I created this project as a modern retelling of this story. This means nothing that I am writing has happened or is destine to happen. I connected with the story of the affair due to the romanticizing of war. The gorgeous and lovely Aphrodite is forcibly married to her lovers brother, Hephaestus. Hephaestus is god of the forge, volcanos, blacksmithing, and metal work. He is a “lame” [disabled] god who, unfortunately, is unable to satisfy the goddess of love. Her affair with his brother, Ares, creates a trope and theme of finding love in times of hardship. This is born from Ares being the god of war. Their love helped in ancient Greek times due to the seemly endless conflict. Their love gave something real for the ancient Greeks to believe in and reminded them of what they were, hopefully, able to go home to. Unfortunately, war still plagues the earth. Each generation after the last has romanticized a war or fighting for the their country. Often, children want to be like older family members who fought in a war or for something important. For example, my uncle went down the same path in the army as my grandfather. This line in my family connects all the way to the Revolutionary War; where my family fought for independence from England. The idea of living up to a family member and making them proud is not the only way war is romanticized throughout time. There is the aspect of romantic love surviving the war and hardship. During times of war, in the past, wives were unsure when they would see their husbands again. The husbands wrote letters while the wives listened to the news hoping for something good. In modern times, the idea of a man still putting thought and effort into a relationship while at war becomes romanticized and heavily glamourized. There is often posts on social media or news articles of letters between soldiers and their wives, or pictures of a happy and loving family after the veteran returns. These stories are often sweet, and portrayed in a way where everyone desires a love that can last a war and those worries. The terrible times of war often being forgotten: starvation, cold, death, gun fire, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, shell sock, fighting without cause, becoming a murderer, etc. Veterans do not return the same after a war, even in ancient Greek.