Doves mate for life and work together to build their nest and raise their young. While birds of prey would attack their neighbors, the dove was a bird of peace, eating seeds, easily trained to eat out of the hand. Beginning with the Egyptians,[citation needed] the dove was a symbol of quiet innocence. The Chinese felt the dove was a symbol of peace and long life.[citation needed] To early Greeks and Romans, doves represented love and devotion, and care for a family.[citation needed] The dove was the sacred animal of Aphrodite and Venus,[citation needed] the goddesses of love and friendship. The dove also symbolized the peaceful soul for many[which?] cultures.