Venus and Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire

by Bettany Hughes

Through ancient art, evocative myth, exciting archaeological revelations and philosophical explorations Bettany Hughes shows why this immortal goddess endures through to the twenty-first century, and what her journey through time reveals about what matters to us as humans.

Charting Venus's origins in powerful ancient deities, Bettany demonstrates that Venus is far more complex than first meets the eye. Beginning in Cyprus, the goddess's mythical birthplace, Bettany decodes Venus's relationship to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and, in turn, Aphrodite's mixed-up origins both as a Cypriot spirit of fertility and procreation - but also, as a descendant of the prehistoric war goddesses of the Near and Middle East, Ishtar, Inanna and Astarte. On a voyage of discovery to reveal the truth behind Venus, Hughes reveals how this mythological figure is so much more than nudity, romance and sex. It is the both the remarkable story of one of antiquity's most potent forces, and the story of human desire - how it transforms who we are and how we behave.

• ISBN10: 1541674235
• ISBN13: 9781541674233
• Publish Date: 22 September 2020 (first published 14 November 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Basic Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jo]

Despite being a history book rather than a spiritual one, Venus & Aphrodite by Bettany Hughes was one of the books recommended to me as food for thought when I asked for advice regarding learning more about Aphrodite as a deity. While this is a really interesting and fascinating book, I was a little disappointed.

Venus & Aphrodite an academic view of the worship of Aphrodite-Venus through history. While it takes you through her origins, the goddesses she evolved from, and what she has meant and symbolised to those who worshipped her and society at large, how her meaning evolved throughout history, I found it to be quite short. At 241 pages, with quite large, spaced text, with photos and artwork scattered throughout, it's a very quick read. And because of that, I personally felt it didn't into as much detail as I expected, or wanted. I feel this is more of an overview of what she meant ot humanity, than an indepth look. And the emphasis is very much on the human relationship to Aphrodite-Venus, rather than a huge amount about the goddess herself.

I feel Venus & Aphrodite had the potential to be a really fantastic book, but fell short for me. But if you're after a fairly quick introduction, Venus & Aphrodite isn't a bad place to start.