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Venus and Aphrodite
- Author
- Bettany Hughes
- Narrator
- Bettany Hughes
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 22 September 2020
- Run Time
- 3 hours 10 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
A “lively, wide-ranging” (TheTimes, UK)cultural history of the goddess of love
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. Historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable life story of one of antiquity’s most potent myths.
In Venus and Aphrodite,Hughes brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeology to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today—and how we trivialize her power at our peril.
Critics Review
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"A marvellous biography of a goddess that delves beneath her passive modern image."—BBC History Magazine
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"Informative and entertaining."—Publishers Weekly
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"An intriguing tale that tracks the gorgeous and omnipresent Venus of western civilisation back 6,000 years ... engrossing."—The Spectator
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"In this lively, wide-ranging book, Hughes paints a portrait of a darker Venus, a violent, vengeful 'shape-shifting' Venus, with salt in her hair and surf at her feet."—The Times
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"This is a thoroughly enjoyable history of Venus, the goddess of love, and her many manifestations throughout history. From antiquity through modern day, historian Hughes artfully weaves together elements of myth, history, religion, philosophy, literature, art, and pop culture to demonstrate this deity's centuries-long impact... Fun and fascinating..."—Booklist
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"Quick paced, insightful, and often times humorous, this newest work by Hughes is an approachable look at the ancient legacy of the goddess, Aphrodite-Venus. The author provides an impressive exploration of over 4,000 years of human history, as well as the relationship between the goddess and the collective human psyche."—Library Journal
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Details
- Author
- Bettany Hughes
- Narrator
- Bettany Hughes
- Duration
- 3 hours 10 minutes
- Release Date
- 22 September 2020
- ISBN
- 9781549160110
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Biography: general, Gender studies: women and girls, Ancient history, European history, European history: the Romans, Folklore, myths and legends
Synopsis
A “lively, wide-ranging” (TheTimes, UK)cultural history of the goddess of love 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. Historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable life story of one of antiquity’s most potent myths.  In Venus and Aphrodite,Hughes brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeology to tell the story of human desire. From Mesopotamia to modern-day London, from Botticelli to Beyoncé, Hughes explains why this immortal goddess continues to entrance us today—and how we trivialize her power at our peril.   
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