Adonis was the god of beauty and desire in Greek mythology. He was originally worshipped in Phoenicia (now modern Lebanon), but was later adopted by the Greeks.
He was the son of Tea, the king of Syria. His mother was Myrrha (also known as Smryna) and was actually the daughter of Theias. In the myth, Myrrha fell in love with her father and tricked him into having sex with her, which is how Adonis was conceived.
The tragic love story of this god is one of the most popular tales in ancient mythology. In this lesson, you will discover who Adonis was and the significance he had in ancient civilizations.
Family
When King Teas found out that his daughter had deceived him, he tried to find her and kill her. Myrrha begged the gods for mercy, and they transformed her into a myrrh tree. In the form of a tree, she gave birth to Adonis. At some point, Aphrodite arrived and fell in love with him. She protected Adonis and let Persephone take care of him and raise him.
Later, Aphrodite and Persephone would have a dispute over Adonis because both goddesses wanted him and Persephone to return the money to them so they could give it back. In the end, Zeus had to get involved and settle the argument once and for all.
Zeus told the goddesses that one-third of a year should be given to both of them, and the other two-thirds would be for Adonis to decide who he wanted to be with for two-thirds of the year.
Death of Adonis
The god of love died after being attacked by a boar sent by Artemis. Artemis was jealous of his hunting skills and wanted to punish him. Another version of the story says that Ares, the god of war, sent the boar to kill Tea’s son because he was Aphrodite’s lover. After his death, Aphrodite let her nectar flow over his blood, and the anemone flower sprouted.
Functions and responsibilities of Adonis
From his blood sprinkled with nectar sprang the short-lived flower called Anemone and the river Adonis. He spent one-third of the year with Persephone and two-thirds of the year with Aphrodite to resolve the dispute between the two goddesses. He was a hunter and was said to have been envied by Artemis, which led to his death. He was said to be a god of fertility.
Appearance and personality of Adonis
He was said to be an extremely beautiful young man and the most beautiful among men. Not much was said about his personality.
Facts about the God of Beauty
He was the product of incest. Apparently, his mother was struck by Eros, who was instructed by Aphrodite to make her love her father because he boasted that his daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite.
He was born on a myrrh tree (his mother transformed). Aphrodite fell in love at first sight and hid him with Persephone. Persephone also loved him as he grew up.
It is said that Artemis killed him by sending a wild boar. Other sources say he was killed by Ares, who transformed himself into a wild boar when Persephone mocked him for having a mortal lover.
He was told to come back to life. He was also said to be a god of vegetation. Most women worshipped him. The Adoniscerias were lamentations by women. There was an Adonis garden adorned with potted flowers surrounding his statue. It is said that his blood formed the river named after this Greek god, which turns red and fades away when he comes back to life.
The Myth
It is not uncommon to hear someone refer to a handsome young man as an Adonis. But how did this name, which originally meant lord or ruler, become the term used to describe a man who had achieved the status of a piece of land?
The story of the god of beauty and desire has its beginnings in the ancient civilization of Phoenicia, but it was also adopted by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. As expected, the story changed slightly as it spread from one culture to another. However, jealousy, lust, and the struggle between love and death remained key themes throughout all the stories. What follows is perhaps the most widely accepted version, which comes from the Greeks.
