APHRODITE—ATARGATIS 127 
To her, seemingly, as many offerings, as many prayers 
were made as to any god. 
Whether she can be identified or not with Atargatis, 
through Derceto or Astarte, matters little here! But the 
image of the goddess, as described by Lucian,? “ In Phcenicia, 
I saw the image of Derceto, a strange sight truly! For she 
had the half of a woman, and from the thighs downwards 
a fish’s tail,” corresponds closely with an image of Ascalon,3 
K K 
>= ——a 
ARTEMIS WITH A LARGE FISH IN FRONT OF HER DRESS. 
From Ephemeris Archélogique, Pl. 10. 
“having the face of a woman, but all the rest of the body 
a fish.” 
When in addition we find this same image at Ascalon 
stated by Herodotus (II. 115) to be that “of the heavenly 
Aphrodite,” the identification of the Greek-Roman goddess 
appears, at any rate, to have gained wide acceptance. 
Doubtless Horace had this, or perhaps some fish-tailed 
1 It is probably the wisest course to admit that the unity of an ancient 
god or goddess was a matter of mame, rather than of nature. 
2 De Dea Syr., ii. c. 14. The authorship is a matter of doubt. The 
author adds, ‘‘ but the image in the holy city is all woman.” 
3 Diod. Sic., II. 1. 
4 On Greek and Italian vases, etc., women with fish bodies are occasionally 
represented. Cf. Keller, op. cit., ii. 349. 
