First published 2020
Aphrodite emerges from sea foam in ancient Greek myth, but her story begins much earlier. Hughes tracks the goddess across millennia, revealing her origins as a fertility spirit on Cyprus shores and before that as a fierce warrior deity in the Middle East. The New York Times bestselling historian combines ancient art, mythology, and archaeological discoveries to map how human desire has been understood across cultures. From Mesopotamian temples to Botticelli's canvas to Beyoncé's performances, Hughes shows how this immortal figure has shaped civilization. The book demonstrates that Aphrodite represents far more than commercialized romance. Her power spans continents and centuries, influencing how we express love, beauty, and passion. Hughes argues that dismissing this goddess as mere romantic fantasy means missing her profound impact on human culture.
Genres: biography, history, mythology, art-history, ancient-history, cultural-studies
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figures, mythology-retelling
Setting: Cyprus, Mesopotamia
Period: Antiquity, Middle Ages, Modern Era
208 pages · Hardcover · Basic Books