However, they were an imperfect match, and Aphrodite consequently spent time cheating with the god of war, Ares, as well as a slew of mortal lovers, such as the Trojan nobleman Anchises and the youth Adonis.
(1) DIVINE LOVES. ARES The god of war had a long love affair with Aphrodite which lasted for the duration of her marriage to Hephaistos and beyond. She bore him four divine sons: Eros, Anteros, Deimos, Phobos; and a daughter: Harmonia.
Aphrodite was frequently unfaithful to him and had many lovers; in the Odyssey, she is caught in the act of adultery with Ares, the god of war.
Ares was never married, but he fell in love with Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Her most famous lover, however, was the handsome and youthful mortal Adonis. Aphrodite was so attracted by his good looks that her jealous husband, Hephaestus, disguised himself as a boar and killed Adonis.
Aphrodite was married to Hephaistos (Ἡφαιστος), the god of fire, smiths, and craftsmen. However, as we'll soon learn, this wasn't by her own choosing, and thus she had a longstanding affair with her true love, Ares (Αρης), The Greek god of War.
According to the myth of Aphrodite and Ares, the god of war fell madly in love when he met the goddess of beauty. Unlike what he did with his other lovers, he decided to win her over. He bought her gifts and complimented her constantly to gain her love.
Given that Ares was such hard work, perhaps it is no surprise that he never married. But he still had several love affairs and fathered many children. Ares famously had a love affair with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
So yes, Ares did cheat on Aphrodite with many other women. But he always came back to his wife afterward. She was very understanding about his relationships because she knew how much pain they could cause. In addition to being the god of war, Ares is also known as the "ardent one" for his passionate nature.
Ares and Aphrodite could never marry because Aphrodite had been forced to marry another Olympian, Hephaestus. However, they continued their relationship and had several children, including the four love gods, the Erotes.
Athena is the single most prevalent foe of Ares, the two were the ultimate symbol of war, two siblings with the same station but who were so different they were always ready to fight one another.
In a story not seen until the Roman period, Venus hounded the beautiful girl, Psyche, just for being beautiful. Psyche (whose name means “soul” in Greek) was so beautiful that the people around her worshipped her instead of Venus. Psyche did not ask for this worship, but Venus wanted to punish her anyway.
The union of Ares and Aphrodite created the gods Eros, Anteros, Phobos, Deimos, and Harmonia.
Even though married to Hephaestus, she had affairs with all Olympians except Zeus and Hades, most famously with Ares, the god of war. She also had famous romances with two mortals, Anchises and Adonis.
In Greek mythology, Psyche was a mortal woman whose beauty was so great that it rivaled that of the goddess Aphrodite. Aphrodite became so jealous of Psyche that she sent her son, Eros, to make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man in the world.
The name Psyche means "soul" and "butterfly" in Greek and was commonly referred to as such in Roman mythology as well, though direct translation is Anima (Latin word for "soul"). She was born a mortal woman eventually granted immortality, with beauty that rivaled even Aphrodite, goddess of love.
Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty and love. She was born out of the sea fully formed and riding a giant scallop shell. She had one husband and 8 consorts.
Aphrodite was the most beautiful of all the Goddesses. Aphrodite was the most beautiful of all the Goddesses and there are many tales of how she could encourage both Gods and humans to fall in love with her.
Ares and Aphrodite had several children: Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, and Eros, the love god.
Daughters of Ares were seven in numbers, they were mortal and immortal daughters, their father was one of the 12 Olympian gods in Greek mythology. He and her daughters were mentioned many times by Homer and Hesiod in their works as they were involved in some very interesting events in the mythology.
Aphrodite was compelled by Zeus to marry Hephaestus, the god of fire. However, they were an imperfect match, and Aphrodite consequently spent time cheating with the god of war, Ares, as well as a slew of mortal lovers, such as the Trojan nobleman Anchises and the youth Adonis.
Though married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite had an affair with Ares, the god of war. Eventually, Hephaestus discovered Aphrodite's affair through Helios, the all-seeing Sun, and planned a trap during one of their trysts.
Aphrodite's manipulative character is most apparent in the story of Helen, queen of Sparta, whom she offered as her bribe in the Judgment of Paris, inciting ten years of dreadful war at Troy. The Judgment was a popular subject in Pompeian wall painting, an example of which is shown here.
It is said that the boar which killed Adonis was no ordinary beast but the god Ares, who was one of Aphrodite's many lovers. Jealous of her passion for Adonis, Ares, disguised himself in the form of a boar and attacked the young man.
Ares and Athena: The Ultimate Sibling Rivalry
The role that Ares plays in Greek mythology is rather small. This has a lot to do with Athena being perceived as superior. As such, the two siblings were bitter rivals and were always in constant competition.