In particular Venus, the goddess of love, has cast her spell over Vegas where mixologists demonstrate their inventiveness inspired by this holiday of love.

FORBES: Seductive Cocktails from the Vegas Experts

They later realized that the morning and evening stars were the same celestial body, which they called Aphrodite, the goddess of love, thus perpetuating the cult of Babylonian Ishtar.

WSJ: 'Aladdin's Lamp'

The statue of her carved by Antonio Canova, in which she insisted on being depicted naked as a goddess of love, caused the cardinal so much embarrassment that he not only refused to allow it to be displayed in public, but would only show it to close acquaintances by torchlight.

BBC: The classic wonders of Rome

Venus was the Roman goddess of prosperity and victory as well as love.

ECONOMIST: Goddesses, hulks and cartoons inspire Jeff Koons

'She's the complete Goddess, who has infinite love combining that of wife and mother.

CNN: LETTERS AND COMMENT