Legends of Greece and Rome
Aphrodite
Aphrodite was the goddess of both physical and emotional love. There are two versions of her birth. Some believed that she was the daughter of Zeus and the Titoness Dione, although many believed that she was the product of Uranus' castrated genetalia being thrown into the sea. This version would correspond with her personality, willful and highly sexual, exhibiting great passion and rashness. A product of a god's seed and the unpredictable sea.
Aphrodite was the most beautiful of all the Olympians but possessed a terrible jealousy and vindictiveness. She was married to the god of fire and blacksmiths, Hephaestus. The fact that she was married did not stop her from having numerous lovers. One of her favourites was the god of war, Ares.
Ares
Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera and was temperamental and violent. He loved war and aggression and did not care much about the reason behind it. He loved the sound of sword on sword, battle cries, victory and all the primal exhileration that went with it. He was disliked by the other gods and it seemed that his only allies were Aphrodite, Hades and his own sister Eris, the goddess of discord.
The Roman version of Ares (Mars) was given more honourable status. He was a great warrior, brave cunning and intelligent.
Ares and Aphrodite
It was no secret that Ares and Aphrodite were lovers so Hephaestus devised a plan to discredit his wife. He was the greatest of all blacksmiths and formed a net of copper so thin that it was invisible but tremendously strong. He fixed this net over the marital bed and then told Aphrodite that he would be leaving the palace for a few days.
When he had left, Aphrodite immediately called on Ares and they went to her bed. It was then that Hephaestus sprung his trap, not having left at all, and the two lovers were bound naked in the invisible net. Hephaestus then called on all the male gods who stood around the bed making crude comments about the lovers. Ares and Aphrodite fled to distant parts of the earth in shame until the rest of the gods became bored with the story.
Source: 'Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome'
Morgan J. Roberts
