The fabulous story of the goddess Venus, also known by her Greek name Aphrodite, begins with her mysterious birth in the Aegean Sea. She emerges on the coast of Cyprus full-grown, shapely and desirable. With one hand she wrings her long, wavy hair, still wet from the waters of the sea, and with the other she pretends to conceal the secret places of her body. She stands on a scallopshell, perfect and beautiful. In fact, the ancient love goddess had many origins and many histories. The Minoans of Crete, the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, the Romans who adopted her from the Greeks – all told stories of the beautiful female in whose keeping were the hearts of mere mortal men and women. Her son Eros (Cupid), her many lovers, her blessings and her punishments have all taken root in our collective consciousness ever since. This entertaining biography brings the beautiful love goddess and her adventures to life as never before.