Astarte is the Greek form of the name of Ashtart, a major goddess of the ancient Levant worshipped in Ugarit, Sidon, Tyre and wherever Phoenician traders settled. Linked with war, royal power, love and sexuality, she was related to the Mesopotamian Ishtar, appears in the Hebrew Bible as Ashtoreth, and was later identified with Aphrodite and other goddesses.
Astarte at a glance
| Also known as | Ashtart, Athtart (Ugaritic), Ashtoreth (Hebrew Bible) |
|---|---|
| Culture | Canaanite and Phoenician; also Egypt, Cyprus, Carthage |
| Domains | War, royal power, love and sexuality, hunting |
| Main cult centers | Sidon, Tyre, Ugarit; Kition on Cyprus |
| Related goddesses | Ishtar, Anat, Tanit, Aphrodite, Isis |
| Symbols | Lion, horse and chariot, dove |
Name and origins
Astarte is the Hellenized form of the Northwest Semitic Ashtart (Ugaritic Athtart). The name is related to that of the Mesopotamian Ishtar and to the South Arabian god Athtar, and scholars regard these figures as descending from a common Semitic deity associated with the planet Venus. In the Levant she became one of the leading goddesses, with a character that combined martial and royal power with love and sexuality.
Texts from Ugarit (thirteenth century BCE and earlier) mention Athtart alongside the goddess Anat, with whom she shares warlike traits, and link her with the storm god Baal. She should be distinguished from Asherah, the mother goddess and consort of El, although ancient and modern writers have sometimes confused the two.
Phoenician worship
In the first millennium BCE Astarte was a chief deity of the Phoenician cities, especially Sidon and Tyre. The sarcophagus inscription of King Eshmunazar II of Sidon records that the royal family built temples to her, and Sidonian kings and queens served as her priests. Phoenician merchants carried her cult around the Mediterranean: important temples stood at Kition on Cyprus, and the gold Pyrgi Tablets from Etruria (about 500 BCE) record a dedication to her in Phoenician alongside an Etruscan text naming the goddess Uni.
At Carthage she was worshipped together with Tanit, and scholars debate how closely the two were related. Greek writers identified Astarte with Aphrodite, and Cyprus, where Aphrodite was said to have been born, was a meeting point of the two cults.
Astarte in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible calls her Ashtoreth, and the plural Ashtaroth is used for foreign goddesses in general. Many scholars think the vowels of "Ashtoreth" were deliberately altered to echo boshet, "shame," expressing disapproval of her worship. The First Book of Kings says that Solomon followed "Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians," and the Second Book of Kings reports that King Josiah destroyed the high places built for her.
The prophet Jeremiah condemns offerings to the "Queen of Heaven"; whether this title referred to Astarte, Ishtar, Asherah or a combined figure remains debated. The biblical texts show both the popularity of her cult and the effort of the prophets to suppress it.
Egypt and the wider world
Astarte was adopted in Egypt during the New Kingdom, where she appears as a warrior goddess on horseback or in a chariot, patron of the pharaoh's horses and chariotry. An Egyptian tale known from a damaged papyrus, often called the Astarte Papyrus, tells of her role in a conflict between the gods and the sea. She was later identified with Egyptian goddesses such as Isis and Hathor, and in the Greco-Roman period with Aphrodite, Artemis and Juno, reflecting the wide religious exchanges of the Mediterranean. Compare the dying-and-rising figures associated with Near Eastern goddesses, such as Attis.
Later legacy
Astarte remained a powerful name in European imagination. John Milton's Paradise Lost lists "Astoreth" among the fallen angels and describes her as the moon-crowned Queen of Heaven of the Phoenicians, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted Astarte Syriaca (1877). Medieval demonology turned her name into the male demon Astaroth.
In modern Wicca and goddess spirituality, Astarte is honored as one of the names of the Goddess. The "Charge of the Goddess," associated with Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, lists Astarte among the Goddess's many names. Historians note that these modern uses draw on her name more than on the ancient Canaanite cult. See also esotericism and the feminine principle.
Iconography and symbols
Identifying Astarte in ancient art is not always straightforward, since inscriptions naming the goddess are rare and many images of nude or enthroned female figures from the Levant cannot be assigned to a specific deity. Scholars therefore caution against labeling every such figurine an "Astarte." Where identification is secure, she may appear as an armed goddess, sometimes on horseback, or standing on a lion, an animal shared with Ishtar. The dove, later linked with Aphrodite, also appears in her cult.
Phoenician sanctuaries sometimes contained empty thrones, flanked by sphinxes, associated with Astarte, and coins of Sidon and other cities depicted her or her shrine. Her association with the evening and morning star connected her with the planet Venus, a link found across the family of goddesses related to her. These images show a goddess whose power covered both the battlefield and the renewal of life.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
Is Astarte the same as Ishtar?
They are closely related but not identical. Astarte (Ashtart) was the Levantine and Phoenician form of a goddess whose Mesopotamian counterpart was Ishtar, and both are connected with Venus, war and love. Ancient writers often equated them, but each had her own cults, myths and local character.
Who is Ashtoreth in the Bible?
Ashtoreth is the Hebrew Bible's name for Astarte, described as the goddess of the Sidonians. Solomon is said to have followed her, and Josiah to have destroyed her shrines. Many scholars think the vowels of the name were altered to resemble the Hebrew word for shame, expressing disapproval.
What was Astarte the goddess of?
Astarte was associated with war and royal power, love and sexuality, and in some places hunting and horses. She was a protector of kings and cities such as Sidon and Tyre. Her symbols included the lion, the horse and chariot, and the dove, and she was linked with the planet Venus.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.