Aphrodite

Aphrodite In the battle between Uranos and the Titans, as Cronos was casting his father, Uranos, down from the sky, he wounded Uranos whose drops of blood fell on the sea. From these drops of blood formed Aphrodite, which means "foam- arisen." Naiads dressed her in golden and floral clothing. Aphrodite became known as the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite was forced to marry Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, volcanoes and fire. Hephaestus was a very unattractive man. Why you ask, was this stunning goddess forced to marry an unattractive man? Zeus, Aphrodite's father, arranged the marriage so that the other gods would not fight over her. However she did not enjoy the sight of her husband, so she began to have secret affairs with Ares, the god of war. Aphrodite has two symbols that represent her: the swan and the dove.

Pictures
Aphrodite arriving on shore. The Naiads are dressing her in floral clothing.

This is the Venus de Milo. Venus was Aphrodite's Roman name.

Connection to The Lightning Thief
Aphrodite was not mentioned very much in The Lightning Thief. But she was mentioned when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover met Ares, and he told them that he needed them to retrieve his shield. He had left it at a water park when he was on a date with his girlfriend, Aphrodite.

Sources
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. New York: Miramax Books, 2006.

Rouse, W.H.D. Gods, Heroes, and Men of Ancient Greece. New York: New American Library, 1957.

"Aphrodite." 14 Sep. 2010. http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/parisaphrodite/aphrodite.html

"Aphrodite." 15 Sep. 2010. http://lenoushi.tripod.com/Aphrodite.htm

"Aphrodite" Ares. 16 Sep. 2010. http://lenoushi.tripod.com/Ares.ht m