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Adonis
God of beauty, desire and vegetation
Giuseppe-Mazzuoli-The-Death-of-Adonis-hermitag.jpg
"The Death of Adonis"
Abode Lebanon
Symbol anemones, as well as lettuce, fennel, and other fast-growing plants
Personal information
Spouse Aphrodite
Children Golgos, Beroe
Parents Cinyras and Myrrha (by Ovid), Phoenix and Alphesiboea (by Hesiod)

Adonis was the mortal partner of the goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Aphrodite found the infant and gave him to be raised by Persephone, the queen of the Underworld. Adonis's name comes from a Canaanite word meaning "lord"

Adonis grew into an astonishingly handsome young man (his name is often applied in modern times to handsome youths), causing Aphrodite and Persephone to fight over him, with Zeus eventually declaring that Adonis would spend one third of the year in the Underworld with Persephone, one third of the year with Aphrodite, and the final third of the year with whomever he chose. Adonis chose to spend his final third of the year with Aphrodite.

One day, Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip and died in Aphrodite's arms as she wept. His blood mingled with her tears and became the anemone flower.

Aphrodite declared the Adonia festival commemorating his tragic death, which was celebrated by women every year in midsummer.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Adonis para niños

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