Aphrodite of the Gardens

A Roman copy of a statue thought to be a reproduction of the Aphrodite of the Gardens by Alcamenes, Musée du Louvre.[1]

Aphrodite of the Gardens (Ancient Greek: Ἀφροδίτη ἐν κήποις, romanized: Aphrodítē en kḗpois) is an epithet of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The epithet describes her patronage over vegetation and garden fertility.[2]

According to Pausanias,[3] there was a sanctuary of Aphrodite of the Gardens near the Ilisos river, holding a famous cult statue of Aphrodite by Alcamenes and a herm of Aphrodite near the temple. It is unsure whether the statue of Aphrodite and the herm of Aphrodite were the same sculpture or two separate sculptures.[4]

The herm of Aphrodite may be linked to the later mythological character, Hermaphroditos.[5][6] There are numerous references to a male aspect of Aphrodite, called Aphroditos, which was imported to Athens from Cyprus in the late 5th century BC and also a temple of Hermaphroditos was spoken of by Alciphron at Athens.[7]

  1. ^ "Leaning Aphrodite known as Aphrodite of the Gardens". The Macao Museum of Art.
  2. ^ Elisabeth B. MacDougall (1981). Ancient Roman Gardens. Dumbarton Oaks. p. 24. ISBN 0-88402-100-9.
  3. ^ Pausanias 1.19.2
  4. ^ Arthur Bernard Cook (1925). Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion. Cambridge University Press. p. 171.
  5. ^ Yulia Ustinova (1999). The Supreme Gods of the Bosporan Kingdom. Brill. p. 38. ISBN 90-04-11231-6.
  6. ^ Simon Goldhill (2006). Rethinking Revolutions through Ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press. p. 63.
  7. ^ Alciphron (1896). literally and completely translated from the Greek, with introduction and notes. Athenian Society. p. 142.