O feminino em diferentes faces: um comparativo entre Afrodite e Hécate na Mitologia Grega

Abstract

This work consists of a study on Aphrodite and Hecate, aiming to understand their connections with the Great Goddess. Our analysis begins with Hesiod's Theogony, which provides texts detailing both characters. We also examine other ancient texts, epithets, and symbols related to these goddesses to better comprehend the ancient worldview concerning them. We conclude by contrasting the two figures and analyzing the contemporary reception of these deities, seeking to understand how they represent the process of the Great Goddess's diminishment and its relationship with the patriarchy’s institutionalization (Lerner, 2019). As the central theoretical framework for feminist discussions, we adopt Lerner (2019). For discussions on Theogony, we mainly rely on Torrano (1991). To study the goddesses, we primarily reference Boedeker (1974), Carnevale (2012) and Ragusa (2001). We highlight connections between Aphrodite and goddesses associated with fertility and sexuality, such as the Phoenician Astarte and the Sumerian Inanna. Similarly, we note associations between Hecate and goddesses linked to the moon and hunting, such as the Thracian Bendis. Lastly, similarities between both deities and the Great Goddess are identified, highlighting Aphrodite and Hecate as representatives of different aspects of the sacred feminine. The study adopts the perspective that the persistence of these characters in the collective imagination represents expressions of resistance to the dominance of male gods, as argued by Lerner (2019), understanding them as symbols of feminine insubordination.