Aphrodite/Tatsobatso

## Aphrodite

Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretized Roman goddess counterpart *Venus*, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. Aphrodite's major symbols include seashells, myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans. The cult of Aphrodite was largely derived from that of the Phoenician goddess Astarte, a cognate of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar, whose cult was based on the Sumerian cult of Inanna. Aphrodite's main cult centers were Cythera, Cyprus, Corinth, and Athens. Her main festival was the Aphrodisia, which was celebrated annually in midsummer. In Laconia, Aphrodite was worshipped as a warrior goddess. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes, an association which led early scholars to propose the concept of "sacred prostitution" in Greco-Roman culture, an idea which is now generally seen as erroneous.

## History

### 1040 B.W Gods' Council

Around 4000 years ago, Aphrodite was present at the Gods' Council to decide the fate of humanity. In the end, humanity was allowed to live but not without a punishment.

She suggested destroying the ancient Greek city of Thebes and Shiva offers to go and attack the city himself, however in the end it is Ares who asks to be sent to attack Thebes as part of his jurisdiction.

### The Iliad

Despite her offhand attitude toward marriage, Aphrodite is committed to helping and protecting Paris, and therefore the Trojans, in the war that ensues from her meddling.

In Aphrodite’s appearance in the Iliad Book 3, the war has raged on for a full nine years. To stop the misery and bloodshed on both sides, the Achaeans and the Trojans agree that the dispute will be settled in hand-to-hand combat between Paris and Helen’s rightful husband, Menelaus. Paris, being not genuinely suited to war, was wounded in the fight. Aphrodite covered him in a mist and spirited him away to his bed-chamber.

When the battle goes poorly, Aphrodite saves Paris, swooping in to cover him with a mist and spiriting him away from the battlefield, back to his bed-chamber.

Paris was wounded and miserable, knowing that technically he had lost the fight. Aphrodite went to Helen in disguise, presenting herself as an old crone, and encouraged the woman to go to Paris and comfort him.

Helen who was fed up with both Aphrodite and the Trojan war refuses at first. Aphrodite drops her sweet act and tells Helen that the gods’ kindness can turn to “hard hate” if they are defied. Shaken, Helen agrees to go to Paris and followed Aphrodite to his rooms.

The agreement was that the loser of the fight would concede to the winner. Because Helen went to see Paris, the war continued. As the conflict kept on, Achilles continued to be significant in his absence. Aphrodite and Achilles were both key figures in the war, but they rarely interacted directly, instead of fighting from either side of the battlefield.

Aphrodite wasn’t done interfering in the Achaean’s efforts. Later, the mortal Diomedes is injured by the Trojan fighter Pandarus.

Angry, Diomedes prays to Athena for revenge. Athena had taken the side of the Achaeans, and so she granted him superhuman strength and the ability to discern god from mortal on the battlefield. She warned him against challenging any of the gods but Aphrodite, who is not trained in battle and is more vulnerable than the others.

Diomedes got his revenge, killing Pandarus and slaughtering Trojans and destroying their ranks at an alarming rate. Additionally, he wounded the Trojan hero Aeneas, the son of Aphrodite.

Coming to the aid of her son, Aphrodite challenged Diomedes impulsively. He struck out and managed to wound her, cutting her wrist and causing ichor (the god’s version of blood) to pour from her wound.

She was forced to abandon Aeneas and flee the battle, retreating to Olympus, where she is comforted and healed by her mother, Dione. Zeus warned her not to engage in combat again, telling her to stick to tending matters of love and the “beautiful secrets of marriage.”

Apollo went back to the battle in her stead. Full of his hubris and rage, and drunk on his success, Diomedes foolishly attacked god Apollo as well.

Apollo, irritated with the mortal’s impudence, brushed him aside and took Aeneas, whisking him off the field. To further anger Aeneas’ fellows, he left a replica of Aeneas’ body on the field. He returned with Aeneas and roused Ares to join the fight for the Trojans.

With Ares’ assistance, the Trojans began to get the advantage. Hector and Ares fought side by side, a sight with frightened Diomedes, the Lord of War. Odysseus and Hector moved to the forefront of the battle and the slaughter intensified on both sides until Hera and Athena appealed to Zeus to be permitted to interfere again.

Hera rallies the rest of the Achaean troops, while Athena jumped into Diomedes’ chariot to assist him against Ares. Although she had previously forbidden him to fight any of the gods but Aphrodite, she lifted the injunction and rode out against Ares. The collision between the two is seismic. Ares was wounded by Diomedes and fled the field, retreating to Mount Olympus to complain to Zeus of the human’s attack.

Zeus told him he entered the battle and that wounds are a part of the fighting. With Ares’ wounded, the gods and goddesses, for the most part, retreated from the battle, leaving the Humans to continue fighting their own battles.

### Meeting Rylendensk

Rylendensk ascends the steps to the ornate throne where Aphrodite reclines, her ethereal beauty casting a captivating aura. Her attire, though revealing, holds an air of allure that accentuates her goddess-like grace. The statues flanking her throne almost pale in comparison to her mesmerizing presence. Intrigued by the unfamiliar goddess, Rylendensk's eyes trace her form appreciatively, a magnetic attraction stirring within him. He approaches, his heart pounding, and extends a respectful greeting. Introducing himself, he notices a hint of fluster in her expression, mirroring his own nervousness.

From Aphrodite's perspective, this enigmatic figure stands before her, a formidable warrior who once walked the mortal realm. His towering frame, a robust 9'4", is swathed in a cloak that adds an air of mystery to his presence. Her divine senses easily discern his valor and strength, and she feels a flutter of curiosity about his tales. She senses the untold stories etched into his being, and with a delicate smile, she urges him to share his adventures. It's evident that his encounters have marked him deeply, and she's eager to uncover the layers of his journey.

"I'm all ears," she encourages, her voice a melodious whisper that caresses his ears. He settles into a seat before her, and as he recounts his odyssey, Aphrodite's attention remains unwavering. The narrative unfolds, from his earliest days to the moment he ascended to godhood, his words weaving a tapestry of heroism and destiny. The story takes them through a diverse landscape of challenges—a search for a Mentor, a bond with the legendary Musashi Miyamoto, survival amidst a zombie cataclysm, a life-altering pact with a dragon, and a heart-swapping contract that bestows him divine attributes and an extended lifespan.

Aphrodite's gaze becomes a canvas for his experiences. When he speaks of his mentor's revelation, her eyes shimmer with appreciation for the weight of his calling. The mention of a zombie apocalypse evokes a mixture of concern and relief, and she finds herself drawn into the perilous world he survived. As the tale unfolds, the intricate details of divine craftsmanship from his blacksmith friend James captivate her, and a subtle admiration colors her expression.

The conversation between them becomes a dance of wits, a playful exchange that gradually deepens into something more. Each line he delivers adds brushstrokes to the painting of their connection. Subtle flirts and shared smiles form bridges between their hearts, forging a connection that transcends time and space. In a realm where desires intertwine with fate, Aphrodite guides their conversation, revealing unspoken desires and dreams that mirror his own.

As the night embraces them, Aphrodite's touch becomes a soft caress, a promise of the deeper connection they're forging. In the sanctuary of her embrace, their souls intertwine, and what begins as a meeting of two divine beings evolves into the prologue of a passionate love story that spans the ages.

### Gods' Council

At the conference, she agrees with Shiva when he commented that, in the last 1000 years, Earth had become too ugly and mankind was the most dangerous living cancer on earth, and for this she ends up voting for the extinction of Humanity. When Brunnhilde proposed to start Ragnarok to give humanity a chance of survival and made a statement that the gods were afraid to fight with mortals, Aphrodite was among the gods that laughed at her.

## Sources

* Aphrodite on Wikipedia
* *How Did Aphrodite in the Iliad Act as the Catalyst in the War?* on Classical Literature
* Rylendensk/Tatsobatso