Athena vs Aphrodite: Two Sisters of Opposite Traits in Greek Mythology

Athena vs Aphrodite is an important comparison because both women were extremely well known in Greek mythology. These Greek goddesses were both sisters with a common father but with uncommon abilities and traits.

They have counterparts in almost all mythologies because of how famous they were. Here we bring you all the information on Athen and Aphrodite, their life, and myths.

Athena vs Aphrodite Comparison Table

Features	Athena	Aphrodite
Origin	Greek	Greek
Parents	Zeus	Zeus and Dione
Siblings	Aphrodite, Artemis, Perseus, Persephone, Dionysus, and many more	Athena, Artemis, Perseus, Persephone, Dionysus, and many more
Powers	Warfare, Wisdom, and Handicraft	Love, Lust, Beauty, Passion, Pleasure, and Procreation
Type of Creature	Goddess	Goddess
Meaning	One who is wise	Essence of feminine beauty
Symbols	Aegis, Helmet, Armor, Spear	Pearl, Mirror, Rosses, Seashell
Roman Counterpart	Minerva	Venus
Egyptian Counterpart	Neith	Hathor
Appearance	Majestic and Beautiful	Blonde with Straight Hair

What Are the Differences Between Athena vs Aphrodite?

The main difference between Athena and Aphrodite was that Athena was the goddess of warfare, wisdom, and handicrafts while Aphrodite was the goddess of love, lust, procreation, and passion. Athena had more of a masculine physique, whereas Aphrodite had a more feminine feature.

What Is Athena Best Known For?

Goddess Athena is best known for her fierce character in Greek mythology. She is one of the best-known female heroes in mythology. Her connection to Zeus and her siblings surely made her famous but in reality, she does not need anyone's help to be recognized. Athena had everything that a princess has and above that, she was also a goddess.

Origins of Athena

Athena's life was surely filled with crazy adventures and extravaganza. No moment in her life was ever dull and boring. She can be regarded as Zeus' favorite daughter as she was born only to him. Her symbols were Aegis, Helmet, Armor, and Spear because she was the goddess of warfare and wisdom. Many cities of Greece came under her protection and she used to be the best protector among the rest.

In her lifetime, she had never lost a fight or a battle. She was always ready to take on whatever was thrown at her and she made the most of everything. She was a true princess, a fierce fighter, and a great woman at heart.

How Athena Was Born

Athena was born through the forehead of Zeus according to the most famous myth about her. This means that she only had a father and no mother. Other female deities on Mount Olympus did serve as motherly figures to her but they were not her biological mother. This is one of the key unusual cases in the history of Greek mythology and folklore.

Athena was therefore very loved and cherished by Zeus because he had the ultimate stake over her being. This is also why even though Athena was a female, she had all the skills of men in warfare.

Athena's Physical Features

Athena looked like a majestic goddess. Even though she was a beautiful female goddess and princess, she had some features of masculinity because of her warfare traits. She was tall and had a broad stature, in short, she looked strong. She had beautiful hair that went down to her waist.

She had fair skin and wore dark-colored clothes. She liked hunting and went hunting often. She was a goddess so she was immortal. Her beauty was very well known and so were her warfare skills.

Athena Was Worshipped in Greek Mythology

Athena was worshipped immensely in Greek mythology for two main reasons. Firstly, she was born without a mother and from the forehead of Zeus, and secondly because no one had ever seen such a strong female before. People worshipped her wholeheartedly and brought many gifts to her shrine. She was also worshipped as a sign of strength and victory in wars.

People sacrificed their belongings and important keepsakes for her. All this was done to make Athena happy with them. If she would be happy with how they worshiped her, she would give them anything that they desire and keep them safe. This was a popular belief in ancient mythology.

Athena Gets Married

Athena married Hephaestus, who is known as the divine husband of Athena. Athena was a virgin and even though she married she still stayed a virgin.

On the night of their marriage, she vanished from the bed and Hephaestus impregnated Gaea, the mother Earth goddess, instead. This is why Athena is one of three true virgins of Greek mythology.

What Is Aphrodite Best Known For?

Aphrodite is best known for her powers of love, lust, passion, procreation, and pleasure. She is the goddess of the most important desire of mankind, love. She was therefore a very famous Greek goddess, not only in Greek mythology but also in many other mythologies.

Origins of Aphrodite

Aphrodite could control any man, woman, or creature because she knew their deepest and darkest desires.

She was a true goddess because both her parents were gods. She never let her guard down and gave in to anyone's request. Like her sister Athena, Aphrodite was also a fierce warrior, not in war but in love and passion. She was very famous for granting people their loved ones and for igniting long-lost passion among lovers.

Here we answer the most asked questions about Aphrodite for a better understanding of the comparison between her and Athena:

How Aphrodite Was Born

Aphrodite was born in a very normal way to her parents, Zeus and Dione. Zeus, as we know, was the prime Greek god of all gods and goddesses whereas Dione was a Titan goddess. Dione was another name in Zeus' long list of affairs and lusts. Aphrodite, thus, has many different siblings that were men, women, and different creatures like Giants.

Aphrodite's Physical Features

Aphrodite looked like a blond hair woman with very beautiful facial features. Also because she was the goddess of love and lust, and passion, she seemed very attractive to the people she wanted. She could attract and repel any person or creature she wanted. This was one of her exceptional abilities as a goddess.

Aphrodite Had Worshippers

Aphrodite was worshipped heavily in Greek mythology because she was the goddess of love and lust. Almost everyone worshipped her for their prayers to be answered. She was so famous that her fame not only remained in Greek mythology but also found its way into all the other famous mythologies in one way or another. Therefore, it may not be wrong to claim that Aphrodite was the most famous goddess of Greek mythology.

Aphrodite Gets Marry

Aphrodite married Hephaestus, the god of fire after Athena left him. They both had a big number of children together. Some of them were Eros, Phobos, Deimos, Rhodos, Harmonia, Anteros, Pothos, Himeros, Hermaphroditus, Eryx, Peitho, The Graces, Priapus, and Aeneas. The couple was very deeply in love and lived a happy life. Their children grew up to be in many different epics of Greek mythology.

FAQ

How Is Helen of Troy Related to Athena and Aphrodite?

Helen of Troy is related to Athena and Aphrodite in the way that they all are sisters. They have a common father, Zeus. He was very famous among the ladies which is why he had hundreds of children with all sorts of creatures. Helen of Troy, Athena, and Aphrodite are a few among his long list of children.

Conclusion

Athena and Aphrodite were sisters to each other through a common father, Zeus. Athena was the goddess of warfare, wisdom, and handicrafts whereas Aphrodite was the goddess of love, lust, beauty, passion, procreation, and attraction. These sisters had the opposite powers when it came to their godliness. Athena was born from the forehead of Zeus whereas Aphrodite was born to Zeus and Dione, an Olympian and a Titan goddess respectively.

Now, we have reached the end of the article about Athena and Aphrodite. Among the two Aphrodite was surely the more famous goddess because many mythologies loved and praised her in one way or another.