More than Beauty: Aphrodite, Love and Desire in the Ancient Greek World
24 October 2026
10:00am-1:00pm
Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
24 October 2026
Study Format:
In-person day/weekend
Fees:
£60.00
In-person lecture-style half-day event to tie in with the Ashmolean Museum's exhibition, 'Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess'
Aphrodite is one of the most familiar figures from the ancient Greek world: goddess of love and beauty, born from the sea and celebrated for her irresistible allure. Yet to the ancient Greeks she was far more complex – and far more powerful – than this familiar image suggests.
This course explores Aphrodite as a divine force whose influence extended across love, sexual desire, persuasion, marriage and fertility, but also into civic life, seafaring and even warfare. We shall consider how and why the Greeks worshipped her under different names and in different places, and what her cult can reveal about ancient attitudes towards desire and human relationships. Along the way, we shall encounter the other divine powers associated with love and longing and investigate some intriguing – and controversial – traditions surrounding Aphrodite’s worship. We shall also turn to myth and literature, where Aphrodite’s power can prove as dangerous as it is seductive, and we shall explore how Greek poets and dramatists used Aphrodite to think about desire, choice, persuasion and divine compulsion.
Drawing on ancient texts, art and archaeological evidence, the course invites us to look beyond Aphrodite’s beauty and discover one of the most fascinating and multifaceted deities of the Greek world.
Please note: enrolments for this event will close at 23:59 on 21 October 2026.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Contact the team
Phone: +44 (0)1865 270368
Email: events@conted.ox.ac.uk
Programme details
9:45am
Registration at Rewley House reception
10:00am
The Power of Aphrodite: Love, Desire and Worship
11:15am
Tea/coffee break
11:45am
Dangerous Desire: Aphrodite in Myth and Literature
1pm
Event ends
Recommended reading
Stephanie Lynn Budin, The Ancient Greeks: An Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2009)
William Hansen, Classical Mythology: A Guide to the Mythical World of the Greeks and Romans (Oxford University Press, 2005)
Accommodation
If you wish to stay with us before and/or after the event, please contact our Residential Centre for availability and discounted rates.
Call +44 (0) 1865 270362 or email res-ctr@conted.ox.ac.uk
Our accommodation in Wellington Square has been rated as 4-Star Campus Accommodation under Visit England. All bedrooms are modern, comfortably furnished with tea/coffee making facilities, Freeview television, private bath/shower rooms and free WiFi. For more details see our accommodation information.
Dr Aphrodite Papayianni
Aphrodite Papayianni holds a PhD in Byzantine History and teaches at the University of London and OUDCE. In the last ten years, she has enjoyed spells as a Visiting Professor in the Universities of Yeditepe and Sakarya (Turkey), and the North-East Normal University, Changchun Normal University and Hebei Normal University (China). Through the years, Aphrodite has developed a wide teaching portfolio, from Greek Prehistory to the end of Byzantium, and has published articles in various topics of Ancient Greek, Byzantine, post-Byzantine, and Crusade History.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Event fee (includes tea/coffee) | £60.00 |
Payment
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
