The Rock Of Aphrodite (Petra Tou Romiou) is a scenic place, located off the old Pafos-Lemesos road, with a breathtaking view of the sea, and, more famously, it is considered to be the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. Ancient myths tell us that this is where Aphrodite arose from the sea foam. Petra tou Romiou, a rock off the shore along the main road from Paphos to Limassol, has been regarded since ancient times as the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddes of love and fertility. According to ancient tradition, Aphrodite was born from the waves on the site off the coast of Cyprus. In his Theogony (178-206), Hesiod provides the following dramatic account of the event: "Chronos took the great long jagged sickle; eagerly he harvested his father's (Zeus') genitals and threw them all off behind.... The genitals...were carried for a long time on the waves. White foam surrounded the immortal flesh, and in it grew a girl...
her name is Aphrodite among men and gods, because she grew up in the foam (aphrizo).
Aphrodite was then escorted ashore on a shell by the soft breezes of the Zephyrs at the rocks known as Petra tou Romiou. This myth is, of course, most memorably depicted in Botticelli's Birth of Venus (on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence). A much older rendering of the event can be seen in a fine mural at Pompeii. Homer's account of Aphrodite's birth is less dramatic. He said she was the daughter of Zeus and the fresh water nymph Dione, at whose bosom she would sometimes seek solace (Iliad 5.370-417). Petra tou Romiou means "the Rock of the Greek" and does not refer to Aphrodite but to another myth, that of the Byzantine hero Dighenis who threw the rocks at pirates to protect his lady. It is said that in certain weather conditions, the waves rise, break and form a column of water that dissolves into a pillar of foam. With imagination, this looks for just a moment like an ephemeral, evanescent human shape. There is a long narrow pebbly beach at Petra tou Romiou that extends to either side of the largest rock and its satellites.
The Rock of Aphrodite is a few kilometres to the west of Pissouri village. The location is especially beautiful at sunset, seen here on 31 December 2001. Its Greek name is Petra tou Romiou or ‘The Rock of the Greek’. Legend has it that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, rose from the waves in this strikingly beautiful spot. There are several versions of the story of the goddess's birth, but the most famous is that Aphrodite rose naked from the sea on a scallop shell. Blown by the wind, Aphrodite's first stop was on the island of Cythera, but this was such a tiny island that Aphrodite kept moving and eventually got to Cyprus, where she began living in Paphos. The Petra Tou Romiou (Rock of the Greek), or the Rock Of Aphrodite (as known in English), is a scenic place, located off the old Pafos-Lemesos road. It's a popular tourist spot, for its breathtaking view of the sea, and more famously the birth place of Aphrodite. Legend has it that this is the Rock from which Aphrodite mythically arose from the foaming sea. It was widely believed that at the time when there existed only Ge, the Earth and Ouranos (Uranus), Ge asked one of her sons, Cronos (Kronos) to mutilate his father (Uranus). Obeying these instructions, Cronos proceeded to cut off Uranus's testicles and throw them into the sea. From the sea arose white foam, from which a maiden arose, the waves first taking her to Kythera and then bringing her to Cyprus. The maiden, named Aphrodite then went to the assembly of gods from Cyprus. The Romans widely referred to her as Venus.
Petra Tou Romiou is a 30 minute drive from Limassol towards Pafos. Make sure you take the old road to Pafos, avoid the motorway (which does, however, give an exit), as you will miss some breathtaking scenery on the way. Heading from Limassol, drive towards Kourion, crossing pine tree forests. Ascending the hills overlooking the Curium Beach, passing the Episkopi (British Army area) the mountains cleave to reveal a spectacular view of the sea. Driving along, you will come across a Tourist Pavilion on the right, where cars can be parked to admire the sight of the colors of the sea. Aphrodite widely attracted a cult following in Pafos, which was then crushed by the Romans. This is evident from the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, in Old Pafos, which is a beautifully excavated site. Aphrodite was known for lustful love more than romantic love. Petra tou Romiou, a rock off the shore along the main road from Paphos to Limassol, has been regarded since ancient times as the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love and fertility. According to ancient tradition, Aphrodite was born from the waves on the site off the coast of Cyprus.
Petra tou Romiou means "the Rock of the Greek" and does not refer to Aphrodite but to another myth, that of the Byzantine hero Dighenis who threw the rocks at pirates to protect his lady.
