This article is about the ancient Greek mythological figure. For the Syrian poet, see Adunis. For the plant genus, see Adonis (plant). For other uses, see Adonis (disambiguation).
Adonis
Mortal lover of Aphrodite & Persephone
The Adonis Uffizi, made from pentelic marble, 2nd century BC, currently held in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Symbol
anemones, as well as lettuce, fennel, and other fast-growing plants
Festivals
Adonia
Personal information
Parents
Phoenix and Alphesiboea (by Hesiod) Cinyras and Myrrha (by Ovid)
Consort
Aphrodite, Persephone
Children
Golgos, Beroe
Equivalents
Canaanite equivalent
Adon
Mesopotamian equivalent
Dumuzid
In Greek mythology, Adonis (Ancient Greek: Ἄδωνις, romanized: Adōnis; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤃𐤍, romanized: Adón) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone, who was famous for having achieved immortality. He was widely considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.
The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip and died in Aphrodite's arms as she wept. His blood mingled with her tears and became the anemone flower. Aphrodite declared the Adonia festival to commemorate his tragic death, which was celebrated by women every year in midsummer. During this festival, Greek women would plant "gardens of Adonis", small pots containing fast-growing plants, which they would set on top of their houses in the hot sun. The plants would sprout, but soon wither and die. Then the women would mourn the death of Adonis, tearing their clothes and beating their breasts in a public display of grief.
Antique fresco in Pompeii depicting Adonis, Cupid, and Venus
The Greeks considered Adonis's cult to be of Near Eastern origin. Adonis's name comes from a Canaanite word meaning "lord" and most modern scholars consider the story of Aphrodite and Adonis to be derived from a Levantine version of the earlier Mesopotamian myth of Inanna (Ishtar) and Dumuzid (Tammuz).
In late 19th and early 20th century scholarship of religion, Adonis was widely seen as a prime example of the archetypal dying-and-rising god. His name is often applied in modern times to handsome youths, of whom he is considered the archetype.
In Greek mythology, Adonis (Ancient Greek: Ἄδωνις, romanized: Adōnis; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤃𐤍, romanized: Adón) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite...
Adonis "Donnie" Creed (born Adonis Johnson) is the fictional protagonist of the Creed trilogy — Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), and Creed III (2023) — the...
Keith Adonis Franke (September 15, 1953 – July 4, 1988) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adrian Adonis. He was best...
anˈtɔːnjo ˈdɔːto]; November 22, 1902 – November 26, 1971), known as Joe Adonis, was an Italian-American mobster who was an important participant in the...
Stevenson Adonis (born 22 September 1977), best known as Adonis Stevenson, is a Haitian Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2018...
and Adonis is probably derived from the ancient Sumerian legend of Inanna and Dumuzid. The Greek name Ἄδωνις (Adōnis, Greek pronunciation: [ádɔːnis]) is...
Morpho adonis, the Adonis morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru. The...
Adonis amurensis, commonly known as Amur adonis and pheasant's eye, is a perennial plant with a golden yellow flower belonging to the Ranunculales order...
known for playing the mobster Anthony Stabile in the 1990 film Goodfellas. Adonis was born in Brooklyn, New York. His first film role was in 1971 in The French...
A Night At The Adonis is a 1978 gay pornographic film directed by Jack Deveau and starring Jack Wrangler, Chris Michaels, Big Bill Eld (also called Bill...
Adonis Kapsalis (Greek: Αντώνης Καψάλης; born November 11, 1980) is a Greek-American actor known for such television shows as Netflix's The Crown, Showtime's...
Adonis Baths is a waterfall near Krya Vrysi and Lakkos tou Fragkou. It is located 267 m above sea level. In the village of Koili, in the province of Pafos...
2101 Adonis, provisional designation: 1936 CA, is an asteroid on an extremely eccentric orbit, classified as potentially hazardous asteroid and near-Earth...
Adonis Bosso (born 10 July 1990) is an Ivorian-Canadian model. Bosso was born in the Ivory Coast and raised in Montreal, Quebec. He is the oldest of 6...
Acanthicus adonis, the adonis pleco or polka dot lyre-tail pleco, is a large species of armored catfish. It was originally described from the lower Tocantins...
Global Information
