One day Aphrodite was playing with her son Eros, when she was accidentally struck by one of his arrows. Before her wound healed, she caught sight of Adonis, a beautiful mortal. She decided to hide Adonis in a chest, and she gave that chest to Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, for safe keeping. But when Persephone saw how beautiful Adonis was, she refused to give Aphrodite the chest back.
So they went to Zeus to determine who should keep the chest. Zeus decided to divide the year into three parts. One part Persephone kept Adonis, one part Aphrodite kept him, and the third part, Adonis had to himself. But since Adonis loved Aphrodite back, he gave his part of the up to be with her.
Aphrodite had warned Adonis not to be too courageous and to stay away from wild and dangerous animals. But Adonis dd not take Aphrodite's warning seriously and one day he stumbled upon a wild boar. He decided to throw his spear and hit the boar, but he only wounded the animal. The boar rushed after Adonis and killed him.
Aphrodite was so overcome with grief. She said, "Your (Adonis) blood shall be changed into a flower; that consolation none can envy me." She then sprinkled nectar on his blood and from then on, the Anemone, or Wind Flower, bloomed.
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