Venus and Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire

Author: Hughes, Bettany

Brand: Basic Books

Edition: Illustrated

Binding: Hardcover

Format: Illustrated

Number Of Pages: 208

Release Date: 22-09-2020

Part Number: 9781541674233

Details: A cultural history of the goddess of love, from a New York Times bestselling and award-winning historian.

Aphrodite was said to have been born from the sea, rising out of a froth of white foam. But long before the Ancient Greeks conceived of this voluptuous blonde, she existed as an early spirit of fertility on the shores of Cyprus -- and thousands of years before that, as a ferocious warrior-goddess in the Middle East. Proving that this fabled figure is so much more than an avatar of commercialized romance, historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable lifestory of one of antiquity's most potent myths.


Venus and Aphrodite brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeological revelations to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today -- and how we trivialize her power at our peril.

EAN: 9781541674233

Package Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches

Languages: English