Editing Adonis (section)

{{short description|Greek god of beauty and desire}}
{{About|the ancient Greek mythological figure}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| name = Adonis
| image = Statue of an Athlete so-called Adonis-Uffizi.jpg
| caption = The Adonis Uffizi, made from [[pentelic marble]], 2nd century BC, currently held in the<br>[[Uffizi Gallery]], [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
| god_of = Mortal lover of Aphrodite & Persephone
| abode = 
| symbol = anemones, as well as [[lettuce]], [[fennel]], and other fast-growing plants
| consort = [[Aphrodite]], [[Persephone]]
| parents = [[Phoenix (son of Agenor)|Phoenix]] and [[Alphesiboea]] (by [[Hesiod]])<br>[[Cinyras]] and [[Myrrha]] (by [[Ovid]])
| children = [[Golgos]], [[Beroe (mythology)|Beroe]]
| festivals = [[Adonia]]
}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Adonis''' ({{Langx|grc|Ἄδωνις|translit=Adōnis}}; {{Langx|phn|𐤀𐤃𐤍|translit=Adón}}) was the mortal lover of the goddesses [[Aphrodite]] and [[Persephone]]. He was considered to be the [[Idealism|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. The [[Adonia]] festival commemorated his tragic death, 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.
[[File:Cupid with Venus and Adonis, fresco in Pompeii.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Antique fresco in [[Pompeii]] depicting Adonis, [[Cupid]], and [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]]]

The Greeks considered Adonis's cult to be of [[Near East]]ern origin. Adonis's name comes from a [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite]] word meaning "lord" and most modern scholars consider the story of Aphrodite and Adonis to be derived from a [[Levant]]ine version of the earlier [[Mesopotamia]]n myth of [[Inanna]] (Ishtar) and [[Dumuzid the Shepherd|Dumuzid]] (Tammuz).

In late 19th and early 20th century [[Religious studies|scholarship of religion]], Adonis was widely seen as a prime example of the [[archetype|archetypal]] [[Dying-and-rising deity|dying-and-rising god]]. His name is often applied in modern times to handsome youths, of whom he is considered the archetype.