Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Aphrodite is the manner in which she was born. Pictured here is Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus (1482). It is a representation of the moment Aphrodite is born and lands at Paphos in Cyprus, and is one of the more recognizable images of her birth. This great painting was inspired by the actual myth of Aphrodite as she appears from the sea. She emerges full grown with her hair flowing due to the slight breeze of the wind god, personified in the painting as Zephyrus, intertwined with Chloris. One of the seasons, also known as the Horae, stands to her left greeting her. All around them fall roses, which, according to myth, came into being at Venus' birth. The general depiction of Aphrodite is clear, and Botticelli creates a rich, vivid image of the goddess o
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