You research what you can

You push everything aside and focus on the task at hand. The Ring of Aphrodite?

You go down a long rabbit hole. The Ring has been mentioned as several different objects other than a ring. Legends differ; it was a gift from Zeus - no, a gift from Aphrodite to a mortal. It was made out of Aphrodite's hair or it was her virginity manifest in circular form. None can seem to agree and you get too many conflicting accounts. One thing does stand out in one of the citations, the name Gregor Moynahan, Professor of Greek Studies at a university down south. You look up his contact information. Maybe he can set you straight on all of this. You dial his office.

Surprisingly there's an answer, "Hello Doctor Moynahan, how can I help you?" You didn't expect to get through to the guy right away.

"Uhhh uh hey, or *ahem* hi Doctor Moynahan, I'm a student doing some research into some Greek myths for my...PhD. I was wondering if you had some time right now to answer a couple of questions?" you're sure the guy has better things to do.

"Haha! A student following in my own footsteps!" an enthusiastic voice with a German accent. "Yes yes of course, I have time, always good to help a fellow scholar."

You push forward, "Well mainly I have to ask about something, what I've heard it referred to as at least, known as the Ring of Aphrodite."

"Ahhh yes yes, popular topic nowadays I see. First that artist calls and then you!" he says. You assume that to mean Professor Miles has called before. "Well will tell you the same as I told him, best I can do is conjecture. Yes the ring is commonly associated with Aphrodite, but not because of when it came to be, but how. The ring's been attributed to eras far before Greece was founded. One account says a king found or made the ring to better his city, but somehow it became corrupted and despite the king's honest intentions, the city died in sin."

You jot this down as fast as you can. You ask, "How was it supposed to improve his city? Does anyone know? And what do you mean died in sin?"

Gregor's voice becomes conspiratorial, "You see, it's all dependent on the versions. In some it controlled the weather and the city died because it thought it could play a role only for God. In another, it was meant to warp reality itself but instead influenced its citizenry into debauchery. My favorite is more grounded - the city was prosperous but destroyed by a nearby rival for its wealth, signified by the ring. Truth is hard to come by when records don't exist in written form but rather passed on through word of mouth."

You're not sure any of this helps you. You have on last question.

"So why is it called the Ring of Aphrodite?"

He laughs, "That one is tied to the second story. The Grecian version is a little more explicit, saying that a man met Aphrodite but didn't know who she was. He complimented her but didn't know her name. Aphrodite, pleased at the compliment but affronted at not being recognized, offered him a ring that she said would let him influence anyone as surely as the greatest orator of their time. The man gladly took the ring unaware that the gift was a curse - he tried to improve his village but instead it was consumed in lust. They probably heard the older stories and put their Aphrodite spin on it later. Some myths came about like that all over the world."

You stop writing as you process this story. That sounds like this ring.

You thank him for his time and abruptly hang up.