What Are Some Bad Things Aphrodite Has Done?

Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, is often depicted as charming and benevolent. However, her divine power also manifested in darker ways, leading to manipulation, vengeance, and widespread suffering. Many myths portray her as capable of great wrath and jealousy, often punishing those who defied her will or scorned love.

Inciting the Trojan War

One of Aphrodite's most significant and far-reaching negative actions was her role in triggering the infamous Trojan War. During the Judgment of Paris, a divine beauty contest judged by the mortal prince Paris, Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman in the world as a bribe if he chose her over Hera and Athena. Paris accepted, and Aphrodite ensured he would win the affection of Helen, the queen of Sparta.

Her manipulative character is most apparent in this story, as she essentially offered Helen as her bribe, inciting ten years of dreadful war at Troy. This act of divine meddling led to immense bloodshed, the destruction of a great city, and countless deaths, all for a personal victory in a beauty contest.

Punishing Those Who Scorn Love or Her

Aphrodite frequently used her powers to inflict misery upon mortals and even other gods who disrespected her domain or slighted her. Her punishments were often cruel and involved twisted forms of love or obsession.

The Tragic Fate of Hippolytus

Hippolytus, a devoted follower of Artemis and a staunch advocate of chastity, openly scorned Aphrodite and all romantic love. Enraged by his rejection, Aphrodite cursed his stepmother, Phaedra, to fall madly in love with him. This unnatural passion led to a series of tragic events: Phaedra's confession, her suicide out of shame, and ultimately, Hippolytus's death, crushed by his own horses after his father, Theseus, cursed him based on Phaedra's misleading suicide note. Aphrodite meticulously orchestrated this entire tragedy as a form of revenge for Hippolytus's perceived insolence.

Tormenting Psyche

When the mortal princess Psyche's beauty rivaled her own, Aphrodite grew immensely jealous. She ordered her son, Eros (Cupid), to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster. However, Eros himself fell in love with Psyche. Outraged, Aphrodite subjected Psyche to a series of impossible and dangerous tasks, including sorting grains, collecting golden fleece, and retrieving water from the River Styx, all designed to break her spirit and potentially lead to her death. Psyche only survived due to divine assistance and Eros's secret aid.

Cursing Smyrna (Myrrha)

Aphrodite's wrath could extend to inflicting incestuous desire. In one myth, Smyrna (also known as Myrrha) was cursed by Aphrodite to fall desperately in love with her own father, Cinyras. The exact reason for Aphrodite's anger varies; some versions state Smyrna's mother boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite, while others suggest Smyrna herself scorned love. The curse led to a horrifying and tragic affair, resulting in Smyrna's pregnancy and her eventual transformation into a myrrh tree to escape her father's wrath and shame.

Afflicting Eos

Even fellow deities were not immune to Aphrodite's vindictiveness. Eos, the goddess of the dawn, incurred Aphrodite's wrath by sleeping with her lover, Ares. As punishment, Aphrodite cursed Eos with an insatiable and perpetual desire for mortal men. This curse forced Eos into numerous passionate but often fleeting relationships, leading to a life of sorrow and unfulfilled longing as her mortal lovers aged and died while she remained immortal.

Summary of Harmful Actions

Here's a concise overview of some of Aphrodite's more questionable actions:

While Aphrodite embodied love and beauty, her mythological narrative reveals a potent and often cruel side, demonstrating that even goddesses could wield their powers for destructive and self-serving purposes.