Venus

Who was Venus?
Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty, seen in the following picture with Pygmalion and her baby son Cupid by her lover Mars, the god of war. The first day of the month on the Roman calendar was the Kalends. On the kalends of April (April 1), the Romans celebrated a festival to honor Venus, known as the Veneralia. During the festival both women and men of all classes invoked the goddess for her assistance in affairs of the heart, sex, betrothal and marriage. There were many myths and legends surrounding this beautiful goddess in ancient mythology, refer to the Apple of Discord, Proserpine, Adonis and the Goddess of Beauty.

Picture of Venus and the sculptor Pygmalion

Facts about Venus
The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Venus:

Venus Profile & Fact File
Roman Name: Venus
Role & Function: The function of Venus is described as being the goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, passion and desire
Status: Major Goddess and one of the 'Dei Consentes', the Council of Gods.
Symbols: the dolphin, scallop shell, rose, dove, pomegranate, pearl, mirror and girdle.
Gender: Female
Greek Counterpart: The Greek name for this goddess was Aphrodite
Name of Husband: Vulcan
Name of Father: Jupiter
Name of Mother: Dione
Names of Children: None by her husband, but many children by her lovers including Cupid, god of love by Mars, the Roman god of war

Facts about Venus in Roman Mythology
Discover interesting information and facts about Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The facts about Venus provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Venus in ancient Roman history and Mythology.

History and Mythical Facts about Venus
Fact 1 about Venus: She was the daughter of Jupiter and Dione and the wife of Vulcan. Dione was one of the Oceanides, a descendent of the Titans.
Fact 2 about Venus:
The names of her lovers who included Mars, Bacchus, Mercury, Neptune, Anchises, Adonis, Butes, Phaon and Phaethon.
Fact 3 about Venus: The names of the children of Aphrodite included Anteros, Aeneas, Astynoos, Beroe, Deimos, Cupid, Eryx, the Erotes, Eunomia, Concordia, Hermaphroditos, Himeros, Iakkhos, Peitho, Phobos, Pothos, Priapos, Rhodoe, Tyche, Herophilos and Lyros.
Fact 4 about Venus: The rose and the myrtle are sacred to Venus and connected with the Story of Adonis.
Fact 5 about Venus: The pomegranate was sacred to the goddess symbolizing the consummation of marriage and the loss of female virginity
Fact 6 about Venus: Vulcan made Venus a beautiful golden carriage that was drawn by doves.
Fact 7 about Venus: Her children by Mars were Phobos (fear), Deimos (terror), Concordia (harmony), Cupid (love) Himeros (desire), Pothos (passion), and Anteros (mutual love)

Fact 8 about Venus: She ordered Psyche to go to the infernal regions of Underworld to ask Proserpina, the consort of Pluto for a box of precious ointment.
Fact 9 about Venus: All of the gods were charmed with her beauty and each one demanded her for his wife. Jupiter gave her to Vulcan, in gratitude for the service he had rendered in forging thunderbolts. The most beautiful of all the goddesses became the wife of the ugliest of the gods.
Fact 10 about Venus: Venus was often associated with lust, whereas Verticordia was the goddess of chastity
Fact 11 about Venus: The Veneralia was the Ancient Roman festival of Venus Verticordia and was held on April 1.
Fact 12 about Venus: The Veneralia included rites such as the ritual bathing of the cult statue of Venus. The jewelry, which included beautiful golden necklaces was removed from her statue and then she was offered sacrifices of flowers, especially roses.
Fact 13 about Venus: The other sacrifices offered to Venus, were white and female goats and swine, with libations of wine, milk and honey with crushed poppies.
Fact 14 about Venus: The Veneralia was a day for Roman women to seek divine support and aid in their love lives.
Fact 15 about Venus: Pygmalion was a sculptor who made a statue that was more beautiful than any woman that had ever lived. He prayed to the goddess of love to change his statue into a real woman and she granted his wish.
Fact 16 about Venus: Suadela was one of her train of attendants; the god of the soft speech of love. Pothos, the god of the amities of love was also part of her retinue

Venus and her lover, Mars, the god of war

Venus (Greek Counterpart was Aphrodite)
The Romans habitually assimilated various elements from other cultures and civilisations, including the gods and goddesses that were worshipped by the Greeks and other nations. When the Roman Empire conquered the Greeks in 146BC many of the Greek gods and goddesses were adopted by the Romans. The Romans simply changed the Greek gods names to Latin equivalents. The Greek counterpart of Venus was Aphrodite. The Roman religion significantly differed from the Greeks in that it was officially endorsed by the state and exerted influence over the government of Rome. Politicians took the offices of influential priests, called pontiffs, to gain control of the popular worship, Roman gods and goddesses like Venus were worshipped at every public event, including the gladiatorial games, where blood sacrifices were made to the gods. In ancient Rome, the pantheon of 12 major gods, including Venus, were called the 'Dei Consentes' meaning the Council of Gods.

Venus and the Roman Gods Family Tree and Genealogy
The Roman gods family tree provides an instant overview of the genealogy and the family connections and relationships between the main deities, including Venus, who feature in the legends and mythology of the ancient Romans. The Primeval gods and deities, the Titans and the Roman Olympians.

Venus

• Goddess of Love and Beauty
• Interesting information and Facts about the Roman goddess of love
• The Roman goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, passion and desire
• Stories and Legends in Roman Mythology associated with Venus
• Facts and information about the Gods and Deities of the Ancient World for schools and kids
• The Roman goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, passion and desire