Aphrodite was identified with the Roman goddess Venus. She was the goddess of beauty and sexual desire, hence the advent of the word "aphrodisiac"- a food item that increases sexual desire. This is somewhat ironic, due to the story of her creation. Although her parents were Zeus and Dione, she was born from the foam (some believe it to be semen) which was formed as a reaction between Uranus’ severed genitalia and the sea into which it was thrown.

Apparently, this affected her lifestyle and image as a goddess. Lifestyle, in the sense that, she was unfaithful to her husband with a number of gods and mortals. Image, in the sense that, April 23, the anniversary of the formation of the temple dedicated to Venus Eucarina was called Prostitutes’ Day. This rise form "foam" has resulted in her being represented in various artworks as rising from water: as in Sandro Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Her name is sometimes said to mean "Foam-risen."

She was (in later mythology) referred to as goddess of cultivated gardens and fields. Since she was the goddess of love and beauty, she was a common subject of interest with Roman and Greek artists.

Some works of art inspired by Aphrodite and Venus are:

Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus

Venus De Milo (artist unknown to us)

She also had a planet named after her. it was named Venus. However, it was originally named after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. She had 2 known alter-egos, Venus Eucarina (Venus of Eryx), and Venus Gentrix (Begetting Mother). She was the loveliest goddess, but married Hephaestus, the ugliest god. By him, she had no children, but by her affair with Anchises, she had Aeneas. She also had a brief affair with Trojan Prince Paris. By Hermes, she had Eros.

She & Eros were mischievous in their matchmaking, for example, matching already-married Helen with Prince Paris, thus causing the Trojan War. However, one match she didn’t approve of was the one of Psyche, a mere mortal and her son Eros.

Anchises, being a member of the (junior branch of the) Trojan royal family, was considered sinful for having an affair with Aphrodite. Despite her pleas, he disclosed the name of their son. Aeneas. He was struck blind by lightning for revealing this.
One major accomplishment of hers is that, she won the world’s first beauty pageant.