简介：In1914,thesuffragetteMaryRichardsonattackedtheRokebyVenusattheNationalGalleryinLondon.Butwhydidthispaintingfiresuchoutrage?ProfessorBettanyHughesembarksonavoyageofdiscoverytorevealthetruthbehindtheVenusdepictedinthepainting,provingthatthismythologicalfigureissomuchmorethanjustanexcuseforsensualnudityandchocolate-boxromance.BecauseVenusUncoveredistheremarkablestoryofoneofantiquity'smostpotentforces.Andmorethanthat-hersisthestoryofhumandesire,andhowdesiretransformswhoweareandhowwebehave. ChartingVenus'soriginsinpowerfulancientdeities,BettanydemonstratesthatVenusisfarmorecomplexthanfirstmeetstheeye.BeginninginCyprus,thegoddess'smythicalbirthplace,BettanydecodesVenus'srelationshiptotheGreekgoddessAphrodite,and,inturn,Aphrodite'smixed-uporiginsbothasaCypriotspiritoffertilityandprocreation-butalso,asadescendantoftheprehistoricwargoddessesoftheNearandMiddleEast,Ishtar,InannaandAstarte.WestarttoseetheVenusisaboutdesireofallkinds-malignaswellasbenign.Hughesmeetsworldexpertswhorevealthemysteriousandobscurewaysthisancientgoddesswasimaginedandworshipped(includingasabearded,gender-fluidwomanandevenasagiant,sinister,volcanicrock),andvisitsthesiteswheretherealwomenandmenoftheBronzeAgeadoredheras'greaterthanagod'-acreaturewhogaveallandtookallaway.Bettany-whohasbeeninvestigatingAphroditeforoveradecade-looksintothegoddess'sownlovelifetoseethat-evenforher-tanglingwithanotherwasoftenbittersweet.Weheartheheartfelt,2,600-year-oldpoemsofAphrodite'sacolyte,thefemalepoetSappho-beggingthequestion,doespassionalwaysgeneratebothpainandpleasure? Afarcryfromthesoft,nudefemaleformwearenowaccustomedto,weseethewar-like,martially-cladVenusworshippedinRomebyJuliusCaesarandemulatedbytheEgyptianqueenCleopatra.Downthegenerations,Venushasbeenaconstantlyevolvingfigure.Sheisgenuinelyimmortal-agoddesswhorefusestoliedownanddie.FromStoneAgeMediterraneanculturestoan18th-century,Venus-themedBritishstatelyhome-frequentedbyhigh-rankingpoliticiansandaristocrats-Venusrepresentsthepoweroflust,andofhateaswellaslove. Throughancientart,evocativemyth,excitingarchaeologicalrevelationsandphilosophicalexplorationsBettanyrevealshowthisimmortalgoddessenduresthroughtothe21stcentury,andwhatherstoryandjourneythroughtimerevealsaboutwhatmatterstousashumans.UncoveringVenus-sheshowsuswhywestillneedtocareaboutthisprimordialcompaniononthehumanjourney-andhowwetrivialiseherpoweratourperil.…