Mythology Research Paper

Kendall Sargent
Period 1
Aphrodite
If Aphrodite had had a magic mirror like the wicked queen in Snow White, it is probable that she would have asked, "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire (Lombardi). The myth of Aphrodite shares some similarities with other myths, most notably the myths of her father Zeus, the fair Helen, and the proud Narcissus. These myths have some of the common themes that are demonstrated throughout ancient Greek mythology.

Aphrodite and her father Zeus share some of the same traits. Zeus is the famous ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus. Aphrodite and Zeus were both unhappy with their marriages, and their love lives. This tempted them to try to find happiness elsewhere. Aphrodite fled from her crippled husband Hephaestus, and sought her true love Ares, the god of war. Zeus, on the other hand, was married to Hera, the queen of the gods. Unhappy being with just one woman, Zeus had so many affairs with other women that he cannot remember which of his children belong to which mother. He also had affairs with nymphs, and many creatures in nature (Hunt). Both Zeus and his daughter thought they were happier when they were being unfaithful, and so they continued to do so. Myths were created to explain phenomena, and these two explain cheating on your spouse.

Aphrodite was considered the most beautiful goddess in the world. There were, however, a few mortal women who were considered more attractive than she. One such woman was named Helen. She was so striking that during the Trojan War she was often referred to as "The face that launched a thousand ships." Aphrodite and Helen were constantly followed by suitors who wanted to be lucky enough to marry them. Because of their alluring qualities, both of these fair women made it easy for men to fall in love with them. Aphrodite was often found to be jealous of Helen, because even though she was only a mortal, men still loved her (Myths Encyclopedia).

Although Aphrodite and Helen were known for their breathtaking faces, Aphrodite took the compliments in a very different manner from Helen. Helen was humble, and took the praise from men with grace. Aphrodite knew that she was appealing, and shared this prideful trait with the vain Narcissus. They both believed that they were uniquely good-looking, and that no one was deserving of their radiance. While Narcissus always had a band of followers, he did not believe that any of them would be a suitable wife for him. After Narcissus told a girl, Echo, that she too wasn't a match for him, the goddess Nemesis decided to punish him. Nemesis led Narcissus to a pool of water and showed him his reflection for the first time. Narcissus thought that this bewitching person he was looking at was the only person worthy of his love, and so he fell in love with his own reflection (Upright). Aphrodite and Narcissus were both beautiful people, but their vain love of their own beauty sometimes got them into trouble. Being prideful is a theme often found in mythology.

As shown above, the myth of Aphrodite shares some common themes with other mythological stories. She was unfaithful like her father Zeus, men were manipulated by her beauty like Helen, and she was proud like Narcissus. Aphrodite played some vital roles throughout ancient Greece, and was a part of people's lives. The myth of Aphrodite explained feelings of love and desire. She will be remembered as a goddess who caused trouble with people's feelings, but she will also be remembered as the "fairest of them all."