Aphrodite of the Gardens ( grc, Αφροδίτη εν Κήποις, ) is an

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

of the Greek goddess

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

. The epithet describes her patronage over

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic character ...

and garden

fertility Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertili ...

. According to

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC *Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...

, there was a

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

of Aphrodite of the Gardens near the

Acropolis of Athens The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Th ...

, accessible through an underground passage. It was said to have held a cult statue of Aphrodite by Alcamenes and a

herm Herm (Guernésiais: , ultimately from Old Norse 'arm', due to the shape of the island, or Old French 'hermit') is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Parish of St Peter Port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located in the English ...

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. The herm of Aphrodite may be linked to the later mythological character,

Hermaphroditos In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos (; grc, Ἑρμαφρόδιτος, Hermaphróditos, ) was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably handsome boy whom the naiad Salmacis attempted to rape a ...

. There are numerous references to a male aspect of Aphrodite, called

Aphroditos Aphroditus or Aphroditos ( grc-gre, Ἀφρόδιτος, , ) was a male Aphrodite originating from Amathus on the island of Cyprus and celebrated in Athens. Aphroditus was portrayed as having a female shape and clothing like Aphrodite's but al ...

, which was imported to Athens from Cyprus in the late 5th century BC and also a temple of Hermaphroditos was spoken of by

Alciphron Alciphron ( grc-gre, Ἀλκίφρων) was an ancient Greek sophist, and the most eminent among the Greek epistolographers. Regarding his life or the age in which he lived we possess no direct information whatsoever. Works We possess under the ...

at Athens.

Notes

References

* * * {{cite book, author=Jennifer Lynn Larson, url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0415324483, title=Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide, publisher=Routledge, date=2007, isbn=978-0-415-32448-9

External links

Ancient texts pertaining to Aphrodite of the Gardens
Epithets of Aphrodite

See also

Notes

References

External links