Aphrodite, Girdle of. As the goddess of love, Aphrodite (Venus) possessed a magic girdle or belt (cestus) that held all the secrets of love. She is often depicted wearing it, especially in scenes of the Judgment of Paris, which she won by promising Paris possession of the beautiful Helen. The best-known story involving the girdle is from the Iliad. During the great Battle of the Ships, Hera (Juno) wanted to distract her husband while the sea god Poseidon (Neptune) aided the Trojan side, despite the dictum of Zeus (Jupiter) that the gods remain neutral. Using a ruse, she borrowed the girdle from Aphrodite and wore it to seduce Zeus, who then fell into a deep sleep. He awoke to discover the battle raging below to the disadvantage of the Trojans. Zeus berated Hera for meddling and sent her back to Mount Olympus, after which Aphrodite reclaimed the girdle. Many postclassical works treat this episode or the Judgment of Paris; others focus on the girdle as a general attribute of the goddess of love. Classical Source. Homer, Iliad 14.153—360,15.4—220. See also Paris, Judgment; Trojan War, General List.