The fair-haired Aphrodite is an embodiment of beauty and grace. She typically wears flowing tulle dresses and her bracelets and necklaces are adorned with many pearls. Her birth was shrouded in mystery – born even before Zeus – when Cronus defeated Uranus, she arose from the sea foam, created when a piece of Uranus fell into the water. She eventually came to the shore, riding in a scallop shell, and became known as the Goddess of Love ever since that day.

Although often noted for her noble temperament, it is often shaken by her vanity. When she was matched with Hephaestus by Zeus, the God of Blacksmiths, Aphrodite grimaced and scoffed. Hephaestus, in contrast to her, is seen by many as unattractive and has some deformities. Thus, he often remained in Mount Helicon doing metalwork, and often got burnt and dirty, working bronze. Aphrodite found their differences to be simply too many and eventually just ignored her husband, not concerning herself to honor their marriage vows.

Another time where she when her vanity was exposed was at the so-called Judgment of Paris. It began when Eris, the Goddess of Strife, gave a golden apple inscribed with the words, “To the Fairest.” An argument broke out between Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera over this apple and the title conveyed by it. The three Goddesses eventually chose the Trojan prince, Paris, to decide which of them should be given the apple. All of the Goddesses made incredible promises to Paris if he chose them, but Aphrodite made the most alluring one…

Aphrodite offered Paris the love of the most beautiful woman on Earth, a demigod known as Helen. She was second only to the Goddesses themselves in her beauty but was already married to a Spartan king. Regardless, Paris took this offer and chose Aphrodite. He then took Helen to Troy, and she would be known as the “face that launched a thousand ships,” as their elopement began the most legendary war of the ancient world.