the transformations of the armed aphrodite

14 Pages·2011·2.31 MB·English

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B
Herggreen
&
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Marinatos
(eds.
1
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9
Greece
Gender.
&
Bergen
1995
(IS
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82-91626-00-6
JOHAN FLEMBERG
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Fig. 1. Ishtar on an Assyrian cylinder seal.
images, of the armed Aphrodite in temples in Sparta and at Kythera,
further a temple of Aphrodite Areia ( Warlike Aphrodite ) in Sparta,
xoana
which contained that were as old as anything in Greece". He
(agalma)
also mentiones a statue
of the armed Aphrodite in a temple
on the citadel of Corinth ( 2.5.1). We can therefore conclude that a cult
of the armed Aphrodite existed in Laconia in early Archaic times,
perhaps much earlier. We do not know exactly how the images looked,
palladict,
but most probably like i.e. standing female figures with
helmet and shield and a spear in the raised right hand.
The origin of this cult is not without importance for the present
theme. In my opinion, the Oriental derivation ofAphrodite ( which was
the view of the ancients ) is basically correct, although an Indo-
European component is undeniable. (This double origin is refiected in
the stories of her birth: in Hesiod she is said to have arisen out of the
sea-foam that gathered around the severed member of Ouranos. in
Homer she is a daughter of Zeus and Dione. ) The warlike aspect is
one of several traits that point to the Near East. The west-semitic
goddess Astarte and her predecessors, the Babylonian Ishtar and the
Sumerian Inanna, are well attested in texts and artistic represen-
110
THE THE AI:MED APIIRuPITE
TRANSFulnIXF1(iNS OF
tations as goddesses of love and war. To quote just a few examples
from the first millenium, Ishtar is called "the lady of confusion, who
makes battles terrible". and "the lady of battle, without whom
hostility and peace exist not in the land and a weapon is not forged".
In a prayer it is said: "It is within your power, Ishtar, to change men
into women and women into men". A wall-painting frorn the palace at
Mari. dated ca. 1800 B.C., shows Ishtar with maces on her back and
a sword in her hand, standing on a lion in front of a king. Similar
(Fig. 1)
and reliefs continue well
representations of Ishtar on seals
into the first millenium. Anat, a West-Semitic descendant of Ishtar.
is described in text from Ugarit as a fierce and blood-thirsty warrior.
The combination of love and war is a striking feature and not easy
to explain in an obvious way. But considering the importance of the
Great Goddess, mistress of life and death, in the old civilizations of
the Near East and Asia Minor, the all-embracing power of Innana,
Ishtar, Anat and Astarte is not surprising. On the more basic level of
human behaviour and psychology. the various connections between
aggression and sexuality must of course also be taken into account.
Further. a possible functionalistic explanation of the phenomenon is
indicated by the connection of these goddesses with kingship,
considering the role of the kings as leaders in war. Another problem
is. ofcourse, whether one can speak ofgender roles when talking about
deities. The divine world is not a copy of the human world. It is to be
noted. for instance, that the bisexuality of Ishtar is hinted at in the
sources. But granted that the world of the gods always to a significant
degree reflects the society that shaped it. I think one can say that love
and fertility on the one hand, and war on the other, represent female
and male domains. respectively. The important thing is that these two
functions were combined in the great goddesses of the East leven if
there were war-gods, too. )
It is usually assumed that the worship of Aphrodite was introduced
into Greece by the Phoenicians in the 9th or 8th century B.C.;
Herodotus, in fact, says that the sanctuary at Kythera was founded
by Phoenicians. I am more inclined to believe that the cult was
introduced already in Late Mycenaean times, perhaps in the 12th
century B.C. In either case Cyprus is a likely intermediate station. Be
that as it may, the early Greek images of the armed Aphrodite in
Kythera and Sparta, mentioned by Pausanias, make it likely that the
first images of Aphrodite in Greece were armed. ( The palladion type
is probably derived frorn the 'smiting god type of representation,
common in the Near East. )
The next important testimony, although a negative one. is a
Iliacl.
passage in the In the fifth book the gods interfere in the fighting
111
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o
dit
e
a
s
a
w
ar
g
o
d
d
e
s
s.
T
w
o
L
at
e
Cl
a
s
si
c
al
st
at
u
e
s,
t
h
e
A
p
hr
o
dit
e
fr
o
m
E
pi
d
a
ur
u
s
a
n
d
t
h
e
C
a
p
u
a
t
y
p
e,
ar
e
m
or
e
pr
o
bl
e
m
ati
c
a
n
d
will
b
e
bri
efl
y
d
e
alt
wit
h
l
at
er.
T
h
e
m
ai
n
v
er
si
o
n
of t
h
e
m
otif
i
s
t
h
e
H
ell
e
ni
sti
c
n
a
k
e
d
A
p
hr
o
dit
e
wit
h
(
Fi
g.
a
s
w
or
d
2
1.
T
h
er
e
ar
e
s
e
v
e
nt
e
e
n
r
e
pli
c
a
s
k
n
o
w
n
of
t
hi
s
t
y
p
e,
of
v
ari
o
u
s
si
z
e.
s
o
t
h
e
ori
gi
n
al
w
a
s
e
vi
d
e
ntl
y
a
w
ell-
k
n
o
w
n
w
or
k.
It
c
a
n
b
e
d
at
e
d
ar
o
u
n
d
1
0
0
B.
C.
f
or
st
yli
sti
c
r
e
a
s
o
n
s,
b
ut
t
h
e
s
c
ul
pt
or
i
s
u
n
k
n
o
w
n
a
n
d
s
o
i
s
t
h
e
pl
a
c
e
of
ori
gi
n.
T
h
e
ori
gi
n
al
w
a
s
pr
o
b
a
bl
y
a
n
u
n
d
er
lif
e-
si
z
e,
br
o
n
z
e
st
at
u
e,
s
et
u
p
a
s
a
v
oti
v
e
i
n
a
s
a
n
ct
u
ar
y.
T
h
e
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
i
s
s
h
o
w
n
i
n
t
h
e
a
ct
of
p
utti
n
g
o
n
a
s
w
or
d.
T
h
e
s
w
or
d,
i
n
it
s
s
h
e
at
h,
i
s
h
el
d
b
y
h
er
l
eft
h
a
n
d,
w
hil
e
t
h
e
ri
g
ht
h
a
n
d
i
s
p
utti
n
g
t
h
e
b
al
dri
c
o
n
t
h
e
s
h
o
ul
d
er.
T
hi
s
i
s
cl
e
arl
y
n
ot
a
w
ar
g
o
d
d
e
s
s,
b
ut
t
h
e
l
o
v
e
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
d
o
n
ni
n
g
t
h
e
s
w
or
d
of
Ar
e
s.
I
n
s
o
m
e
of
t
h
e
st
at
u
ett
e
v
er
si
o
n
s
a
n
d
i
n
t
h
e
r
e
pr
e
s
e
nt
ati
o
n
s
of t
h
e
m
otif
o
n
R
o
m
a
n
I
m
p
eri
al
c
oi
n
s
ot
h
er
m
arti
al
p
ar
a
p
h
er
n
ali
a
ar
e
s
h
o
w
n
n
e
xt
t
o
t
h
e
g
o
d
d
e
s
s:
s
hi
el
d,
h
el
m
et
a
n
d
milit
ar
y
cl
o
a
k.
It
i
s
h
ar
dl
y
a
u
d
a
ci
o
u
s
t
o
s
u
g
g
e
st
t
h
at
t
hi
s
st
at
u
e
i
s
a
p
ar
all
el
t
o
t
h
e
H
ell
e
ni
sti
c
e
pi
gr
a
m
q
u
ot
e
d
a
b
o
v
e.
T
h
e
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
i
s
s
e
e
mi
n
gl
y
a
cti
n
g
a
s
a
m
a
n
ar
mi
n
g
hi
m
s
elf,
b
ut
i
n
r
e
alit
y
s
h
e
a
s
s
ert
s
h
er
s
elf
a
s
t
h
e
mi
g
ht
y
1
1
2
T
H
E
T
R
A
NF
O
R
M
A
TI
O
NS
OF
T
H
E
A
R
M
E
D
AP
H
R
O
DI
T
E
Fi
g.
2.
A
p
h
r
o
dit
e
p
utti
n
g
o
n
a
s
w
o
r
d.
M
a
r
bl
e
st
at
u
e
i
n
Fl
o
r
e
n
c
e,
A
c
c
a
d
e
mi
a
di
B
ell
e
A
rti.
H
ei
gt
h
1.
2
3
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
of
l
o
v
e
a
n
d
b
e
a
ut
y,
w
h
o
c
o
n
q
u
er
s
wit
h
o
ut
w
e
a
p
o
n
s.
If
t
h
e
s
c
ul
pt
or
g
ot
t
h
e
i
d
e
a
of
cr
e
ati
n
g
a
n
'
ar
m
e
d
A
p
hr
o
dit
e'
fr
o
m
t
h
e
ol
d
x
o
ci
n
a,
h
e
cr
e
at
e
d
e
x
a
ctl
y
t
h
e
s
a
m
e
t
hi
n
g
a
s
t
h
e
p
o
et
s,
c
h
a
n
gi
n
g
a
w
ar
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
i
nt
o
t
h
e
f
a
mili
ar
l
o
v
e
g
o
d
d
e
s
s
a
n
d
t
h
er
e
b
y
r
e
e
st
a
bli
s
hi
n
g
t
h
e
n
or
m
al
g
e
n
d
er
r
ol
e
s
of
s
o
ci
et
y.
(
O
n
e
c
o
p
y
of t
h
e
n
a
k
e
d
A
p
hr
o
dit
e
wit
h
t
h
e
s
w
or
d,
w
hi
c
h
w
a
s
f
o
u
n
d
i
n
1
9
7
4
i
n
N
e
a
P
a
p
h
o
s
o
n
C
y
pr
u
s,
h
a
s
a
dr
a
w
n
s
w
or
d
i
n
h
er
ri
g
ht
h
a
n
d;
t
hi
s
i
s
o
b
vi
o
u
sl
y
d
u
e
t
o
a
c
h
a
n
g
e,
p
er
h
a
p
s
m
a
d
e
w
h
e
n
t
h
e
st
at
u
e
w
a
s
r
e
p
air
e
d
aft
er
b
ei
n
g
d
a
m
a
g
e
d
i
n
a
n
e
art
h
q
u
a
k
ei
1
1
3
G
R
E
B
N 1
E
L
F
N
A
H
J n
a l .
e
s
s t
y
h
e t
m
a
n
a
o f
n
o
s i
s
e
r
p
m
I
n .
k i
s
s
n '
o
l i
d
n
a
b
u
c l
h
w i t
e
a l
h
p
m
O
3 .
g .
F i
C .
B .
m .
c
5
4
2 .
h t
g
e i
H
y
r
u
n t
e
c
s t
l
d
o l
e
h
o f t
y
n t l
e
d
n
e
p
e
d
n
i
e
s
o
a r
a
e
d
i
e
h
t
a t
h
t
e
b l
s i
s
o
p
e r ,
v
e
w
o
h
s ,
i
I t
s
e
m
t i
c
a i
h
c
A r
e
c
n
s i
s
e
A r
h
w i t
d
e
c t
e
n
n
o
c
y
m l
f i r
s
a
w
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
s .
e
g
a
m
i
h
w i t
g
n
y i
a
p l
s
e
o t
E r
o t i f ,
m
a r
m i l
s i
a
y
u r
n t
e
c
h
u r t
o
f
e
h
t
n
i
y
d
a
e
a l r
d
n
a
m
o
f r
n
w
o
n
k
g ,
n
n t i
a i
p
s t
o
l
e
h
t
n
i
d
e
s t
e
a t t
s
i
s ,
e
A r
o f
s
n
o
p
a
e
w
e
h
t
n .
o
e t i
A
y
b
e
n
a
x
o
R
d
n
a
e r
d
n
a
x
e
A l
o f
g
n
d i
d
e
w
e
h
t
o f
e ,
u r
a t
e r
l i t
o t i f .
m
n
o
m
m
o
c
n
u
o t
n
a
s
i
s
o
E r
d
e
m
a r
e
h
t
a r t
c
s t i
n i
e
e l l
H
n
i
e r ,
h
u r t
F
s
e
A r
o f
d
o r
w
s
e
h
t
h
w i t
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
d
e
k
a
n
e
h
t
o
t
e l
a l l
a r
p
e r
s
o
c l
s t i l l
A
e
h
t
h
w i t
e
a l
h
p
m
O
o f
s
n
o
a t i
n t
e
s
e
p r
e
r
c
s t i
n i
e
e l l
H
e
a t
L
y
b
d
e
d
o r
a f f
s
i
g .
F i
(
n
a
s
i
s
s t
a
n t r
o
c
h
w i t
y
a
p l
e
h
T
3 ) .
s
e
k l
a
e r
H
o f
b
u
c l
d
n
a
n
k i
s
s
n '
o
l i
d
e
m
a r
e
h
t
o f
e
s
a
c
e
h
t
n
I
a r t .
c
s t i
n i
e
e l l
H
n
i
n t
e
m
e
e l
n t
a
o r t
p
m
i
e
h
t
e
z
s i
a
h
p
m
e
o
t
d
a i
s
e
b
n
a
c
s t
a
n t r
o
c
e
h
t
e ,
a l
h
p
m
O
d
n
a
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
o f
e r
w
o
p
e
h
t
s
e
k
a
m
i t
e
m
t i
e
m
a
s
e
h
t
a t
u t
b
s ,
e
o l
r
e r
d
n
e
g
a l
n
o
d i t i
a
t r
4
1
1
THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ARMED APHRODITE
B.C.
Height ca. 2 m. Berlin,
Fig. 4. Aphrodite in the Pergamon frieze. Ca. 170
Pergamonmuseum.
the female apparent: both have triumphed over their lovers and taken
their weapons, sword and club, as spoils. Thus a certain ambiguity is
inherent in the motif.
The German scholar Wiltrud Neumer-Pfau has recently stressed
the importance of the negative view of women in ancient Greek society
for the study of Greek art, especially Aphrodite statues. According to
her view, women were generally considered to be cowardly and
cunning by nature, and this influenced artists and public alike. Thus
an ancient viewer of the statue of the naked Aphrodite with the sword
would have been reminded of the inferiority and weakness of the
female sex. Cunning certainly was considered characteristic of women
in general and Aphrodite in particular, but in my opinion, the physical
weakness of the female would have been counterbalanced in the mind
of the beholder by the thought of the power the goddess.
A better example of a cowardly Aphrodite is the armed Aphrodite of(cid:13)
the Pergamon frieze
170 B.C.). Near the north-east corner of the(cid:13)
(ca.
(Fig.
altar the goddess is shown in front of two fallen Giants
4). Eros
115
G
R
E
B
M
E
L
F
N
A
H
O
J
d
n
u
o
a r
s t
u
j
e r ,
h
d
n
h i
e
b
s
i
o t
a r i
h
c
s
h i
n
i
s
e
A r
d
n
a
e r
h
o f
d
a
e
h
a
g
n
y i
f l
s
i
n
i
d
e
s
s
e
d r
s
i
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
n .
o
c t i
e
d i r
e
s i t
o
p
p
o
e
h
t
n
i
g
n
v i
d r i
e r ,
n
o r
c
e
h
t
h
W i t
d .
e l
h i
s
d
n
a
d
o r
w
s
h
w i t
d
e
m
a r
s
i
d
n
a
e l
n t
a
m
a
d
n
a
n
o
h i t
c
n
h i
t
a
o f
e
c
a
f
e
h
t
n
i
s
p
e
s t
e
h
s
e ,
o
h
s
d
e
a t
o r
c
e
d
y
e l
c
n i
a
n
i
d
a
c l
o t ,
o
f
h t
g
r i
e r
h
u t
o
? )
s
e
A r
y
b
n
w
o
h r
( t
a r
e
p
s
a
s
u l l
p
e
h
s
e
h i l
w
n t ,
a
G i
g ,
n
y i
d
o r
d ,
a
e
d
a
a t
h
t
c t
a
f
e
h
t
d ,
e
n
o
n t i
e
m
y
d
a
e
a l r
s
A
d .
n
a
h
h t
g
r i
e r
h
h
w i t
y
d
o
b
s
h i
o f
g .
n
s i
p r i
u r
s
o t
n
s
i
e
e r
h
s
s
e
d
d
o
g
g
n
h t i
g
f i
a
s
a
d
e
n t
e
s
e
p r
e
r
s
i
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
y
b l
a
b
o
p r
d
n
a
a l
u
s
u
n
u
s
i
d ,
n
a
h
e r
h
o t
e
h
t
n
o
s ,
h t
g
f i
e
h
s
y
a
w
e
h
T
e
o r
m
u t
b
e
v
a
b r
y
d l
a r
h
s
i
y
m
e
n
e
g
n
y i
d
o r
d
a
e
d
a
g
n
k i
c
a
a t t
n t :
a
c
n i f i
g
s i
s
i
y
m
e
n
e
e
h
t
o f
e
c
a
f
e
h
t
n
i
o t
o
f
e
h
t
g
n
e t t i
S
e .
c
d i
a r
w
o
c
o f
e
v
s t i
e
g
g
u
s
d
e
d
a r
g
e
r
s
a
w
i t
a t
h
t
b t
u
o
d
I
d
n
a
d
a
I l i
e
h
t
n
i
s
u r
c
c
o
n
e
o f t
a t
h
t
n
o
c t i
a
n
a
s
a r
o l
h
c
s
n
e r
d
o
m
o f
n
o
n i
p i
o
e
h
t
n
e
e
b
s
a
h
h
c
h i
w
e l ,
u
c r
y
a r l
u l
c
a r t i
p
s
a
s
a
e r
h
e t
h
w
n ,
o
c t i
a
e
h
t
o f
n
o
a t i
e t
p r
e r
n t
i
y
n
a
n
o
u t
B
e .
s
a
c
s
h i
t
n
i
n
o
m
a
g
e r
P
e
h
t
o f
s
s t
a r t i
e
h
t
a t
h
t
k
n
h i
t
o t
n
o
d
I
e ,
c
d i
a r
w
o
c
o r
y
e l t
u
c r
e
h
t
g
n
k i
a
m
e r
h
a t
r
u t
b
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
e
k
a r l i
w
a
o
t
g
n
d i
u
a l l
e
e r
w
e
z
e
f r i
o r .
a r r i
w
a
s
a
s
s
e
d
d
o
g
e
v
o
l
e
h
t
e :
m
e
h
t
e
h
t
y
b
n
e
v
g i
s t
a
n t r
o
c
e
h
o f t
s t
o
m
o f
n
o
s i
e r
v
n
w
o
n
k
s t
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b
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h
t
s
i
d
o r
w
s
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h
t
h
w i t
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d i t
o
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p
A
d
e
k
a
n
e
h
T
o f
a l
n
g i
o r i
e
h
t
s
a
w
n
o
s i
e r
v
e r
a r l i
e
y
b l
a
b
o
p r
A
e .
u r
p t
u l
c
s
n
i
o t i f
m
e
h
t
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h
t
g
n
s i
u
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d i t
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h r
p
A
d
e
k
a
n
a l f -
h
a
a ,
u
p
a
C
o f
e
d i t
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p
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d
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a l l
c
o -
s
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h
t
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c
h
4 t
e
h
o f t
d
n
e
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h
t
n
i
d
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a t
d
y
a l l
u
s
u
o r ,
m i r r
a
s
a
s
e
A r
o f
d
e l
h i
s
u t
b
e ,
b l
a
n
o
s t i
e
u
q
m
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s
y
a
m
"
d
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m
a r
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n
o
a t i
n
g
s i
e
d
e
h
t
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s
a
c
s
h i
t
n
I
C .
B .
e
h
t
o
t
n
o
s i
u
a l l
n
a
s
a
d
e
d
n
e
n t
i
s
a
w
o t i f
m
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h
t
a t
h
t
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b i l i t
s i
s
o
p
a
s
i
e
e r
h
t
e
u
a t
s t
a
e
c
n
s i
h ,
n t
o r i
C
o f
e l
d
a
c i t
e
h
t
n
o
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
o f
e
g
a
m
i
d
e
m
a r
d ,
o l
g .
F i
(
5 ) .
s
n
o i
c
n
a
m
o
R
y
b
n
w
o
h
s
s
a
e ,
e r
h
t
d
o
o
s t
e
p
y
t
s
h i
t
o f
s
i
e l f
s
e r
h
g
n
m i
a r
o f
c t
a
e
h
t
n
i
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
o f
g
n
e r i
d
n
e
r
s t
e
a r l i
e
e
h
T
g .
F i
(
C .
B .
0
0
2
a .
c
d
e
a t
d
n ,
o
e l
G
y
b
d
e
n
g
s i
n e , 6 ) .
o
s t
g -
n
r i
u l
u t i f
a
e
b
a
n
a
m
o
R
e .
d
s i
e r
h
a t
o s
E r
h
w i t
e s ,
A r
o f
d
e l
h i
s
e
h
t
g
n
d i
o l
h
e
d i t
o
h r
p
A
5 .
g .
F i
h .
n t
o r i
C
m
o
f r
n
o i
c
a l
e r i
p
m
I
6
1
1
THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ARMED APHRODITE
The motif is well suited to the oval shape of the stone, in that the
goddess stoops slightly in order to put the shield on her arm. A spear
is leaning against her shoulder. Her light dress makes it clear that no
depiction of a war goddess is intended and we can assume that the
same general idea is at work here, viz. the disarming of Ares by
Aphrodite. If an allusion to the old cult statues was intended in this
case, is of course impossible to tell.
The earliest representation of an armed Aphrodite to be considered
here is the so-called Aphrodite from Epidaurus (Fig. 7). The original
can be dated ca. 380 B.C. and is likely to have been a Peloponnesian
work. Unlike the representations mentioned so far, this is a more
passive figure, carrying a sword in the way it is normally carried, hung
on the shoulder. Dressed in a thin chiton that has slipped from the
right shoulder, revealing the breast, and a mantel, the goddess is
clearly characterized as a love goddess. Since the hands are missing
Aphrodite arming herself Impression of a garnet ringstone from
B.C.
End of 3rd century Height 2.3 em
117
JOHAN FLEMBERG
118