ADONIS

Handsome God of Desire with a massive squeeee! factor

For reasons we won't go into, APHRODITE turned his mother Myrrha into a pregnant myrrh tree. When it split and the baby was revealed, APHRODITE was enchanted. "Ooh, he's gorgeous. I'm saving him for later", she decided.

When ADONIS grew old enough to be 'Gods Gift to Women', PERSEPHONE refused to hand him over. The case went to arbitration and CALLIOPE was asked to bring about a settlement. Her final judgment was this: For four months of the year, he would live with APHRODITE. Then she must hand him over for four months with PERSEPHONE. For the remaining four months the choice was up to him.

As APHRODITE was the first to find him, she had the first go. Using her girdle of desire, she declared that ADONIS loved only her and PERSEPHONE could take a running jump. So PERSEPHONE jumped in the direction of ARES (who was very struck on APHRODITE himself) and said: "Your fancy woman has got herself a mortal lover. You don't stand a chance, he's absolutely gorgeous!"

ARES was furious. Being of a boorish disposition, he changed himself into a boar and killed ADONIS in a hunting accident. This resulted in much hair-pulling and scratching and shrieking in OLYMPUS.

ZEUS decided it was time for a bit of peace. He declared that ADONIS was not totally dead, but could spend six months with each of them. So now APHRODITE enjoys his company in the spring and summer. They frolic, they dance, they snuggle — basically they do all the kinds of things fertility deities get such a naughty reputation for. And then in the fall he goes down to the Underworld for a long winter vacation.

This is why everything above ground fades and gets miserable during the winter months. Meanwhile, down below it's party time. So the Underworld seems a good place to choose for a winter break.