Aphrodite/Venus

Aphrodite/Venus is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality. Her consort is Ares/Mars, her husband is Hephaestus/Vulcan, and her male counterpart is Eros/Cupid.

Myths/Stories
Aphrodite's first myth was her rising from the sea. She was found by the Horai, who prepared and escorted her to Mount Olympus, where she was presented to the Olympians. All of the gods became lustful towards her, causing arguments. Eventually, in order to avoid further conflict, Hera/Juno, as the goddess of marriage, took it upon herself to choose Aphrodite's consort (although some sources state it was Zeus/Jupiter). She cleverly decided to have Hephaestus, the ugliest Olympian, marry Aphrodite, as none of the gods could ever be jealous of Hephaestus.

However, in another version of the myth, Hephaestus, seeking revenge towards his mother, Hera, traps her in a throne of his own design, only releasing her once Aphrodite is given to him as a wife.

One of Aphrodite's most famous myths is her love for the mortal/demigod Adonis.

Another myth is her humiliation with Ares by Hephaestus. After he discovered Aphrodite's affair with Ares, he invented a device that would trap the two gods in an unbreakable net. Hephaestus then invited the other Olympians to mock the trapped couple. Eventually Zeus, (in some versions Poseidon/Neptune) convinced Hephaestus to let them go.

Aphrodite plays a key role in the fall of Troy in the Iliad. Because the goddess Eris was not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, she tossed the Golden Apple of Discord into the wedding. Inscribed was the phrase "For the Fairest". The three Olympian goddesses, Hera, Athena/Minerva, and Aphrodite began to argue who was most deserving. The mortal Paris was chosen to decide who would receive the apple. All the goddesses promised Paris a reward in exchange for the apple. Aphrodite promised him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world, at the time Helen of Troy. Paris chose Aphrodite's gift, and Aphrodite kidnapped for him Helen (although some versions say that Paris did it himself).

Family
According to Hesiod, Aphrodite was the daughter of Uranus, rising from his castrated genitals in the sea. However, according to Homer, she was Zeus's daughter, rather than aunt, and her mother was Dione.

Some sources say that she is the mother of Eros by Ares, although according to others he was a primordial deity.

Media
Aphrodite was featured as a character in the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. She is also a character in the video game Smite.