Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of beauty and love. There are many stories about her origin but to us she is known as Cypris (Lady of Cyprus), as it is said that she was born on our fair island.
According to the legend, Aphrodite was born after Cronus cut of Uranus’s genitals and threw them into the sea. Aphrodite was then born from sea foam and rose from the waves off the coast of Cyprus. She was escorted ashore on a shell by the soft breezes of the Zephyrs and landed on the island at a site now known as Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Rock) situated between Paphos and Limassol in the south west of the island.
As she was so beautiful, Zeus worried that the other gods would fight over her and start a war, disrupting the peace. To stop this, Zeus married her to Hephaestus who was not seen as a threat due to his ugliness and deformity. Despite this, Aphrodite had many lovers – both gods and mortals, including Ares and Adonis.
To the north west of the island is a beauty spot known as the Baths of Aphrodite where it is said that the goddess used to bathe. Legend has it that Aphrodite met with her lover Adonis at the baths when he stopped for a drink while out hunting. Upon drinking the water, it is said Adonis fell in love with Aphrodite immediately and so they began their trysts.