Roman mythology identifies Venus, and her Greek counterpart Aphrodite, as the Goddess of Love. According to these traditions, Venus was born from the sea, following the castration and death of the Caelus (Uranus), one of the earlier progenitor gods of the Greco-Roman pantheon. She has equivalents in many world mythologies, including those of the Scandinavian and Egypt, but in modern times, she best known by the Roman name, Venus.
The modern interpretation of these origins may suggest the popular archetypical child seeking revenge for the death of a beloved father; however, this was not how the Romans and later interpreters understood Venus’s origins. They saw her rise from the sea as the birth of love and beauty among the deities and mortals alike. The more modern readings of events are simply that, more modern.
While early mythology depicts Venus as relatively weak and passive, later writings show her as a figure with much cunning and who is easily angered or made jealous. Both later aspects can be seen in her part in the events leading to those depicted in The Iliad, the Greek tragedy concerning the fall of ancient Troy. In later times, her character took on even darker aspects.