Reviewed and updated Jul 27, 2026
Aphrodite has two major birth traditions and many relationships across Greek literature. Hesiod makes her sea-born; Homeric tradition makes her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.
This guide belongs to the Aphrodite pillar. You can also select Aphrodite in the interactive Atlas of Deities to view documented relationships.
Quick answer
A source-aware map of Aphrodite’s parents, partners, and children without forcing conflicting Greek traditions into one genealogy.
Two parentage traditions
The sea-born account and the Zeus-and-Dione genealogy are both ancient. A family tree should show them as alternatives instead of silently choosing one.
Hephaestus and Ares
The Odyssey’s song about Aphrodite and Ares frames their relationship through divine comedy, marriage, craft, shame, and public exposure. Other sources organize the relationships differently.
Eros, Harmonia, and other children
Eros can be primordial in early cosmology or connected with Aphrodite in later traditions. Harmonia is commonly linked with Aphrodite and Ares. Aeneas is born from Aphrodite and Anchises in the Homeric Hymn.
Adonis and mortality
The Adonis tradition connects desire, loss, ritual lament, and seasonal imagery. Versions vary, and later retellings should not be projected unchanged into the earliest Greek evidence.
Ancient evidence and modern interpretation
Modern spiritual, psychological, and artistic readings can be meaningful. They are labelled separately here so that contemporary practice does not become a fabricated ancient quotation or universal historical rule.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Aphrodite married to?
Hephaestus is her husband in a famous Homeric story, although Greek traditions do not present one consistent domestic biography.
Is Eros Aphrodite’s son?
Many later traditions make Eros her son or companion, while earlier cosmogony can present Eros as a primordial power.
Sources and further reading
- The Met — Capitoline Aphrodite
- The Met — Aphrodite and ancient art
- Perseus — Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite
Last reviewed: July 27, 2026.