Preview
  • Venus and Aphrodite

  • A Biography of Desire
  • By: Bettany Hughes
  • Narrated by: Bettany Hughes
  • Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Venus and Aphrodite

By: Bettany Hughes
Narrated by: Bettany Hughes
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.81

Buy for $14.81

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A cultural history of the goddess of love, from a New York Times best-selling and award-winning historian.

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. Proving that this fabled figure is so much more than an avatar of commercialized romance, historian Bettany Hughes reveals the remarkable life story of one of antiquity's most potent myths.

Venus and Aphrodite brings together ancient art, mythology, and archaeological revelations 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.

©2020 Bettany Hughes (P)2020 Basic Books
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"Informative and entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)

"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)

"An intriguing tale that tracks the gorgeous and omnipresent Venus of western civilisation back 6,000 years...engrossing." (The Spectator)

What listeners say about Venus and Aphrodite

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    31
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    28
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book by an equally wonderful author

Bethany Hughes is an amazing author, historian, and professor. She has an energetic enthusiasm and passion for the historical and mythological content in this novel. Definitely a recommended listen! My husband and I could not love her documentaries and books more!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This story was wonderful!

If you want to learn more about Venus or Aphrodite this book is the one for you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I've learned about Aphrodite

this is the best book (to me) about the history of Aphrodite! this is awesome for Taurus and Venus signs!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

History of Love

Deep insight into the origin of the love archetype, great narration and loaded with facts. <3

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!