The tears of the Valentine

This is my first ever blog, written back in 2012.

It was inspired by the relationship between two ancient Greek goddesses, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and Helen (of Troy), a less known goddess whose abduction by Paris started the Trojan Wars, yet my fascination with ceramics was already obvious.

To Aphrodite, Helen of Troy opened her heart: "Tell me my Goddess, what kind of love makes pain worthwhile? I left my country, my husband and my kingdom to follow Paris and our love. But now, alone I spend the evenings as he gets drunk with his warriors bragging about the humiliation he caused the Greeks when he seduced me." Aphrodite wiped Helen's tears and whispered in her ear: "All kinds of love exist and all of them need courage."

Helen of Troy and Aphrodite | Athenian red-figure neck amphora C5th B.C.