Editing Helios (section)

==== Ares and Aphrodite ====
[[File:JOHANN HEISS VULCAN SURPRISING VENUS AND MARS.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|''Vulcan surprises Venus and Mars'', by [[Johann Heiss]] (1679)]]

In another myth, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but she cheated on him with his brother [[Ares]], god of war. In Book Eight of the ''Odyssey'', the blind singer [[Demodocus (Odyssey character)|Demodocus]] describes how the illicit lovers committed adultery, until one day Helios caught them in the act, and immediately informed Aphrodite's husband Hephaestus. Upon learning that, Hephaestus forged a net so thin it could hardly be seen, in order to ensnare them. He then announced that he was leaving for [[Lemnos]]. Upon hearing that, Ares went to Aphrodite and the two lovers coupled.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0218%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D5 8. 266–295]</ref> Once again Helios informed Hephaestus, who came into the room and trapped them in the net. He then called the other gods to witness the humiliating sight.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0218%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D6 8. 296–332]</ref>

Much later versions add a young man to the story, a warrior named [[Alectryon (mythology)|Alectryon]], tasked by Ares to stand guard should anyone approach. But Alectryon fell asleep, allowing Helios to discover the two lovers and inform Hephaestus. For this, Aphrodite hated Helios and his race for all time.<ref name=":senny">[[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]], ''[[Phaedra (Seneca)|Phaedra]]'' [https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/sen/sen.phaedra.shtml 124]</ref> In some versions, she cursed his daughter [[Pasiphaë]] to fall in love with the [[Cretan Bull]] as revenge against him.<ref>[[Scholia]] on [[Euripides]]' ''[[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]]'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=quBFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA501 47]</ref><ref>[[Libanius]], ''[[Progymnasmata]]'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=kRi-If9IAOYC&pg=PA27 2.21]</ref> Pasiphaë's daughter [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]]'s passion for her step-son [[Hippolytus of Athens|Hippolytus]] was also said to have been inflicted on her by Aphrodite for this same reason.<ref name=":senny" />