Aphrodite

"Beauty is about finding the right fit, the most natural fit. To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself -— avoid trying to be something you're not. For a goddess, that's especially hard. We can change so easily."

- Aphrodite

Aphrodite (Αφροδίτη in Ancient Greek) is the Greek goddess of beauty, love, grace, desire, sexuality, pleasure, and procreation. Her Roman counterpart is Venus. Aphrodite is portrayed by Serinda Swan in The Lightning Thief.

History


After Kronos dismembered Ouranos, he threw his father's remains into the sea and created the foam from which Aphrodite was born. She later joined the Olympians after Zeus assumed power and quickly became the source of conflict among the gods. Although he was tempted to take her for himself, Zeus eventually married her to Hephaestus. Unhappy with the marriage, Aphrodite had an affair with the handsome and passionate Ares even after her husband humiliated her by publicly exposing their relationship. She would also have romances with both mortals and other Olympians.

Troy
Aphrodite was the main spark that began Trojan War, a conflict which lasted a decade and led to the downfall and burning of the city of Troy. She vied for the title of "most fairest" against Hera and Athena. A Trojan prince, Paris, was offered the most beautiful woman, Helen, by Aphrodite in return for choosing her over Hera and Athena. He chose Aphrodite, earning the other goddesses anger. An anger that would eventually led to his, Helen's and Troy's doom.

Needless to say, Aphrodite supported Troy in the war. She intervened many times on behalf of Paris and Aeneas, her son who was also of Trojan royalty, often going into battle and taking them off the battlefield when they were injured. Despite the fact that Paris and Helen's affair caused the downfall of Troy and the deaths of thousands, Aphrodite seems to view them as a tragic and sympathetic couple.

The Lightning Thief
Aphrodite is mentioned in The Lightning Thief, as constantly cheating on her husband with Ares (and mortals judging from all her children). Hephaestus constantly makes traps to try and embarrass her in front of the other gods, one of which Percy and Annabeth get trapped in while recovering Ares' shield. Percy finds the scarf of Aphrodite, which Annabeth snatches away from him before he can get intoxicated by the perfume.

The Titan's Curse
When Percy visited the attic to see the Oracle, he found Aphrodite's Scarf from the events of The Lightning Thief

and wondered why Annabeth left it in the attic. Later, he met Aphrodite and Ares outside of the junkyard in the desert. She expressed her interest in Percy's love life, saying that his desire to save Annabeth was very cute. She also said that she wasn't going to make Percy's love life easy. She is also seen at the Winter Solstice voting with Demeter for Apollo to continue his haiku., and she also votes for Percy to not get disintegrated.

The Battle of the Labyrinth
When Percy lands on the island of Ogygia, he meets Calypso and thinks that she is prettier than Aphrodite, but wouldn't say it out loud for fear of being zapped by her. Also, when Hephaestus comes to the island to ask Percy if he wants to leave and to beware of love due to the lack of loyalty from his wife. Percy also assumes Aphrodite landed him on Ogygia to make his love life interesting because she "likes him". Later, he learns that it was Hera who sent him there.

The Last Olympian
When Annabeth is chosen to be the official architect of Olympus, Aphrodite goes along with what Apollo said and agrees there should be many statues of her as well.

The Lost Hero
She makes an appearance in her daughter Piper's dream and talks to her. After the talk, Leo, Jason, Gleeson Hedge, and Piper all have new clothes and a bag with supplies.

In that appearance she tells Piper of her true enemy, Gaea. She also reveals why she considers herself to be the most powerful goddess as well as the oldest, being created out of Ouranos. She believes she is the most powerful due to the fact that love can bring the gods to their knees.

She also tells Piper that she truly loved Tristan McLean and understood him well enough not to reveal her real nature.

Aphrodite reveals a more caring nature, appearing to care for her children far more than the other Gods, (excluding Poseidon, and possibly Hades, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Artemis with her Hunters) and treating people she loves in a kinder way, she seems to understand humans more than the other Gods and it is likely that without Aphrodite they would not have been able to complete the quest.

Personality
Aphrodite is both temperamental and vain. In addition, she is also crafty, flirtatious, and seductive. Despite these qualities, she is both very loving and passionate, having a faith in love that is absolute and true. Aphrodite is very benevolent and gentle to those she favors and deeply cares for her children as well as their fathers. Presiding over the most powerful of human feelings, she has great insight into mortal emotions as well as mortal nature by extension.

Appearance
As Aphrodite is the personification of attractiveness, she appears to mortals as their personal ideal of beauty.

Venus
Aphrodite can change into her Roman counterpart of Venus. As Venus, she becomes more disciplined, militaristic, and warlike. She may have children or descendants at Camp Jupiter near San Francisco. The Greeks envisioned Aphrodite as a passionate and sensuous being. The Romans hailed Venus as the divine ancestress of their culture.

Abilities
"I'd met Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, in person, and her powers had scared me worse than Ares."

- Percy Jackson in The Titan's Curse

Aphrodite possesses the standard powers of a goddess with personal abilities such as:


 * Infallible visual acuity
 * Omnipotent allure
 * Superior influence over emotion and passion

Relationships


Aphrodite is married to Hephaestus, but she is known for her affairs among gods and mortals with her favorite being Ares.

Claiming
Aphrodite's claiming is unique in that she gives her blessing as a declaration.

The Lightning Thief
Aphrodite is briefly seen during a meeting of the Olympian council.

Trivia

 * Homeric sources claim that Aphrodite is a daughter of Zeus and an oceanid sea nymph named Dione.
 * Her name is the inspiration for aphrodisiac.
 * The second planet from the sun, Venus is named after her Roman counterpart.
 * She is the eldest Olympian since she rose from Ouranos' remains before Zeus and his siblings were born.