Surely you already know that in polytheistic religions it is very common for both gods and goddesses to represent various aspects of daily life and nature. A very important concept for the human being is love. Therefore, it is not surprising that there were deities that represented this beautiful feeling of affection. The most remarkable example is the famous Aphrodite, from Greek mythology. But do you know who the Roman goddess of love is?
If not, I recommend that you continue reading. We will explain who the Roman goddess of love is and how it is usually represented. In addition, we will talk about the most important myths related to her and about what her love relationships were like.
Who is the Roman goddess of love?
When we talk about the Roman goddess of love, we are referring to (Venus. This female deity not only embodies this beautiful feeling, if not also fertility and beauty. She was one of the most important goddesses of that time, being worshiped and celebrated in many myths and Roman religious festivals. In fact, Julius Caesar himself adopted Venus as his protector.
As is well known, the Roman deities are based on the Greek ones, the legends being very similar and in many cases identical, only changing the names of the characters. In the case of Venus, her equivalent in Greek mythology is the famous Afrodita. However, according to Virgil, a Roman poet, the Roman goddess of love did not possess such a sensual and cruel personality as her Greek counterpart, but they did share the same attributes and symbols, such as the golden apple of contention.
Initially, Venus was the Roman goddess of fields and gardens, until they began to equate her with the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, with the deity of the Phoenicians, Astarte, and with the goddess of the Etruscans, Urán. Despite being revered in Rome, the story of both the birth and life of Venus has its origin in Greek mythology and has hardly been changed.
Representation of the Roman goddess of love
When representing the Roman goddess of love, it is very common see her sitting in a bird-drawn cart while wearing a crown of myrtle and roses on her head. In addition, since one of its most representative myths is its birth from a shell, it is very common to see it emerge from it.
As for the legends related to his personality, they say that he has a quick temper and a restless heart. Apart from representing fertility, beauty and love, Venus also has the power to make those who are in love immortal. Another aspect that is commented on her is that plants grow and flourish where she passes.
What is the myth of Venus?
Now that we know who the Roman goddess of love is, let's see what the myth related to her is. There are two legends that deal with the birth of this female deity. One of them speaks of a large sea shell that was found in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, until one day chance brought it to the shores of the Citérea island. There, the collision with the earth caused the shell to open and Venus arose from inside. Later, this deity was brought before the presence of the other gods who lived on Olympus. From that very moment, the Roman goddess of love was courted and entertained by all of them in a very gentle way.
The other version is not nearly as pretty, not by a long shot. According to the other myth of the birth of Venus, Saturn, the god of agriculture and the harvest, mutilated the genitals of his own father, Uranus, god of the heavens. These fell into Mediterranean waters and mixed with the sea foam gave rise to the birth of Venus. As in the shell version, the Roman goddess of love is brought before the gods of Olympus, who receive her graciously.
The Roman goddess of love and relationships
Whatever the origin of the Roman goddess of love, what the legends associated with her emphasize is that the deities competed for her love with the fervent desire to marry her. For this reason, the main god of Roman mythology, Jupiter, ordered her to marry Vulcano, god of fire and blacksmith of Olympus.
However, Venus was not at all happy with this decision of the Father of Gods, since she despised Vulcan for being lame. So she's no wonder that he was unfaithful with a rather long list of lovers, being the most important Mars, the god of war. In fact, Vulcano caught the two lovers in a net one day while they were in bed. The god of fire and the Roman goddess of love never cared for each other and never had children together.
Despite this, Venus did become a mother. With her lover Marte she had several children:
- Mets: The personifications of terror.
- Timor: The personification of fear.
- Concord: The goddess of harmony.
- The Cupids: The winged gods that symbolized love, just like his mother.
The legend of Tannhäuser
There is a German medieval legend that took place long after Christianity banished the cult of Venus. According to this myth, a poet and gentleman named Tannhäuser he found a mountain called Venusberg, which contained the underground home of the Roman goddess of love. He spent a whole year in those caves worshiping Venus. After leaving that mountain, Tannhäuser went to visit Pope Urban IV in Rome, so that he would absolve her of her sins because of the remorse she felt for her. Urbano told her that it was as impossible as the blooming of her staff. Three days after Tannhäuser's departure, the Pope's staff flourished. Several messengers were sent to search for the German gentleman, but he was never seen again.
If you liked this information about the Roman goddess of love, you will surely find it interesting to know the various goddesses of beauty belonging to other cultures. For this, you can give here. We are not only talking about Venus and Aphrodite, but also about the deities related to love from other cultures, such as the Nordic and Egyptian.