Never let it be said that Bobo Glaukon was a disloyal servant of Athena.
Aphrodite Theory
LOs Aphrodite is almost uniformly more sympathetic and kind than the Greek myth version. She is a caring mother to 7 children, including an adult who still lives at home (for some reason). We see her cooking, caring for a child while in curlers, searching all night for someone she cares about, and <Ep. 70> even sexually bribing Zeus to get Eros out of punishment. On balance, Aphrodite is a kind person in LO, with two exceptions: her treatment of Persephone and Psyche. Nothing in the rest of her character suggests the type of person who is so insecure she would fly off the handle over being compared to other objectively beautiful women, and even when Hades compares Persephone with Aphrodite to her face when they meet in the underworld, Aphrodite takes it in stride. I believe Aphrodite deliberately set up Hades and Eros to fall in love with Persephone and Psyche, respectively, but has to be so indirect about it because Hera has forbidden her and Eros from using their powers on gods.
Case 1 (Psyche): We see no evidence that anyone around Psyche, let alone the girl herself, compares Psyche to Aphrodite, and lots of evidence Psyche gets treated like crap. Aphrodite could easily have “punished” Psyche herself, as demonstrated <Ep. 70> when she turns Psyche into Ampelus but sends Eros instead. Eros is immediately attracted to Psyche (contra the myth, where he falls in love by pricking himself with his arrow accidentally), which Aphrodite likely would have known both as a love goddess and Eros mother. Aphrodite is not surprised <Ep. 69> Eros is in love with Psyche and doesn’t even seem to be angry <Ep. 70> with Psyche for “attempting” to kill Eros, giving her a chance to explain herself. The only thing that seems to catch Aphrodite off-guard about Psyche is how in love with her Eros is, and his hiding her from Aphrodite. In the end, Aphrodite seems glad Psyche has “changed” her “idiot” son. The only thing Aphrodite specifically says was not supposed to happen was Eros’ was never supposed to feel heartbreak. Aphrodite’s response to Psyche’s attempt on Eros life (something Psyche actually did wrong) is not to punish Psyche, but to test Eros’ love for Psyche, which only makes sense if she hopes Eros loves Psyche.
Case 2 (Persephone): Aphrodite’s plan to “punish” Hades makes absolutely no sense, and Eros even points it out. If Hades and Persephone are even remotely sympathetic or attracted to one another, the entire situation will be at worst a little awkward, but not humiliating or relationship ending. Aphrodite knows Hades from far enough in the past she calls him Aidoneous, (which tracks because in most myths Aphrodite is older than Hades being born of Ouranous’ semen in the sea before Cronus has ascends to the throne or has children) and consequently would have to know he is a gentleman, and would not behave as she describes. The only potential unknown is how Persephone responds to Hades, but guaranteeing that Persephone’s first interaction with Hades is where he is in control, demonstrably wealthy, and a King gives him a better chance than he would have at a party. The day after she plays her “joke” on Persephone, she travels from Olympus to the Underworld for no obvious reason, where she knows she might encounter Hades. In their conversation she notes that he is indeed attracted to Persephone, and asks if he “showed her the best of [himself]” implying she knew he was capable of grace and charity. She then refers to the prank as “favor” she did for Hades, not something she did to him or Persephone. When she meets Persephone, <Ep. 68> Aphrodite is almost gleeful that Persephone has a crush on Hades, and is adamant that Persephone should pursue her feelings towards Hades. In fact, the only person who is more involved (maybe) in actively promoting Hades and Persephone relationship is Hera, who is the goddess of marriage.
Although Aphrodite constantly refers to herself as the goddess of beauty, she is actually more accurately thought of as a love and sex goddess. As such she would feel almost compelled to assist the two beings who most need love in their lives: Eros and Hades. Eros is immature and self-centred before he meets Psyche, but his love for Psyche may have changed that. Hades was unwed (Hera’s problem) but clearly in an unloving relationship with Minthe, which makes it Aphrodite’s problem, too. Because Hera forbade Eros and Aphrodite from using their powers on gods (not just Zeus), it stymied Aphrodite’s ability to help the people in the Otherworld who needed her help the most. She therefore deliberately set them into positions where they would meet people she would have known they would be attracted to (or which they had already expressed attraction to) and enabled the relationship to develop whenever she could. Understanding her treatment of Psyche and Persephone as part of a plan to help them fall in love with Eros and Hades makes Aphrodite a consistent character, consistent pro-Love motives, rather than a mostly OK goddess who periodically goes bonkers with jealously when she isn’t universally considered the beautifulest of all.
Bobo Glaukon