Venus and Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire -- Bettany Hughes, Hardcover

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 Beyonc , Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today -- and how we trivialize her power at our peril.


Author: Bettany Hughes
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 09/22/2020
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781541674233

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/13/2020
Library Journal 09/04/2020 pg. 1
Booklist 09/01/2020 pg. 8

About the Author
Bettany Hughes is an award-winning historian, author, and broadcaster. She is currently professor of history at the New College of the Humanities and a research fellow of King's College, London. She is the author of three popular books, including the New York Times-bestselling The Hemlock Cup. She lives in London.