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Chapter Eleven chapter eleven APHRODITE AND THE FLEET IN CLASSICAL ATHENS* Chryssanthi Papadopoulou Aphrodite’s connection to the marine element is well attested in antiquity, with a series of epithets connecting her to the sea: Pontia (‘Of the sea’), Pelagia (‘Of the open sea’), Limenia (‘Of the harbor’), Epilimenia (‘By the harbor’), Nauarchis (‘Commander of the ships’), and Euploia (‘Of fair sailing’). Her worship was common in ports, islands, and promontories, as she was the protector of open-sea journeys and navigation.1 Her special relationship to the sea was formed as early as Hesiodic times.2 In the Theogony (–) Hesiod narrates that Aphrodite is the daughter of Ouranos, conceived in her father’s testicles and born in the foam (aphros)ofthesea.3 As soon as she was born, Aphrodite embarked on a long sea voyage, from Kythera to Cyprus. This Hesiodic version of the birth of Aphrodite influenced the perception of the etymology of her * I would like to thank the conference organizers, Amy Smith and Sadie Pickup. I am very grateful to Karim Arafat, Hugh Bowden, and Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge for their feedback. I am also grateful to the Greek Archaeological Committee UK for their support, and last, but not least, I would like to thank Cixx Design/Ioannis Vassilopoulos for providing me with two of the images in the article. All dates in this chapter are bc, unless otherwise noted. 1 Farnell, Cults of the Greek States, p. .; Friedrich, The Meaning of Aphrodite, p. ; Graf, Nordionische Kulte, p. ; Karageorghis, Kypris, p. ; Ehud Herbert Loeb, Die Geburt der Götter in der griechischen Kunst der klassischen Zeit (Jerusalem, ), p. ; E. Miranda, “Osservazioni sul culto di euploia,” Miscellanea Greca et Romana (), , ; Parker, Athenian Religion, p. ; Parker, “The Cult of Aphrodite Pandamos,” p. ; Erika Simon, Die Götter der Griechen, rd ed. (Munich, ), p. ; Yulia Ustinova, “Aphrodite Ourania of the Bosporus: The Great Goddess of a Frontier Pantheon,” Kernos (), . 2 Silvia Barbantani, “Goddess of Love and Mistress of the Sea: Notes on a Hellenistic Hymn to Arsinoe-Aphrodite (P.Lit.Goodsp. , I–IV),” Ancient Society (), ; Pirenne-Delforge, “Something to Do with Aphrodite,” p. 3 For more on the connection between Aphrodite and aphros,seePironti,Entre ciel et guerre, pp. –. She writes that Aphrodite is the goddess of mixis,andaphros is the product of mixis and therefore a very suitable symbol for the goddess, in accordance with Arist., Gen. an. a–. chryssanthi papadopoulou name. Thus, regardless of its actual etymology, at least in the Classical period, the derivation of her name was thought to allude to the marine element.4 Additionally, the sixth Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite begins with a mention of her journey to Cyprus and her connection to the waves and foam of the sea, implying her marine birth.5 The mythological tradition that connected Aphrodite with Theseus’ journey to Crete further strengthened her bond with the sea.6 Pythian Apollo advised Theseus to count on Aphrodite to accompany and guide him in his sea voyage to Crete.7 Aphrodite also assisted in his seduction of Ariadne on Crete. As an acknowledgment of Aphrodite’s protection and help, Theseus founded the cult of the goddess on Delos, on his way back to Athens.8 A Popular Goddess in Attika Aphrodite was a particularly popular deity in Athens, where she had many urban and rural sanctuaries. In the fifth century she had five cult places in the asty (‘city’): an altar and possibly a temple in the Agora, three sanctuaries around the Akropolis, and a sanctuary in the Ilissos area. According to Pausanias, Aigeus (one of the mythical kings of Athens) and his son Theseus (the Athenian hero par excellence) instituted her cults.9 Most of the evidence for Aphrodite’s cults in the Piraeus comes from the fourth century onwards. In /, Konon built a sanctu- ary to Aphrodite Euploia (‘Of fair sailing’), possibly on the promon- tory of Eetioneia, the north enclosure of Kantharos (also called ‘Great harbor’).10 In merchants from Kition acquired permission to own 4 William Hansen, “Foam-Born Aphrodite and the Mythology of Transformation,” American Journal of Philology (), pp. , , –. Socrates, in his analysis of the names of the twelve gods, said that there is no reason to doubt the Hesiodic myth regarding Aphrodite’s name: Pl., Cra. c–d. 5 Friedrich, The Meaning of Aphrodite,p.. 6 Rosenzweig, Worshipping Aphrodite,p.. 7 Plut., Vit. Thes... 8 Plut., Vit. Thes. .; Pironti, Entre ciel et guerre, pp. –; Erika Simon, “Theseus and Athenian Festivals,” in Worshipping Athena, Panathenaia and Parthenon,ed.Jenifer Neils (Madison, ), p. ; Henry J. Walker, Theseus and Athens (Oxford, ), p. 9 Paus. ... 10 Garland, The Piraeus, p. ..
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