Venus, << VEE nuhs, >> was a major goddess in Roman mythology. She originally was a protector of gardens. Later, she took on the myths and qualities of Aphrodite. Aphrodite was the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty in Greek mythology. Venus symbolized the creative force that sustains all life. Cupid, the Roman god of love, was her son.
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Venus was also mother of Aeneas, a Trojan ancestor of the legendary founders of Rome. The Romans worshiped her because of her association with the city’s early history. They believed the family of the ruler Julius Caesar descended from Venus through Aeneas.
Venus was born full-grown from the foam of the Mediterranean Sea. She came to land on the island of Cyprus. She married Vulcan, the lame and ugly blacksmith god. Venus had a love affair with Mars, the god of war. She also fell in love with Adonis, a mortal.
Venus plays a part in a famous myth called the Judgment of Paris. Venus and the goddesses Juno and Minerva all claimed a golden apple. The apple is a prize reserved for the most beautiful goddess. The god Jupiter ordered Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, to choose the most beautiful of the three. Paris awarded the apple to Venus. In revenge, Juno and Minerva made certain that Troy was destroyed during the Trojan War.
Venus has been a popular subject of painters and sculptors. Many works show her admiring herself in a mirror. Others portray the Judgment of Paris or show Venus with Mars or Adonis.
