Definition

Proper noun 1. Astarte: An ancient Phoenician goddess of love, fertility, sexuality, war, and the planet Venus. She was a major deity in the Phoenician and Canaanite pantheons and is widely considered the counterpart to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar and the later Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Usage Examples

• Noun (as a proper name):
  • The ancient city of Sidon was a major center for the worship of Astarte.
  • Archaeological digs have uncovered many figurines believed to represent the goddess Astarte.
  • In mythology, Astarte was often associated with the evening star.

Advanced Usage

• In Comparative Mythology: The name Astarte is frequently used in academic texts when discussing the syncretism (blending) of deities across ancient Near Eastern cultures, highlighting her equivalence to Ishtar (Mesopotamian) and influences on Aphrodite (Greek).
  • The cult of Astarte spread across the Mediterranean, evolving into the worship of Aphrodite in Greece.

Variants and Related Words

• Ashtart: A common alternate transliteration of the Phoenician name for the goddess.
• Ishtar: The Mesopotamian (Akkadian/Assyrian/Babylonian) goddess of love, war, and fertility, directly equivalent to Astarte.
• Inanna: The earlier Sumerian goddess who is the precursor to Ishtar and, by extension, is related to Astarte.
• Aphrodite: The Greek goddess of love and beauty, whose cult absorbed many attributes of the Phoenician Astarte.
• Venus: The Roman goddess of love, equivalent to Aphrodite, and thus distantly connected to Astarte through this lineage.

Synonyms

• Goddess of Love and Fertility (Phoenician context): This is a descriptive synonym, as Astarte was the primary deity for these domains in her culture.
• Counterpart to Ishtar: This phrase is often used to define Astarte by her relationship to the more widely known Mesopotamian goddess.

Related Phrases and Cultural References

• Queen of Heaven: A title sometimes applied to Astarte (as well as to Ishtar and other ancient mother/fertility goddesses) in historical and archaeological literature.
• Cult of Astarte: Refers to the religious practices, temples, and priesthood dedicated to her worship in the ancient Levant.

Noun

1. an ancient Phoenician goddess of love and fertility; the Phoenician counterpart to Ishtar