Which goddess sprang from the foam of the sea?

Which goddess sprang from the foam of the sea?

• A. Hera
• B. Athena
• C. Aphrodite
• D. Demeter

Answer: (C)

The sea-foam birth is the defining origin myth for Aphrodite. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Aphrodite arises from the foam created by the sea when Uranus’s severed genitals are cast into the waters, and she comes ashore near Cyprus, embodying love and beauty. Some later traditions name Zeus and Dione as her parents, but the emblematic image remains that she is the goddess born from sea foam. This makes her the best fit for the clue. The other goddesses have different birth stories that don’t involve foam: Hera is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Athena springs fully formed from Zeus’s head, and Demeter is also a child of Cronus and Rhea, associated with agriculture rather than sea foam.

The sea-foam birth is the defining origin myth for Aphrodite. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Aphrodite arises from the foam created by the sea when Uranus’s severed genitals are cast into the waters, and she comes ashore near Cyprus, embodying love and beauty. Some later traditions name Zeus and Dione as her parents, but the emblematic image remains that she is the goddess born from sea foam. This makes her the best fit for the clue. The other goddesses have different birth stories that don’t involve foam: Hera is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, Athena springs fully formed from Zeus’s head, and Demeter is also a child of Cronus and Rhea, associated with agriculture rather than sea foam.