Aphrodite and Venus in Myth and Mimesis is a broad, flexible source book of comparative literature and cultural studies. It promotes the wide-ranging presence and impact of prominent idiosyncratic personalities in fabled goddess mythology and its emphatic notions of endearment and allure. The book brings together seven hundred acknowledged sources drawn from successive historical, global and literary eras, including principal commentaries, along with factual information and important renditions in art, prose and verse, within and beyond mainstream western culture. A lengthy, detailed introduction presents a copious documented preview of the viable adaptation and mimesis of ‘divine’ characterization and its respective centrality from the long distant past to the present day. Myth, rarely latent, demonstrates varied modes of expression and open-ended flexibility throughout the six comprehensive chapters which illuminate and probe, in turn, aspects of the ideological presence, sensibilities, trials and triumphs and interventions of the goddess, whether sacred or profane. Particular literary extracts and episodes range across ancient cultures alongside quite recent expressions of hermeneutics, blending myth with the contemporary in the multi-layered reception or admonishment of the goddess, whether by one designation or the other. As such, this book is wholly relevant to all stages of the evolution and expansion of a dynamic European literary culture and its leading authors and personalities.

The fabulous story of the goddess Venus, also known by her Greek name Aphrodite, begins with her mysterious birth in the Aegean Sea. She emerges on the coast of Cyprus full-grown, shapely and desirable. With one hand she wrings her long, wavy hair, still wet from the waters of the sea, and with the other she pretends to conceal the secret places of her body. She stands on a scallop-shell, perfect and beautiful, as in the famous Botticelli painting. In fact, the ancient love goddess has many origins and many histories. The Minoans of Crete, the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, the Romans who adopted her from the Greeks - all were fascinated by the beautiful female in whose keeping were the hearts of mere mortal men and women. Her son Eros(Cupid), her many lovers and her amorous adventures have taken root in our collective consciousness ever since. This 'biography' of Venus is ideal reading for all who enjoy mythology and storytelling.

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.

The life story of the irresistibly beautiful love-goddess Venus--sensual, sexy, and seductive--as never told before.

The Goddess Venus has long been an inspiration to artists, writers and composers, while the word 'Venus' itself conjures up images of the perfect woman - an ideal of feminine beauty. This image works not only to dictate a certain aesthetic ideal, but also distorts the original goddesses of love and fertility from whom Venus and Aphrodite are descended.

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.

Curious about the chains that bound Fenriswulf in Norse mythology? Or the hut of Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Russian folklore? Containing more than one thousand detailed entries on the magical and mythical items from the different folklore, legends, and religions the world over, this encyclopedia is the first of its kind. From Abadi, the named stone in Roman mythology to Zul-Hajam, one of the four swords said to belong to the prophet Mohammed, each item is described in as much detail as the original source material provided, including information on its origin, who was its wielder, and the extent of its magical abilities. The text also includes a comprehensive cross-reference system and an extensive bibliography to aid researchers.