Aphrodite

"Your father acts confident, Piper, but he walks a fine line between two worlds. He's worked his whole life to deny the old stories about gods and spirits, yet he fears those stories might be real. He fears that he's shut off an important part of himself, and someday it will destroy him. Now he's been captured by a giant. He's living a nightmare. Even if he survives...if he has to spend the rest of his life with those memories, knowing that gods and spirits walk the earth, it will shatter him. That's what our enemy hopes for. She will break him, and thus break your spirit"

- Aphrodite

Aphrodite (Αφροδίτη in Ancient Greek) is the immortal goddess of love and beauty. Her Roman counterpart is Venus.

History
After Kronos severed Ouranus' body, his genitals created sea foam. From that foam, Aphrodite was born. She later joined the Olympians after Zeus assumed power. Due to her immense beauty, Zeus was frightened that she would be the cause of violence between the other gods. Thus he married her off to Hephaestus, the dour, humorless god of smithing. Unhappy with her arranged marriage, Aphrodite began an affair with the violent but passionate Ares. She also had relationships with various mortals and other gods, resulting in many children.

The Trojan War
Aphrodite contributed greatly to the cause of the Trojan War, which lasted ten years and caused the violent downfall of the city of Troy. She bribed Paris, prince of Troy, with the most beautiful woman in the world (Helen), in return for him declaring her the fairest of the goddesses; a title she vied for with Hera and Athena.

Aphrodite supported Troy in the war, and intervened many times on behalf of Paris and her favorite son Aeneas, who was also of Trojan royalty. She also sparked the conflict by causing the already married Helen to fall in love with Paris, and vice versa. Despite the fact that their affair caused the end of Troy, Aphrodite seems to view them as a tragic and sympathetic couple.

Adonis
Aphrodite was Adonis' lover and a surrogate mother to him. A mortal named Myrrha gave birth to a baby boy named Adonis. Aphrodite happened to be by the Myrrh tree and, seeing him, takes pity on the infant. She places Adonis in a box, and takes him down to Hades so that Persephone can care for him. Adonis grew into a strikingly handsome young man, and Aphrodite eventually returns for him. Persephone, however, loathes to give him up, and wishes Adonis would stay with her in the Underworld. The two goddesses begin such a quarrel that Zeus is forced to intercede. He decrees that Adonis will spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third of the year with Persephone, and a third of the year with whomever he wishes. Adonis, of course, chooses Aphrodite.

Adonis begins his year on the earth with Aphrodite. One of his greatest passions is hunting, and although Aphrodite is not naturally a hunter, she takes up the sport just so she can be with Adonis. They spend every waking hour with one another, and Aphrodite is enraptured with him. However, her anxiety begins to grow over her neglected duties, and she is forced to leave him for a short time. Before she leaves, she gives Adonis one warning: do not attack an animal who shows no fear. Adonis agrees to her advice, but, secretly doubting her skills as a huntress, quickly forgets her warning.

Not long after Aphrodite leaves, Adonis comes across an enormous wild boar, much larger than any he has ever seen. It is suggested that the boar is the god Ares, one of Aphrodite's lovers made jealous through her constant doting on Adonis. Although boars are dangerous and will charge a hunter if provoked, Adonis disregards Aphrodite's warning and pursues the giant creature. Soon, however, Adonis is the one being pursued; he is no match for the giant boar. In the attack, Adonis is castrated by the boar, and dies from a loss of blood. Aphrodite rushes back to his side, but she is too late to save him and can only mourn over his body.

On his death, Adonis goes back to the Underworld, and Persephone is delighted to see him again. Eventually, Aphrodite realizes that he is there, and rushes back to retrieve him. Again, she and Persephone bicker over who is allowed to keep Adonis until Zeus intervenes. This time, he says that Adonis must spend six months with Aphrodite and six months with Persephone, the way it should have been in the first place.

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 embarrassed her in front of the other gods, one of which Percy and Annabeth get trapped in.

The Titan's Curse
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. 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 do 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."

The Last Olympian
When Annabeth is chosen to be the official architect of Olympus, Aphrodite is quick to tell her that there should be many statues of herself on the new Olympus. Ares, her lover, also says the same thing, as does Apollo.

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, Gaia. 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 do to the fact that love can bring the Gods to their knees.

She 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 Posiedon, and possibly Artemis, Hades and Hermes) 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.

Appearance
Aphrodite is ten times more beautiful than any girl a man can think of. She is the most beautiful goddess in the world. She can appeal to however the person imagines, never staying the same. She can change her hair color, eye color, and overall physical appearance. She is so beautiful that when a man first sees her, before they see her true beauty, they see the woman that they love(or loved). For example, Percy first saw Annabeth. Aphrodite then changed to a TV actress he had a crush on in fifth grade. Her beauty is so overwhelmingly powerful, Percy's jaw dropped when he saw her, he forgot his name, and even how to speak in complete sentences, responding to her only with "Um, uh... gah". To Percy in the limo, she wore a red satin dress. To Piper, she appeared with 'shoulder-length hair, a graceful neck, and an amazing figure tucked into jeans and a snowy white top.' Some of Piper's dad's dates were 'knockout beautiful, but Aphrodite was different. She was "elegant without trying, fashionable without effort, stunning without makeup." Aphrodite's appearance always changed. "She couldn't decide the color of her eyes, or the exact color of her hair. She became more and more beautiful, as if her image was aligning itself to Piper's thoughts- getting as close to Piper's ideal of beauty." Because she is the goddess of love, she has many illegitimate children.

Venus
Aphrodite can change her appearance and turn into her Roman counterpart, Venus. As Venus, she becomes more disciplined, warlike, and militaristic. She might have more children at the Roman Camp Half-Blood in San Francisco. In the Lost Hero, Ma Gasket mentions to her sons, Sump and Torque that Piper is "Venus spawn," which could indicate that more children of Venus are out there if she was able to recognize Piper's charmspeaking.

Personality
Aphrodite is vain, ill-tempered, and easily offended. Ares once commented that Aphrodite isn't as forgiving as he is. Aphrodite is also very beautiful, loving and flirtatious as well as crafty, seductive and passionate. She is loving, and her faith in love is sincere and absolute, and she is often very benevolent and gracious to those she loves, such as Percy. Still, her tendency to ignore the possible consequences of her actions can also lead to great tragedy, such as the Trojan War. She loves all of her children, both demigod and god and their fathers including Tristan McLean, Ares and Mr. Beauregard. She greatly loves her husband, but is repulsed by his appearance. Her love for Tristan is so great that she gave Piper a memory augmenting potion to erase his painful memories. She also appears to become upset with the fact that she and her children are laughed upon.

Relationships
She is married to Hephaestus, but her lover is Ares. Many mortal men and demigods alike have become her consorts. She loves and adores Percy and views him as a kind of a "soap-opera star". It is unknown what her intentions are toward him however, it is known that she is going to give him the perfect love life by blessing him with anguish and indecision, simply because she loves him. She loves all her demigod children and their fathers as well as her immortal children.

Children
Some of her most famous children are:

Demigods

 * Silena Beauregard (deceased)
 * Aeneas (with Anchinses)
 * Piper McLean (with Tristan McLean)
 * Drew
 * Lacy
 * Mitchell
 * Marilyn Monroe

With Ares

 * Eros
 * Deimos
 * Phobos
 * Harmonia
 * Semele

With Hermes
Her demigod children are usually quite beautiful and always worry about their appearance and are generally non violent. Most of her children are girls but some are boys. Her boys are said to be neat and irresistible. It is revealed in The Titan's Curse, that when it comes to playing Capture the Flag against the Hunters, they are focused, and say that they "will show them love isn't worthless". This reflects the almost polar opposite state of Aphrodite and Artemis.
 * Hermaphroditus

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

As the personifacation of love, Aphrodite has omnipotent control over love, lust, beauty and their magics. Like all gods, she is immortal, invulnerable to all but Celestial bronze, Styxian iron, Imperial Gold and godly attacks, she can defy gravity and is perfect and super in performance (particularly love) and natural ability. She wields a force called "Love Magic" which she can infuse into various objects, such as her scarf. She can see at the microscopic level because of her natural superhuman senses, allowing her to see even the smallest flaw in her makeup and correct it. She may be called the greatest of the Olympians, as she is love. Her children are known to speak perfect French because it is the language of love, and some have the abillity to use Charmspeak, which allows them to persuade almost anyone to do what they want. It is unknown if Aphrodite can charmspeak, though it is highly likely since she gave her children the power and that she is able to calm Ares.

Film
In the film adaptation of The Lightning Thief. In the film, she was seen only once, at Mount Olympus during the summer solstice. In the film, she is played by Serinda Swan.