Fairest Goddess That Ever Lived

by **Pete** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:21 pm

Just wondering who you guys think is the fairest. I kind of have to decide soon, and I'd like some input. I mean, there's a lot of pressure on me right now and I'd like some unbiased views.

Website · by **benissimus** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:35 pm

I suppose by definition Aphrodite should be the fairest. I chose Athena though, for personal reasons...

by **Pete** » Thu May 27, 2004 6:47 pm

Well, I'm not so sure that she has to be the fairest by definition. I think that Olympian goddesses may have comparable features (in fact, I can tell you, they do), but that Venus may be more of an expert in using them, you see, for pleasure (that, however, I know only by word of mouth). That's what makes the choice so hard.

But see the Merriam Webster first definition of "fair":

1 : pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that, by voting, you will be alienating yourself from two powerful goddesses and damning yourself for life. But you're a classicist, so you probably had that in mind when you voted anyway.

by **Democritus** » Thu May 27, 2004 11:38 pm

Pete wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that, by voting, you will be alienating yourself from two powerful goddesses and damning yourself for life.

Yeah, you know what happened last time.

Well, I still say you should pick Aphrodite. But don't let your countrymen fall for that trick with the horse this time, OK?

I mean, once is understandable, but twice would be pathetic.

by **Eureka** » Thu May 27, 2004 11:52 pm

Calypso.

by **mingshey** » Fri May 28, 2004 12:10 am

Odysseus had vowed to worship Nausicaa as if she was a goddess. So, let her in and I vote for her.

by **threewood14** » Fri May 28, 2004 12:17 am

Or you just don't pick anyone so you don't get into trouble and say that they are all infinitly fair which should satisfy them.

by **Timothy** » Fri May 28, 2004 3:06 am

Is that the African or European fariest?

- Tim

Website · by **benissimus** » Fri May 28, 2004 4:47 am

Pete wrote:Well, I'm not so sure that she has to be the fairest by definition. I think Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that, by voting, you will be alienating yourself from two powerful goddesses and damning yourself for life. But you're a classicist, so you probably had that in mind when you voted anyway.

Yes, the thought had occurred to me. To scorn Hera would bring me death, to scorn Aphrodite would bring me unattractiveness and failure in love, to scorn Athena would perhaps make one inept? I guess that shows where my priorities are.

by **threewood14** » Fri May 28, 2004 9:46 am

Is that the African or European fariest?

I don't know ahhhhhh!!!

by **Mongoose42** » Fri May 28, 2004 6:24 pm

Speaking of learning from past mistakes, include Eris and no one will care to begin with. :lol:

by **threewood14** » Mon May 31, 2004 3:21 pm

Aphrodite was the Goddess of Beauty right? Shouldn't she be the fairest then? Fair means of pleasing appearance. I would go with Aphrodite.

by **copain** » Mon May 31, 2004 8:43 pm

I will also vote for Aphrodite, because she stands for all the beauty a woman could have :!:

And did not Paris vote for Aphrodite too, as he had to decide between Aphrodite, Athena and Hera who of them the most beautifull is ?
Yes, I will trust in the good taste of Paris concerning women !

by **klewlis** » Mon May 31, 2004 10:16 pm

I voted for Aphrodite but ONLY because you didn't include ME on your list.

beware my wrath.

.

by **Raya** » Mon May 31, 2004 10:22 pm

Aren't the goddesses allegorical? Isn't it really a contest between Sexual Pleasure, Wisdom and...
(um... what exactly does Hera stand for here? Social Status?)

Wisdom gets my vote.

Website · by **benissimus** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 3:26 am

Hera is not going to like this...

by **klewlis** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 4:27 am

benissimus wrote:Hera is not going to like this...

yes, well, she's rather temperamental at the best of times.

by **mind** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 5:50 am

Pete wrote:Just wondering who you guys think is the fairest.

May I see their application forms before casting my vote?

by **eris** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:23 pm

copain wrote:I will also vote for Aphrodite, because she stands for all the beauty a woman could have
And did not Paris vote for Aphrodite too, as he had to decide between Aphrodite, Athena and Hera who of them the most beautifull is ?
Yes, I will trust in the good taste of Paris concerning women !

The problem with siding with Paris is that he was bribed into choosing Aphrodite. I wonder who Paris would have picked without the bribe? I vote for Athena....then again, I also don't want to make my namesake mad! Sheesh! Better to say they are all fairest in their own special way!

by **Emma_85** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:25 pm

Hera doesn't seem to be very nice, although her husband really does treat her terrible, oh well...

Well I voted for Athena anyway...

by **threewood14** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:50 pm

Aren't the goddesses allegorical? Isn't it really a contest between Sexual Pleasure, Wisdom and...
(um... what exactly does Hera stand for here? Social Status?)

Wisdom gets my vote.

Correct me if I'm wrong but fair means pleasing to look at, right? Shouldn't by common sense the most pleasing Goddess to look at would be the most beautiful? And wouldn't the Goddess of Love and Beauty be the most beautiful? That would mean Aphrodite even without a bribe.

by **Emma_85** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 5:57 pm

Well love isn't all about looking sexy...

by **Mongoose42** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 6:48 pm

Hera spent her time torturing the demigods her husband loved to make with mortals, aphrodite was the joy and bain of all men with her double-edged looks. Aside from coming from a really bad headache Athena was actually civil as a goddess.

I vote Athena, because wisdom and military shrewdness are better than rampaging housewives and brazen hussies.

by **threewood14** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:19 pm

I'm still not sure why one could pick Athena here. The question is not who is the best goddess, its who is the fairest.

Fair: Of pleasing appearance, especially because of a pure or fresh quality; comely.

Clearly, fair does not mean who is the smartest, the most honest, etc. The questoin basically asks which goddess do you think is most beautiful. From reading a bit about mythology, I understand that the gods have this pure form that if a human were to view, he/she would die. Therefore the gods take a human or other image. Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty.

Beautiful: Having qualities that delight the senses, especially the sense of sight.

I think it would be logical that Aphrodite, being the goddess of beauty, would be the most beautiful and therefore the most fair.

Note: I'm using the right definition of fair right? Or is it on the basis of being consistent with rules, logic, or ethics?

by **Lucus Eques** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:12 am

Mongoose42 wrote:I vote Athena, because wisdom and military shrewdness are better than rampaging housewives and brazen hussies.

Bring on the brazen hussies! *pours five libations to Aphrodite*

by **Raya** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 12:15 pm

threewood14 wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong, but fair means pleasing to look at, right?

Fairness doesn't refer only to physical beauty, as you can speak of the fairness of things which do not have physical appearance (speeches, ideas, and the like).

threewood14 wrote:The question basically asks which goddess do you think is most beautiful.

The question doesn't specify the definition of 'fairest' at all! We've all interpreted it as referring to beauty, but it could just as well be taken to mean who is the most just or even who is the palest...

by **threewood14** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 7:56 pm

The question doesn't specify the definition of 'fairest' at all! We've all interpreted it as referring to beauty, but it could just as well be taken to mean who is the most just or even who is the palest...

I agree. Maybe we should define fair. For if it is not suggesting only physical beauty, then I would pick Athena. If it were, then I would pick Aphrodite. From first reading it I took it as physical beauty hence my first choice.

by **annis** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 8:58 pm

Given the range of meanings for Greek [face=spionic]kalh/[/face] I'm inclined to interpret "fairest" broadly in this question.

by **Episcopus** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:46 pm

I've never heard of these goddesses in my life! But then again I did not know what a taco was but a day ago. And Raya makes a good point. "fair" means just "good" in the ambiguous way of english too, but faire would mean pretty to look at.

by **klewlis** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 10:23 pm

Episcopus wrote::shock: I've never heard of these goddesses in my life! But then again I did not know what a taco was but a day ago. And Raya makes a good point. "fair" means just "good" in the ambiguous way of english too, but faire would mean pretty to look at.

do you not eat tacos over there???

no Taco Bell or Taco Time???

poor, deprived people.

Website · by **benissimus** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 11:06 pm

I know, I had to show gollum what a taco and burrito were after I got a bewildered response to using the words "Taco Bell". I didn't even go into chimichangas, nachos, or enchiladas.

I took fairest to mean "most appealing/attractive".

by **klewlis** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:06 am

mmmmmmm burritos.....

by **Episcopus** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:07 am

mmmm press ups

by **Eureka** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:41 am

mmmmmm not making much sense anymore.

by **Episcopus** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:46 am

The moderator started it.

Back on topic, I voted for the Afro one because I like Phi.

by **klewlis** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:48 am

Episcopus wrote:The moderator started it.

by **Eureka** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:29 am

Clearly Hera's more attractive than Aphrodite, because Zeus would have had first choice.

...That just leaves Frigid Athena.

by **Amy** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:32 am

I have to concede: Aphrodite, but I prefer Athena.

by **Lex** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:52 am

Eureka wrote:Clearly Hera's more attractive than Aphrodite, because Zeus would have had first choice.

...That just leaves Frigid Athena.

Aphrodite, Athena and Artemis were all daughters of Zeus. Apparently the sexual... errrr... liberality... of the Greeks only went so far.

by **Lex** » Fri Jun 04, 2004 1:56 am

Raya wrote:(um... what exactly does Hera stand for here? Social Status?)

Matrimony? (Which would explain why the Greeks did not consider her the fairest? :wink:

)

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