イナンナ/イシュタルの信仰は、フェニキアの女神アスタルテの信仰にも大きな影響を与えた<ref>Marcovich, 1996, pages43–59</ref>。フェニキア人はアスタルテをギリシャのキプロス島とキティラ島に伝え<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, page10</ref><ref>Cyrino, 2010, pages49–5</ref>、そこでギリシャの女神アプロディーテを生み出したか、大きな影響を及ぼした<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, pages8–12</ref><ref>Cyrino, 2010, pages49–52</ref><ref>Puhvel, 1987, page27</ref><ref>Marcovich, 1996, pages43–59</ref>。アプロディーテはイナンナ/イシュタルの性愛と子孫繁栄のイメージを受け継いだ<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, page8</ref><ref>Penglase, 1994, page162</ref>。さらに、アプロディーテはは「天上の」という意味のウラーニア(Οὐρανία)と呼ばれ<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, pages10–11</ref><ref>Penglase, 1994, page162</ref>、イナンナの天国の女王としての役割に相当する称号であった<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, pages10–11</ref><ref>Penglase, 1994, page162</ref>。
初期の芸術や文学で描かれたアプロディーテは、イナンナ/イシュタルと極めてよく似ている<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, page8</ref><ref>Penglase, 1994, page162</ref>。アフロディーテは戦士の女神でもあった<ref>Breitenberger, 2007, page8</ref><ref>Cyrino, 2010, pages49–52</ref><ref>Penglase, 1994, page163</ref>。紀元2世紀のギリシャの地理学者パウサニアスは、スパルタにおいて、アプロディーテは「戦士」を意味するアプロディーテ・アレイアとして崇拝されていたと記録している<ref>Cyrino, 2010, pages51–52</ref><ref>Budin, 2010, pages85–86, 96, 100, 102–103, 112, 123, 125</ref>。
Early artistic and literary portrayals of Aphrodite are extremely similar to Inanna/Ishtar. Aphrodite was also a warrior goddess;{{sfn|Breitenberger|2007|page=8}}{{sfn|Cyrino|2010|pages=49–52}}{{sfn|Penglase|1994|page=163}} the second-century AD Greek geographer [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] records that, in Sparta, Aphrodite was worshipped as ''[[Aphrodite Areia]]'', which means "warlike".{{sfn|Cyrino|2010|pages=51–52}}{{sfn|Budin|2010|pages=85–86, 96, 100, 102–103, 112, 123, 125}} He also mentions that Aphrodite's most ancient cult statues in [[Sparta]] and on Cythera showed her bearing arms.{{sfnm|1a1=Cyrino|1y=2010|1pp=51–52|2a1=Budin|2y=2010|2pp=85–86, 96, 100, 102–103, 112, 123, 125|3a1=Graz|3y=1984|3p=250|4a1=Breitenberger|4y=2007|4p=8}} Modern scholars note that Aphrodite's warrior-goddess aspects appear in the oldest strata of her worship{{sfn|Iossif|Lorber|2007|page=77}} and see it as an indication of her Near Eastern origins.{{sfn|Iossif|Lorber|2007|page=77}}{{sfn|Penglase|1994|page=163}} Aphrodite also absorbed Ishtar's association with doves,{{sfn|Lewis|Llewellyn-Jones|2018|page=335}}{{sfn|Penglase|1994|page=163}} which were sacrificed to her alone.{{sfn|Penglase|1994|page=163}} The Greek word for "dove" was ''peristerá'',{{sfn|Lewis|Llewellyn-Jones|2018|page=335}}{{sfn|Botterweck|Ringgren|1990|page=35}} which may be derived from the Semitic phrase ''peraḥ Ištar'', meaning "bird of Ishtar".{{sfn|Botterweck|Ringgren|1990|page=35}} The myth of Aphrodite and [[Adonis]] is derived from the story of Inanna and Dumuzid.{{sfn|West|1997|page=57}}{{sfn|Burkert|1985|page=177}}
Classical scholar Charles Penglase has written that [[Athena]], the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, resembles Inanna's role as a "terrifying warrior goddess".{{sfn|Penglase|1994|page=235}} Others have noted that the birth of Athena from the head of her father [[Zeus]] could be derived from Inanna's descent into and return from the Underworld.{{sfn|Penglase|1994|pages=233–325}} However, as noted by [[Gary Beckman]], a rather direct parallel to Athena's birth is found in the [[Hurrian religion|Hurrian]] [[Kumarbi]] cycle, where [[Teshub]] is born from the surgically split skull of Kumarbi,{{sfn|Beckman|2011|p=29}} rather than in any Inanna myths.