Aeneas worst nightmare

Engraved Scaraboid with Aphrodite Riding a Goose, about 400 B.C.E.

Aphrodite riding on a goose. Terracotta from Locri, Calabria, Italy. Made in Boeotia c. 470 – 460 BC. [this actually looks like a swan to me; look at the upper beak?].

Aphrodite on a goose, 2nd-1st Century B.C.E.

Aphrodite riding on a goose, 380 BCE, Taranto.

Relief of Aphrodite on a goose, 50 BCE-100 CE, Italy.

-Sappho (Lobel-Page 1)

This Planet has so many kids by itself (which makes sense since he's a planet, but I feel like it doesn't happen much. Or maybe it does.) Usually there's an "implied" second parent because they're married. (Like Polemos; Alala has no stated mother, but because he's married to Hybris, it can be implied she's her birth mother. But I say "no" lmao)

But with Hesperus specifically, he has no mentioned lovers AT ALL except Hymenaeus. Love that for them.

Anyway, let us list the chillins before yapping about em:

Keyx, Daidalion, Leukonoe, Hesperis, the Hesperides

alrighty let's go

Eros~❤️‍🔥🪽🏹

Full and less watermarked version up on Patreon ofc😌

Afros controlled that region as king, and married Astynome from the island Laceria. He had a daughter he called Aphrodite, naming her too after the planet of heavenly Aphrodite.

it's interesting because usually the planet is named after her and not the other way around, apparently according to Theoi 'the Greeks also named the star itself Aster Aphrodition', that could be another alternative name for our star Hesperus xD

I think it's cute of Aphros to name Aphrodite after a planet, it's sweet, really

Hesperus was Aphroditus all along /j Hesperus so MANY FRICKIN NAMES he's IASION LEVELS OF BAD (but at least they're all different and cool lolol)

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 42 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

Then he turned to address Venus [Aphrodite]. ‘My daughter,’ he said, ‘do not harbour any resentment. Have no fear for you high lineage and distinction in this marriage to a mortal, for I shall declare the union lawful and in keeping with the civil law, and not one between persons of differing social status.’

-Golden ass, translation by Vellacott, P

Psyche also successfully finished Venus' very last task which only gives me more reason to believe that at least Venus forgave the girl

Then he roused her with a harmless touch of his arrow, saying: “Look how you've nearly ruined yourself again, poor child, with that insatiable curiosity of yours. Now be quick and finish the task my mother assigned. I'll take care of everything else.” With this he took lightly to his wings, while Psyche, for her part, swiftly carried Proserpine's gift to Venus.

The only negative feeling I feel like it was harder for Aphrodite to get over is the fact that Eros went against her order and married Psyche in secret, idk he essentially betrayed her trust and she was really not happy about it

Now Venus screamed, loud with indignation: “Psyche, that witch who steals my form, that pretender to my name! Is she the one who delights him? Does the imp take me for some procuress, who pointed that same girl out so he might know her?”

-Golden ass, translated by A.S. Kline (I used this same source for all the other quotes)

Fine behaviour, highly creditable to your birth and reputation! First you disregard your mother's orders, or rather your queen's I should say, and fail to visit a sordid passion on the girl, then, a mere boy, you couple with her, my enemy, in reckless, immature love-making, presumably thinking I'd love that woman I hate as a daughter-in-law?

This probably dented their relationship for some time. Eros is Aphrodite's #1 agent, so him losing her trust could also affect their work dynamic and how many missions she assigns to him. When she was lashing at him she also mentioned a lot of ways in which he caused her harm, and I see that as her opening old wounds that she didn't properly heal but also a bit of her putting all the blame of her life choices on his shoulders

You were badly brought up from infancy, quick to raise your hands and fire arrows at your elders in disrespect, and expose me, your mother, to shame each day, you monster! You often make me your target, sneer at me as 'the widow', without fearing your step-father, Mars, the world's strongest and mightiest warrior. Why would you, since you provide that adulterer with a ready supply of girls to torment me with? But I warn you: you'll be sorry for mocking me, when that marriage of yours leaves a sour, bitter taste in your mouth!”

The mother-son angst goes both ways because Venus also caused harm to Eros by going overboard and by torturing his wife

You presume you'll remain the only prince, unlovable, worthless, rake that you are, and that I'm too old to conceive again. Well, know that I'll produce a better son than you. You'll feel the insult all the more when I adopt one of my slave boys, and grant him your wings and torches, bow and arrows, and all the rest of the gear I gave you, which was never intended to be used this way.

If I was Eros this is the part that would have hurt me the most T-T Aphrodite is threatening to essentially disown him over this saying that even a slave would be a better son then he is.

But shifting the focus to Psyche, I really hope she was able to heal from all the trauma she suffered. Something I think people often ignore is that Aphrodite was not the only one to traumatize the poor girl, Eros is also at fault with how he went though the 'courting'. As much fantastical and magical the palace that they spend most of their relationship on sounds, it must have been so lonely and scary for Psyche.

But the need to obey the divine command sent poor Psyche to meet the sentence decreed, the ritual preparations for the fatal marriage were completed in utter sorrow, and the living corpse was led from the house surrounded by all the people. Tearful Psyche walked along, not in wedding procession, but in her own funeral cortege. Her parents saddened and overcome by this great misfortune hesitated to carry out the dreadful deed

When these delights were ended, prompted by the sight of the evening star, Psyche retired to bed. Now, when night was well advanced, gentle whispers sounded in her ears, and all alone she feared for her virgin self, trembling and quivering, frightened most of what she knew nothing of. Her unknown husband had arrived and mounted the bed, and made Psyche his wife, departing swiftly before light fell.

So these are the points that I would LOVE to see being explored:

Psyche and Eros finally getting to truly know each other, they proved their passion but I feel like they need to build those "boring" parts of their relationship, especially since Eros hid his identity most of their relationship.

Aphrodite making amends with Psyche. Psyche definitely did earn Aphrodite's forgiveness (we see Venus dancing at Psyche/Cupid's wedding) but Aphrodite needs to show her gentle side to Psyche, welcoming her to the family while also give her some space to heal

“In addition to the above cases we know of places where 'Peitho' is used as an epithet to define the particular aspect of Aphrodite to which appeal is being made: Pharsalos, Knidos and Mytilene. In the last-mentioned city we have inscriptional evidence for a cult association between 'Aphrodite Peitho' and Hermes. This certainly does not contradict the idea that the context is erotic: at Peace 456 Aristophanes' Trygaios prays to 'Hermes, the Charites, the Horai, Aphrodite and Pothos'; and Plutarch (praec. coni. 138c-d) links Hermes, Aphrodite, Peitho and the Charites when describing the love between man and wife. However, bearing in mind Plutarch's words, we might guess that it was a marriage cult that linked 'Aphrodite Peitho' and Hermes at Mytilene. If so, this is importantly different from Peitho's role at, say, Olynthos, where she is associated with love outside marriage. As we shall see later, this is one of the most significant ambivalences of peitho.”

- R. G. A. Buxton. Persuasion in Greek Tragedy : A Study of Peitho. Cambridge Cambridgeshire ; New York, Cambridge University Press, 1982.

okay so far these are the top 2 (I am surprised with how well Aphrodite x Hera x Zeus is doing lmao, I was expecting it to have like ~3% of votes) in a very unserious light I am thinking of ship names for these throuples

I'll call Adonis x Ares x Aphrodite Adoresdite as a little play with their names and the idea of Adonis and Ares 'adoring aphrodite' (they are hair 2 main lovers I had to do it)

Ik that people call Hera x Zeus Zera, Hera's name but with a Z for Zeus swapping the H, very straight foward. Aphrodite got another name called Kythereia because there is a version of her birth myth where she emerged on the island of Kythera. Kyt-Hera. Kyt-Zera. Kytzera. Genius