Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Her Worship

Jun 3

The Birth of the Goddess

Born of seafoam, the goddess Aphrodite walked ashore on a beach on the western side of Cyprus. Many times her birth is said to have been caused by the genitals of Uranus falling into the sea, courtesy of his son Cronus, and mixing with the foam. She as said that her birth was to occur on a Greek island, but the winds caused her to end up on Cyprus.

As a goddess, she has dominion over and associations with love, lust, sex, pleasure, beauty, with ties to fertility and more. She has ancient roots, with some even proposing her mythology and worship were inspired by Mesopotamian goddesses to the east. Her worship on the island of Cyprus and the title she holds there highlight her multifaceted nature in writings and ancient religion. The epithet of Paphia (Παφία) highlights this connection to her cultic role here.

This epithet simply ties her to the area of Paphos, where her mythical birth occurred and where her temple stands. The temple is now a short ride from the beach. If you know where to look in history and on the island, and pair it with the writings of Homer and others from antiquity, a deeper story unravels, one that denotes her as Queen of Cyprus.

Her Cultic Center

*Coin depicting the shrine of Aphrodite Paphia, Roman, 76-77 CE. Image courtesy of The Trustees of the British Museum.*

The sanctuary of Aphrodite Paphia, located in the modern village of Kouklia, lies in ruins today. While this is not what ancient individuals would have witnessed thousands of years ago, the sacred space still offers insight into her cultic worship and mysteries that took place here.

And while we know Aphrodite as a goddess of love, she likely did not start out that way. It has been proposed that her worship superseded that of another local female deity, who was not a goddess of love, but rather one who protected her land, Cyprus, and her people.

Over time, she, of course, took on other aspects of love, sex, and more as her worship grew. With her popularity on the rise, the temple grew in popularity and became THE major cultic center for the goddess, attracting worshippers and pilgrims all over the world. For even rulers would stop to see her temple before continuing on their journey in the Mediterranean, and this temple was also depicted on coins, especially in Rome.

Aphrodite as Queen

*Mosaic floor and ruins from the sanctuary of Aphrodite Paphia.* Image from T. Kellenbarger.

Aphrodite as queen is nuanced, but for those who delve between the lines of ancient writing and pair it with not only material culture but also an iconographic approach, incorporating semiotic and formalistic analysis, we can gain a clearer picture.

So, is Aphrodite a queen? Yes. Is it as blatant as saying Hera in her role? No. This is where titularies and epithets matter, for she embodies the role of a queen, through Despoina. Of course, this translates to mean "Mistress" or "Lady," which we see elsewhere, such as with Aphrodite, who is referred to as Cypris, or the Lady of Cyprus, as noted in ancient writings (i.e., Homer, Orphic Hymns).

Taking this a step further, when accounting for scholarship that postulates a Mesopotamian connection, Cyprus’s role in maritime traderoutes, along with her syncretism with the earlier fertility goddess of the island, we obtain a multidimensional goddess in both roles and titles (i.e., “Queen” being used for mortal rulers and “Lady” for goddesses).

Just a Goddess of Love?

*Aphrodite fixing her sandal.* Image from T. Kellenbarger.

While Aphrodite walked ashore in Cyprus, where she was born, she is part of the Ancient Greek pantheon.

Her worship on the island began differently than her cultic worship elsewhere due to the religious and cultural influence the island had with kingdoms in the east.

While we have historical and archaeological evidence supporting the presence of an earlier goddess worshipped for fertility and protection (in childbirth), through the centuries, Aphrodite began to syncretize with this goddess. But here on Cyprus, her iconography was vastly different than how we know her statues and image to look in Greece. Again, through time, those on Cyprus adopted the “Aegeanized” Aphrodite, who was one not only associated with fertility, but love, sex, pleasure, and more.

So is she simply a goddess of Love? No. While that is a primary domain of hers, epithets such as aria can be used to highlight other associations. Ephets can denote a specific place, as we see with Paphia, or an aspect, as seen in Aria.

Aphrodite and the history of prehistoric goddess worship in the Cypriot archaeological record reveal a complex and multifaceted set of practices that ancient people took part in. Interpreting the evidence (textual, archaeological, iconography, etc.) requires us to engage with a constantly shifting understanding of not only the goddess but also how the ancient people on Cyprus and abroad interacted and connected with this goddess within the larger framework of ancient Greek religion. Her differences, seen on Cyprus and Greece, reflect localized expressions, intercultural exchange, and even shifting religious paradigms. To better understand Aphrodite in her worship and mythology, we need to adopt a more hermeneutical approach to ensure an inclusive and multidimensional interpretation that encompasses her and the practices associated with her.

— Dr. Kellenbarger

Aphrodite as a Goddess and Queen

Here at Styx and Bones, as we look at the feminine archetypes seen through ancient Greek goddesses, we come to the archetype of the queen through Despoina. To us, this archetype represents queens from ancient history and mythology, who are complex figures that combine grace, leadership, loyalty, ferocity, and more. They rule their kingdoms or realms, both divine and mortal, highlighting the paradox of female power.

For those wanting more items focused on the Greek Goddess Archetypes and their epithets, you can check them out here.

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This month inside the cult, we’re getting real about Aphrodite:

The Face of the Goddess— What did Aphrodite look like in the ancient world, according to the people who created her?
5 Days of Aphrodite Paphia — A five-day cultic devotional for those looking to venerate the goddess and learn about her ancient roots.
The Ancient Tea on Aphrodite: Not Your Glamour Goddess — we're focusing heavily on the goddess Aphrodite, and the girls are pulling up with more than just tea on the goddess.... It's time to gather around mystery cult members because we're serving it to you today.

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