous celebrations, notorious
for their sexual and criminal character, got so out of hand that
they were forbidden by the Roman Senate in 186 BCE. Bacchus
is also identified with the old-Italian god Liber.
BACCHUS
ww.oregon-wine.com/bacchus.jpg
DIONYSUS
www.prometheus-imports.com/bacchus-michelange..
AMOR (EROS)
www.geocities.com/hestia624/gods-eros.html
AMOR
www.geocities.com/hestia624/gods-eros.html
Amor is the Latin word for "love." Amor was the son of Venus.
He was born from a golden egg. He was a small person with wings.
Amor carried around a bow and some arrows. He would shoot the
arrow at a victim and once it struck the victim¹s heart, the victim
would fall in love. Amor is used as a synonym for the Roman god,
Cupid.
MOIRAE
www.thanasis.com/fates.htm
MOIRAE
www.thanasis.com/fates.htm
The Fates (or Moirae) are the three sisters, robed in white,
who decide on human fate. Lachesis sings of the things that were,
Clotho those that are, and Atropos (or Atropus) the things that
are to be. Of the three, Atropos is the smallest in stature, but
the most terrible and feared.
CLOCTCLOTHOHO
www.joyceclements.com/generic76.html
LACHESIS
www.joyceclements.com/generic76.html
ATROPOS
www.joyceclements.com/generic76.html