Aphrodite

Lore & Background

The warlike depiction of Aphrodite belongs to her very earliest acolytes and cults in Cyprus and Cythera, where there was a strong eastern influence during the Orientalizing Period. This depiction traces Aphrodite's descent from older Middle Eastern goddesses such as the Sumerian Inanna, Mesopotamian Ishtar, and Phoenician Astarte. In Cyprus, Aphrodite was also referred to by the epithet "Aphrodite Encheios" (Aphrodite with a spear), and it has been suggested that the cult was brought from Cyprus to Sparta.

She was also known by this name on the Areopagus and at Corinth. Pausanias recorded that three cult statues at Kythira, Sparta, and Corinth depicted Aphrodite as holding weapons, and archaeological evidence points to this portrayal also occurring in Argos. In Sparta, he described two temples dedicated to Aphrodite Areia. Pausanias' claim that "Aphrodite Areia" was simply a female version of Ares has some support in the contemporary epigraphy.

Reader's Guide

The association with warfare contradicts Aphrodite's more popularly known role as the goddess of desire, fertility, and beauty. In the Iliad, Aphrodite is portrayed as incompetent in battle, being wounded in the wrist by Diomedes under the guidance of Athena, and she is reminded of her role as a love goddess rather than a war goddess like Athena by Zeus. It is possible, however, that this representation was deliberate to assert the Ionian interpretation of Aphrodite, which did not portray the goddess with warlike aspects, as the "correct" version. There were cults dedicated to the warlike aspect of Aphrodite in Kythira, Cyprus, Argos, Taras and most prominently in Sparta.

Did You Know?

• A Spartan myth recorded by Lactantius tells of Spartan women arming themselves to defend the city from a Messene attack, explaining the origin of the "Armed Aphrodite" epithet.
• In the Iliad, Aphrodite is wounded in the wrist by Diomedes under Athena's guidance, and Zeus reminds her she is a love goddess, not a war goddess.