Search results
Adonis, in Greek mythology, a youth of remarkable beauty, the favorite of the goddess Aphrodite (identified with Venus by the Romans). Traditionally, he was the product of the incestuous love Smyrna (Myrrha) entertained for her own father, the Syrian king Theias.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 23, 2024 · Adonis, on the other hand, was born from an unusual union; his mother was Myrrha, who was transformed into a myrrh tree after a tragic affair with her father. From this tree, Adonis emerged, a symbol of beauty and desire.
In Greek mythology, Adonis (Ancient Greek: Ἄδωνις, romanized: Adōnis; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤃𐤍, romanized: Adón) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was famous and considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.
It is said that Adonis was born of the illicit union between King Theias of Smyrna and his daughter Myrrha. Urged on by Aphrodite herself, the goddess of beauty, love and sexual desire, who had been offended when King Theias forgot to make a sacrifice for her, Myrrha had made amorous advances towards her father but he was successfully keeping ...
- From The Canaanite Adon to The Greek Adonis
- Adonis in Greek Mythology
- Worship of Adonis
- The Immortal Myth
The god Adon was considered one of the most important Canaanite gods: he was the god of beauty, fertility and permanent renewal. The name itself, "Adon", means "The Lord" in Canaanite. In Greek mythology and the Hellenic world generally, he was called Adonis and became known by that name among those nations. Other adaptations of Adon in various civ...
Based on the different Greek sources (such as Bion of Smyrna) and the other Roman references (like Ovid's Metamorphoses) a general consensus on the story of Adonis and Aphrodite is as follows: A great king called Cinyras (in some sources known as Theias, the king of Assyria) had a daughter named Myrrha, who was very beautiful. The king used to boas...
Byblos was one of the main places in the ancient world that used to observe the rituals of Adonis and actually brought back the practice of these ceremonies and rites well into the early centuries of Christianity. The writings of Lucian of Samosata in the second century CE played a major role in shedding light on the rituals that were widely practi...
The popularity of the story of Adonis and his mistress Aphrodite led to a revival of its rituals in many other Phoenician cities as well. It also spread across to the ancient Greek, Hellenisticand Roman worlds, but with minor differences in adaptation, depending on the characteristics and features of each civilization. The essence of the legend, ho...
Adonis’s origin is a tale of passion and tragedy. Born from the unwitting union of Myrrha and her father, Cinyras, through a complex web of deception and divine intervention, Adonis is a child marked by beauty and sorrow from his inception.
People also ask
How did Adonis become a child?
Who is Adonis in Greek mythology?
How did the myth of Adonis start?
Where did Adonis come from?
Why is Adonis famous?
Did Adonis have a daughter?
Mar 10, 2023 · And so Adonis was born. The Birth of Adonis, attributed to Marco Antonio Franceschini (1677–1678). Narbonne Museums, Narbonne, France. Wikimedia Commons Public Domain. The newborn was soon discovered by Aphrodite, who gave him to Persephone for safekeeping.
