A cultural history of the goddess of love, from a New York Times bestselling and award-winning historian. Aphrodite was said to have been born from the sea, rising out of a froth of white foam. But long before the Ancient Greeks conceived of this voluptuous blonde, she existed as an early spirit of fertility on the shores of Cyprus -- and thousands of years before that, as a ferocious warrior-goddess in the Middle East. Proving that this fabled figure is so much more than an avatar of commercialized romance, historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable lifestory of one of antiquity's most potent myths. Venus and Aphrodite brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeological revelations to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today -- and how we trivialize her power at our peril.

A “thrilling, well-researched” account of years of scandal at the prestigious Getty Museum (Ulrich Boser, author of The Gardner Heist). In recent years, several of America’s leading art museums have voluntarily given up their finest pieces of classical art to the governments of Italy and Greece. Why would they be moved to such unheard-of generosity? The answer lies at the Getty, one of the world’s richest and most troubled museums, and scandalous revelations that it had been buying looted antiquities for decades. Drawing on a trove of confidential museum records and candid interviews, these two journalists give us a fly-on-the-wall account of the inner workings of a world-class museum, and tell a story of outlandish characters and bad behavior that could come straight from the pages of a thriller. “In an authoritative account, two reporters who led a Los Angeles Times investigation reveal the details of the Getty Museum’s illicit purchases, from smugglers and fences, of looted Greek and Roman antiquities. . . . The authors offer an excellent recap of the museum’s misdeeds, brimming with tasty details of the scandal that motivated several of America’s leading art museums to voluntarily return to Italy and Greece some 100 classical antiquities worth more than half a billion dollars.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “An astonishing and penetrating look into a veiled world where beauty and art are in constant competition with greed and hypocrisy. This engaging book will cast a fresh light on many of those gleaming objects you see in art museums.” —Jonathan Harr, author of The Lost Painting

Original publication and copyright date: 2011.

Voted one of the best poetry collections of 2019 by readers on Goodreads! Bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award winning poet Trista Mateer takes a magical approach to self-care with her new collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It. In this empowering and feminist retelling, Mateer transforms the mythology of the goddess into 224 pages of modern poetry and full-color artwork. Broken into sections alternating between the perspective of The Poet and Aphrodite herself, the work within tackles the timeless topic of love--romantic, platonic, and self-love. The collection addresses issues like heartbreak, sexuality, womanhood, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore, speaking your truths, and rewriting your origin story. If you let her, by the end of this book, Aphrodite will make you believe in the possibility of your own healing. "If you were only made to be beautiful, we wouldn't have put you down here in the dirt."Perfect for fans of Amanda Lovelace, Nikita Gill, Rupi Kaur, Elizabeth Acevedo, Rick Riordan, and Madeline Miller; or anyone interested in Greek myths, tarot, and Instagram poetry. This is the first book in the Myth & Magick series, which also includes Artemis Made Me Do It and Persephone Made Me Do It.

Love and beauty reign supreme in empowering, high-interest narrative text telling the story of Greek mythology's Aphrodite. Core legends show Aphrodite's matchmaking as well as her own lovers among gods and mortals. Fascinating myths also uncover Aphrodite's past, detailing her creation and how she fits into the family of deities. Further explore Aphrodite's role in Greek culture through her signature powers, symbols, and attire. Additional facts and historical information connect the goddess's influence through popular culture today.

"The spiritual and intellectual journey of a feminst theologian from Christianity to the goddess."--Cover.

Aphrodite is an often misunderstood goddess, one who is easy to relegate to the love goddess role, but she is a goddess who also shows up as an initiator and, some might say, troublemaker. In this book, we seek to explore the complexity of a goddess who was born on sea foam and who inspires beauty and love, all the while offering a hand toward each one of us to celebrate our full hearts.