A small rock on the beach, 20 kilometers south of Paphos, is called Petra Tou Romiou. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Cyprus. Sometimes it is also called the Rock of Aphrodite, as it is associated with the legend of the birth of the goddess of beauty Aphrodite.
According to ancient Greek legend, Aphrodite, the daughter of Uranus, was born from the sea foam off the coast of Cyprus: "A light, caressing breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus. There the young Oras surrounded the goddess of love who emerged from the sea waves. They clothed her in gold-woven clothing. Where Aphrodite had trodden, flowers had grown luxuriantly. Erote and Gimeros took a marvelous goddess on Olympus. Since then, the golden Aphrodite, the ever-young, most beautiful of the goddesses, has always lived among the gods of Olympus."
Aphrodite was standing on a seashell that had been blown to the rock of Petra Tou Romiou. This scene was painted many times in the paintings of European artists. "The Birth of Aphrodite" (in the Roman tradition, this goddess was called Venus) is a recognized masterpiece of the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, which is now stored in the Uffizi Art gallery.
The newlyweds come to the Rock of Petra Tou Romiou. According to legend, if they bathe in the place where the Goddess Aphrodite came ashore, they will always be together. There is also a legend that bathing in this place gives women youth and men strength, but this is not for sure.
The name "Petra Tou Romiou", however, is not due to Aphrodite, and from the Byzantine epic hero Digenis Akritas. In the 6th century, he defended the borders of the empire from the raids of the Arabs. When Digenis Akritas saw off the coast of Cyprus enemy fleet, he grabbed the rocks on the cliff and threw them into ships. They were sunk, and the enemy retreated. One of the stones remained forever near the coast of Cyprus. The ancient Byzantines are often called the Romei. Therefore, the rock that the hero Digenis threw was called Petra Tu Romiou, which means "Romei stone".
