希腊人的爱神阿芙罗狄蒂通常会让其他人坠入爱河（或情欲），但有时她也会被迷住。罗马诗人奥维德总结了阿佛洛狄忒与阿多尼斯命运多舛的爱情故事，该故事出自《圣经》第十卷。

阿芙罗狄蒂爱上了很多男性。猎人阿多尼斯就是其中之一。正是他的美貌吸引了这位女神，而现在阿多尼斯这个名字正是男性美的同义词。奥维德说，由于阿佛洛狄特爱上了他，凡人阿多尼斯为他的父母米拉和她的父亲西尼拉斯之间的乱伦复仇，然后他在阿佛洛狄特被杀时给他带来了无法忍受的悲痛。最初的乱伦行为是由阿芙罗狄蒂引起的不可抑制的欲望引起的。

请注意阿芙罗狄蒂被指控忽视的祭祀场所的地理位置：帕福斯、西瑟拉、西尼多斯和阿马瑟斯。另外，请注意阿芙罗狄蒂和天鹅一起飞翔的细节。由于这是奥维德在物理转化方面工作的一部分，死亡的阿多尼斯变成了另一种东西，一朵花。

• 同样值得一提的是：荷马史诗《阿佛洛狄忒五世》。这首赞美诗讲述了阿佛洛狄忒与凡人安琪斯的爱情故事。
• 金星的相位（阿芙罗狄蒂）

奥维德的故事

以下是亚瑟·戈尔丁（Arthur Golding）1922年翻译的《奥维德的变形记》第十卷关于阿多尼斯和阿芙罗狄蒂爱情故事的部分：

That son of sister and grandfather, who was lately hidden in his parent tree, just lately born, a lovely baby boy is now a youth, now man more beautiful 825 than during growth. He wins the love of Venus and so avenges his own mother's passion. For while the goddess' son with quiver held on the shoulder, once was kissing his loved mother, it chanced unwittingly he grazed her breast 830 with a projecting arrow. Instantly the wounded goddess pushed her son away; but the scratch had pierced her deeper than she thought and even Venus was at first deceived. Delighted with the beauty of the youth, 835 she does not think of her Cytherian shores and does not care for Paphos, which is girt by the deep sea, nor Cnidos, haunts of fish, nor Amathus far-famed for precious ores. Venus, neglecting heaven, prefers Adonis 840 to heaven, and so she holds close to his ways as his companion, and forgets to rest at noon-day in the shade, neglecting the care of her sweet beauty. She goes through the woods, and over mountain ridges and wild fields, 845 rocky and thorn-set, bare to her white knees after Diana's manner. And she cheers the hounds, intent to hunt for harmless prey, such as the leaping hare, or the wild stag, high-crowned with branching antlers, or the doe.-- 850 she keeps away from fierce wild boars, away from ravenous wolves; and she avoids the bears of frightful claws, and lions glutted with the blood of slaughtered cattle. She warns you, 855 Adonis, to beware and fear them. If her fears for you were only heeded! "Oh be brave," she says, "against those timid animals which fly from you; but courage is not safe against the bold. Dear boy, do not be rash, 860 do not attack the wild beasts which are armed by nature, lest your glory may cost me great sorrow. Neither youth nor beauty nor the deeds which have moved Venus have effect on lions, bristling boars, and on the eyes 865 and tempers of wild beasts. Boars have the force of lightning in their curved tusks, and the rage of tawny lions is unlimited. I fear and hate them all." When he inquires 870 the reason, she says: "I will tell it; you will be surprised to learn the bad result caused by an ancient crime. -- But I am weary with unaccustomed toil; and see! a poplar convenient offers a delightful shade 875 and this lawn gives a good couch. Let us rest ourselves here on the grass." So saying, she reclined upon the turf and, pillowing her head against his breast and mingling kisses with her words, she told him the following tale:

亚特兰大的故事

My dear Adonis keep away from all such savage animals; avoid all those which do not turn their fearful backs in flight but offer their bold breasts to your attack, 1115 lest courage should be fatal to us both. Indeed she warned him. -- Harnessing her swans, she traveled swiftly through the yielding air; but his rash courage would not heed the advice. By chance his dogs, which followed a sure track, 1120 aroused a wild boar from his hiding place; and, as he rushed out from his forest lair, Adonis pierced him with a glancing stroke. Infuriate, the fierce boar's curved snout first struck the spear-shaft from his bleeding side; 1125 and, while the trembling youth was seeking where to find a safe retreat, the savage beast raced after him, until at last, he sank his deadly tusk deep in Adonis' groin; and stretched him dying on the yellow sand. 1130 And now sweet Aphrodite, borne through air in her light chariot, had not yet arrived at Cyprus, on the wings of her white swans. Afar she recognized his dying groans, and turned her white birds towards the sound. And when 1135 down looking from the lofty sky, she saw him nearly dead, his body bathed in blood, she leaped down--tore her garment--tore her hair -- and beat her bosom with distracted hands. And blaming Fate said, "But not everything 1140 is at the mercy of your cruel power. My sorrow for Adonis will remain, enduring as a lasting monument. Each passing year the memory of his death shall cause an imitation of my grief. 1145 "Your blood, Adonis, will become a flower perennial. Was it not allowed to you Persephone, to transform Menthe's limbs into sweet fragrant mint? And can this change of my loved hero be denied to me?" 1150 Her grief declared, she sprinkled his blood with sweet-smelling nectar, and his blood as soon as touched by it began to effervesce, just as transparent bubbles always rise in rainy weather. Nor was there a pause 1155 more than an hour, when from Adonis, blood, exactly of its color, a loved flower sprang up, such as pomegranates give to us, small trees which later hide their seeds beneath a tough rind. But the joy it gives to man 1160 is short-lived, for the winds which give the flower its name, Anemone, shake it right down, because its slender hold, always so weak, lets it fall to the ground from its frail stem.