GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY. ) 101 
27, fig. 18), her head adorned with the diadem; as goddess of matrimony 
(jig. 26) she is represented in a similar manner, only the drapery is less 
splendid and heavy, and the left breast and shoulder are exposed. %g. 21 
exhibits her as empress of the sea, partly clothed and partly exposed, her 
right hand resting on the tail of the dolphin, which accompanies her statues 
in this character; and at jig. 19 we see her leaning on a dolphin, entirely 
naked, and in the act of putting on an anklet. In a celebrated drawing 
(jig.20) we see her riding over the sea on a sea-bull ; joyous Cupids are dis- 
porting around her; one of them guides the bull by a wreath thrown over 
the monster’s horns, a second keeps alongside on a dolphin, while a third 
hovers over the goddess in the air. Near the edge of this picture the 
artist’s name (Glycon) is given. Pl. 15, fig. 17, represents a statue of her, 
very similar in attitude to the beautiful and celebrated Venus di Medici, in 
which she appears partly nude and crowned. She was also often represented 
bathing. Thus on a coin (pl. 28, jig. 16) she is kneeling on the ground, 
one Cupid is rubbing her back with a cloth while another pours water over 
her. In jig. 17, she is seen in the act of resuming her dress after a bath. 
As Aphrodite Callipygos (pl. 27, fig. 24), she appears with her tunic lifted 
above her hips, and her face turned round as if surveying her figure in a 
mirror; and as Venus Hrycina, so called from Mount Eryx in Sicily (pl. 
28, jig. 15), she is seated in a chair and attended by the dove and a Cupid. 
The inscription EPYK signifies “coin of the Erycinians.” We present 
also (fig. 14), on a coin of Ascalon, a figure of Aphrodite Urania, under 
the name of Astarte, or Astaroth, a goddess of the Pheenicians. A crescent 
surmounts her head ; she holds in the right hand a dove, and in the left a 
warrior’s lance; while her whole weight rests upon the prostrate Derceto. 
This latter goddess was worshipped by the Syrians; she is half woman and 
half fish, symbolizing doubtless two successive periods of cosmogony. In 
the figure she holds aloft the horn of plenty. Among the numerous busts 
of Aphrodite, some exhibit her with the Junonian diadem ( pl. 27, jig. 17 a) ; 
others with the simple hair-knot (jig. 17 6.) 
The myths relating to Aphrodite equalled in number her representations. 
Her birth itself was extraordinary, for according to the old legends she 
arose from the drops of blood which fell into the sea when Cronos wounded 
his father Uranos. Pl. 27, jig. 31, represents the circumstances attending 
her first appearance. Happy Tritons are bearing over the sea on a shell 
the new-born pearl of creation ; others proclaim on their horns their joy at 
the priceless gift; nymphs vie with each other in celebrating her birth, and 
approach her with the richest fruits; while Cupids hover over her with an 
ample veil, and scatter flowers on her. When she had left the deep she 
wrung the water from her hair (jig. 22), and myrtles and roses sprang up 
on the spot where her foot first rested on the shore. She was received in 
Olympos with universal acclamation, and, as already remarked, married to 
Hephestos, who, however, was not blessed by her acquisition in proportion 
to his expectations, as she married him only reluctantly, and as the goddess 
of love bestowed her smiles both on gods and mortals. Thus Aves, the 
valiant war god, enjoyed her regard; and in pl. 18, fig. 5, they are seen 
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