Hello all! This is my first fic on Greek legends and such. My fic is not so much a story, but rather a monologue by the Goddess Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty, Love, Lust, Passion, Calm Seas, Safe Voyages, Fertility, and the spark of passion behind every great deed. –Yes, I realize that it is not grammatically correct to capitalize things like Love and Beauty, but to me this is going a small step further to emphasize their great importance.-
I am Aphrodite, Queen of love. I am the proud and nude form that rose from cruel heavens scythed sex. I was born of blood and water, truly my birth is an odd one for one of such beauty. I rose from the waves like a glimmering star shot from the wide arching vault of space. I rose on a simple shell, and was blown to shore by the breath of the most honorable West Wind. Before a single utterance could be made, three women appeared. Make no mistake, I knew them and what they were, the Charities whom are splendid and glorious, each one being the essence of poise and goodness. They clothed my nakedness, veiling my shame, which was shameful for none to look upon. They escorted me to the home of the new Gods, those who would now be in the thrones of the all-power.
As I arrived, I was greeted with such befitting my design, the men gawked and the women reviled me, but such is the way of my Beauty. I was easily welcomed into this new pantheon, no one doubted my importance…at least not to my face. I sat at my assigned place and gave my most dazzling smile, my teeth whiter than that of pure marble, my eyes could shame the sapphires and the cobalt skies, my hair a rich and deep raven obsidian teased into wavy curls that cascaded down my back and twirled about my ears oh so slightly. My skin was a pristine pale glow that could rival that of the stars. I am not vain, I simple know myself and am honest with myself. I see no reason to be humble and deny what is sheer fact, I am I, and these new Gods are going to adjust to that, because I will not change myself simply to appease their appetites or to feed their insecurities.
I walk in beauty, beauty is before me, behind me, above me and below me, for behold oh ye Gods, and I am beauty in its sheerest form! The men of these courts wish to take my hand in marriage, a daring thought I would think! I am free love, tell me, speed the word to my awaiting ear, how is free love supposed to remain free when it is trapped behind the iron bars of marriage?! I rejected my suitors, for I wished to remain alone with no marital bed in my abode and nary a tether to my heart. I even went so far as to defy the new king of these Gods, they would have you believe I did this with arrogance and hatred to them but nay, I was not unkind, I would have given my love freely, but I would not forsake my freedom.
It was to be the last time I could truly lay claim on my freedom, having it stripped of me before I could even be given a chance at defense.
In what I suppose to be embarrassment or perhaps even divine rage, the new King, Zeus, laid a trap set for me. To mortals this may seem an almost excruciatingly painful long time for the trap to fall into play, but to me, an immortal what happened next passed in but the blink of an eye or the flutter of a frail heart.
Zeus, the sky king, in a new vendetta, changed himself into a cuckoo that was sickly and un healthy bird of sorts and he lay in wait for his victim, a young woman, and his sister no less, to find him. The Goddesses name was and is Hera, and she a sky Goddess and virgin….or so she was. She found the bird and in pity, she cupped it to her breast, hoping to warm the poor down trodden thing…such an act of kindness only reaped a wicked reward.
Once the sodden feathers barely brushed against the fabric of her glorious gown when the cuckoo transformed into Zeus, upon which he proceeded to rape and ravish her. At the end of this, he stood and announced to her what would happen, Hera being the Goddess of marriage could marry Zeus, and all would be well, or she could leave and offer her future husband and family nothing but shame and sorrow, defilement and impurity upon the heads of her children. To save her shame, Hera wed Zeus. I felt sorrow for the young bride, for nothing hurts worse than to marry one you do not love, a fate that would soon befall myself, but... that is for later. –Do not forget, I was born when Cronos severed Uranus's genitals, I am older than any of the Olympians and nary have any dared to challenge my power, or at least none escaping without my vengeance upon their head.- So I worked my magic, the both powerful and frail snare of love soon wrapped its thorned and flowered tendrils around sweet Hera's young heart. Even for a short time Zeus was happy, and I dare say that together they were almost my best work, as their wedding night DID last three hundred years.
But it was not in the cards, as mortals say.
Zeus quicker than a blazing fire ravaging a dry forest glade, set about meandering and having as many affairs as Godly possible. After one particular passionate night and the following act of actually eating his lover, Zeus eventually gave birth to a new Goddess, his head being slit open by Pan. (Quick A/N- Hephaestus was yet to be born in some myths, and this is actually one of the more uncommon legends.)
Hera was upset, not only had Zeus begun many armourous affairs, he had also been untrue to Goddess of marriage herself, and ursurped her once more, by giving birth without her and degrading her possesion as Lady of Childbirth. So, she in an attempt to get even, had a child without him, this child was named Hephaestus. After many falling outs with certain Gods, and after he was accepted back on Olympus, Zeus saw a way to finally get even with me for striking his pride, he had me married to Hephaestus. Now, do not missunderstand me, I do not dislike the King of the Forge, for he has been a most generous husband and has crafted objects so lovely that they a sight to behold! But, I did not wish to marry him.
And Zeus made it thus by law, decreeing it upon the Universe to behold, Aphrodite was married to the lame and homely smithy. Hah! As if love shall obey any law, for it knows no boundaries! So, I in affect discouraged Hepheastus from sharing my bed with me, and while he was smitten with me, he knew I harboured no love for him, but he deluted himself into thinking thusly. And, as a bridal present to me, he crafted a magic girdle that would enhance my own beauty, and would make me irrestiable to all men and Gods alike, but tell me in some way that was not making it easier to seek comfort outside of my marriage??
Yes, it is true I have sought the warm and tender embrace of another mans arms, many men if you truly wish to know, but do not name me a whore, for there is a difference between myself and a whore. I am filled with love, and everyman I have slept with has been in some way attached to my heart, whether they be my love or my friend. But, I do love the whores of the world none-the-less, for I am their patron. And, needless to say, they are not unkind, for a true whore turns away no one, accepts all into her loving and sweet embrace. There is nothing wrong with accepting money or anything else for sex, for it is a powerful act and it is one of kindness and generosity, and it should be repaid, with either love or by gift alone, for is it not polite rule to give back what you owe?
My stories are many and various, my ephiets many and varrying. I have been named Urania, the heavenly by my followers who truly know me. Behold I myself even have a shaded half, for I am called man-eater for I can drive a man or women into madness, I can devour their soul with the flames of my passions. But I am not unkind, for I have shared everything I own, including myself, with anyone who has asked in the manner beffiting what is right.
Tell me, how is it wrong for me to be a whore? Was I not given this by the fates? Tell me, what is wrong with sharing myself with those I love and care for, my friends and lovers?
Tell me how I have been an uwlawful in my marriage to my husband? For he has cheated on me as well, with many a nympth, so our marriage is a broken one, one that was never built on love, only obligation.
Tell me, how am I vain? I am the goddess of Beauty, how am I to humble that title?? I do not brag about my beauty, only men do. I do not brag about my skills as a lover, but the men do who share my bed. In a world where beauty only increases a person value, but only if they live in total denial and hide who they are, for if one is open about who they are it is considered vain.
They say I am arrogant, no more so than any of them, I am just honest.
They say I do not care for mortals, if I do not care for mortals then who was it that who helped Meilanion gain Atalanta after beating her in a race? Who was it who rescued the orphaned daughters of Panderos, and arranged for their marriages with whom they were exceedingly happy?? Who commanded Eros to strike Medea with his gold tipped arrows to help Jason AND Medea??? Medea was finally free of her father, and if Jason had only listened to his heart and turned a deaf ear to the pig in his pants it would have been a beautiful love! Who gave Pygmalion his beloved stone bride?
Mortals would condemn me, calling me a shamed harlot. Immortals would do the same, if they did not know how wrong they would be, for they know better. They do not condemn me, but rather fear me, I cannot be controlled, and in a society of patriarchy and politics, nothing is more frightening.
Some would say that my power is minor in comparison to Gods like Apollo or Zeus, or against Goddesses like Athena or Artemis, that I am in fact a useless Goddess, but I have but two questions for them.
The first is,if I am useless then why do I have my throne and palace on Olympus then?
I assure you, a seat on Olympus is not given to you as a polite gesture. The second is this, whom else by power of themselves or by their children's power have this much to give humanity, for behold, I am the body of love!
If you have ever read any of the legends from Greece, Gods and mortals act on their emotions, Gods sometimes even trick or tell mortals certain things just to get them to do something because that certain mortal will start to feel something, and whether they like it or not, I can reach human emotions and everything they cause. My powers even reach down into the underworld! What other God can claim they have dominion over the three worlds?
No, I did not tell these stories to brag about myself, but to rather brag about my work. Please, do not let the world go back to as it was, the cold oblivion it was before there was love, please help!
I have done my part, I have given the chance for freedom, the chance to feel alive again, the chance to be yourself and not care what others think! It is up to you, mortal or other, to accept these or not!
Come, come back to my world. Come back to beauty, no matter who you are! I implore the highest of high powers, please see that the world can be beautiful, and so can you!
How is love to survive? In this world of blood stained hands, where the sounds of war awaken the most peaceful sleeper, the most innocent child. In a world where humanities gift, nay birthright of freedom to love, free to be beautiful and to be themselves, where that is all taken away and goes unrecognized?
I've cried for this world so many times, more than any other God I would say, but who I am I to say what they do or do not do in their own privacy.
Let me ask this, how can love play fairly in such deceptive world, in a world of such iron brutality…strategies and subterfuge, punishments and desperate deceits are the tricks I must turn in order to keep love alive in this world and in all worlds, and I will say this, I can be the most wicked and trickiest of the Gods, I turn my tricks and do so with glee.
Now, before I leave and off to do what little I can these days to help the world, let me give whoever you are dear reader, the chance to understand one last thing about me. Come hither, and let me whisper a few last sweet nothings in your ear before I am torn away so cruely…come listen to my delicate voice, for it is the honey sweet voice of heaven and the sea, come and listen to me as we dance away eternity, come hither and here my final words before I depart:
See where love can take you? To the heights of pleasure, to the depths of madness, do not treat love unkindly, dance on the line of insanity and pleasure, and you shall dance with me. This beautiful world was given to man, who wrongly tries to make it his slave, and woman, who carries the seed of life and rebirth is made a devil, a treacherous and souless beast! Any man who does stand for a womans right is quickly sent away, being considered evil or under the spell of womankind.
Do not think I will not remember those who were true to love, and do not think I will forget those who scorned love.