Aphrodite is the mythological Greek Goddess of love who legend has it was born out of the sea. According to Greek mythology Aphrodite was the Goddess of love beauty and sexual rapture (ooh ah!) born when Uranus the father of the gods was castrated by Cronus his son. Not a very family orientated bunch were they those Greek Gods? Anyway I digress, and it gets better. Cronus the dear loving son who chopped off his dads family jewels lobbed them into the sea where they foamed up into a veritable lather which produced Aphrodite and transported her to Cyprus. I think the name Aphrodite is actually connected to the word foam or aphros and Chythera is a rough translation of Cyprus or Kypris.

Well, It sure beats cheap charter flights and queing at airport check ins to get to the beautiful Island of Cyprus for your holidays. Anyway, Zeus the top God was a trifle worried that the other Gods would fight over Aphrodites hand in marriage so he beat them to it by giving her to Hephaestus the God who fashioned the weapons as a black smith. Hephaestus was a steady hard working plodder whilst Aphrodite was a bit of a party animal and girl around town. Despite all this he loved her and using his skills as a black smith he knocked up (probably in his spare time) a beautiful jeweled girdle with magic powers in gold filigree for her to wear. Bad move Hephaesus, the girdle made her irresistible and she took many lovers not just amongst the Gods but mortals too. The most famous being Adonis who gave her many sons including Eros from where the word erotic is taken (I leave you to work that one out).

The festival of Aphrodite was called Aphrodisiac (mm that's where it came from) her priestesses represented her and to have sex with them was considered an act of worship (Myrtle! book me a flight I am taking a religious pilgrimage) or reverence towards this deity. Those Greeks sure new a thing or two about worshiping the Gods and the Gods themselves were not slow in the romance stakes either.

So now you know a bit about Aphrodite and her chums in Greek God land how about you visit where it's all at. If you are planning on taking a holiday in Cyprus be sure to stop by and check out the rock of Aphrodite. Situated about 12 Kilometers outside of Paphos town close to the mountain/coast road you will find a great little restuarant on the cliff edge overlooking the Mediterrainian ocean. There are some large rocks which are said to be the place where Athrodite was born. The legend claims that if you swim around these rocks during a full moon you will become 10 years younger (if you don't kill yourself climbing down the cliffs first).

There are different versions of the Aphrodite story and lots of local legends have grown out of it over the years but the official version is well narrated by the ancient Greek scholar Hesiod. Whatever version you choose to accept be sure to see the place for yourself, sort the history then chill out at the restaurant with a nice cool beer.

Athrodite, Aphrodite goddess of love, rock of Aphrodite, Aphrodisiac