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from providing the pleasures of procreation, and that she was named Cypris from providing conception, and Kythereia similarly, from providing conception not only to humans but also to beasts. Hence Hermes in his cosmogony represents the parts of Aphrodite above the loins as male, and those after it as female; whence the Pamphylians also once honored a bearded Aphrodite; and they hold that she was born from the genitals of Cronus, that is, from time, and the nature of things is eternal and indestructible. Among the common people, 'to venisai' is said for 'to have sexual relations.' But Plato hands down two Aphrodites, Urania and Pandemos; and that the one accompanies the gods, the other, men; but the other poets hand down four: one born of Uranus and Hemera, a second from foam, from whom and Hermes, Eros was born; a third, of Zeus and Dione, from whom and Ares they say Anteros was born; a fourth, of Syria and Cyprus, called Astarte. But others say: the first, of Uranus and Hemera, called Urania; a second, of Aphros and Eurynome, daughter of Oceanus; and a third, who was joined to Hermes, son of Nilus, from whom came the second, winged Eros; a fourth, of Zeus and Dione, whom Hephaestus married, but with whom Ares secretly lay and fathered Anteros. And in many places she is also called Pasiphae, she who sends forth pleasure to all; and Erycina from stirring up loves. From her and Hermes, it is said, Hermaphroditus was born, like a well-spoken and witty discourse that from pleasure makes the rough feminine. And they say her star accompanies the moon on account of nocturnal unions, whence it also produces a shadow, because it is productive of bodies. They would sacrifice to her geese and partridges, because the former delight in water—and Aphrodite is of the sea—and the latter are caught, being led by the voices of the females. So many, then, were the opinions of the ancients concerning Aphrodite according to both mythological and physical theory. The philosophers, however, say that Dione Aphrodite is the nature which is through all existing things; and that she was born from the genitals of Uranus and the sea, that is, from an even and an odd number; odd from the form, and even from the sea, that is, from infinite matter. And Cincius the Roman sophist says that Aphrodite was born from foam, as if spring were born from the snowy air and the cold substance. So much concerning Aphrodite. That April was named, by Aeneas in honor of his mother, as it were 'Aphrodisian'; but some would have it so named by Romulus; for since the first month was supposedly dedicated to Ares, it was fitting for the second to be dedicated to Aphrodite. Thus the Greeks; but the Romans say April, as if Aperilius, meaning the 'opener' of the season; for when nature is shut up, as it were, by winter, spring is accustomed to open things up. And it was fitting that the month of Aphrodite be joined to the month of Ares, as has been said; because, as the Egyptians say, through the gentleness of Aphrodite the star of Ares is calmed. And in the hymns we find Aphrodite is called by nearly three hundred names. The Phoenicians will have it that Astarte, their city-guardian—as it were, the starry one or the virtue of the city—is Aphrodite. For from Lebanon—a mountain there so called from its inclination towards the south-west wind—two rivers issue forth into the sea, of which the larger and clearer is called Adonis, while the smaller and more earthy is called Ares. And Ares, falling into the Adonis, does not preserve its own name as far as the sea. Since, therefore, the entire Adonis mingles with the open sea, he himself seems to be loved more by Aphrodite instead of the sea. 4.65 On the Kalends of April, therefore, the respectable women honored Aphrodite for the sake of concord and a temperate life; while the women of the common people, for her worship, would bathe in the men's baths with myrtle

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παρὰ τὸ ἐπιδιδόναι τὰς τῆς γενέσεως ἡδονάς, Κύπριν δὲ ὀνομασθῆναι παρὰ τὸ κύειν παρέχειν, καὶ Κυθηρείην ὁμοίως, παρὰ τὸ μὴ μόνον ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ καὶ θηρίοις τὸ κύειν ἐπιδιδόναι. ἔνθεν Ἑρμῆς ἐν τῇ κοσμοποιΐᾳ τὰ μὲν ὑπὲρ ὀσφὺν ἄρρενα τῆς Ἀφροδίτης, τὰ δὲ μετ' αὐτὴν θήλεα παραδίδωσιν· ὅθεν Πάμφυλοι καὶ πώγωνα ἔχουσαν ἐτίμησαν Ἀφροδίτην ποτέ· τεχθῆναι δ' αὐτὴν ἀξιοῦσιν ἀπὸ τῶν Κρόνου μηδέων, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, ἡ δὲ φύσις τῶν πραγμάτων ἀΐδιος καὶ ἄφθαρτος. βενίσαι τὸ ἀφροδισιάσαι παρὰ τῷ πλήθει λέγεται. ὁ δὲ Πλάτων δύο παραδίδωσιν Ἀφροδίτας, Οὐρανίαν καὶ Πάνδημον· καὶ τὴν μὲν τοῖς θεοῖς, τὴν δὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρέπεσθαι· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι τῶν ποιητῶν τέσσαρας παραδιδόασι· μίαν μὲν ἐξ Οὐρανοῦ καὶ Ἡμέρας τεχθεῖσαν, ἑτέραν δὲ ἐξ ἀφροῦ, ἐξ ἧς καὶ Ἑρμοῦ Ἔρως ἐτέχθη· τρίτην ∆ιὸς καὶ ∆ιώνης, ἐξ ἧς καὶ Ἄρεος τεχθῆναί φασιν Ἀντέρωτα· τετάρτην τὴν Συρίας καὶ Κύπρου, τὴν λεγομένην Ἀστάρτην. ἄλλοι δέ φασι, πρώτην μὲν τοῦ Οὐρανοῦ καὶ Ἡμέρας Οὐρανίαν καλουμένην, δευτέραν δὲ Ἀφροῦ καὶ Εὐρυνόμης τῆς Ὠκεανοῦ, καὶ τρίτην τὴν συναφθεῖσαν Ἑρμῇ τῷ Νείλου, ἐξ ἧς καὶ ὁ δεύτερος Ἔρως ὁ ὑπόπτερος, τετάρτην ∆ιὸς καὶ ∆ιώνης, ἣν ἔγημεν Ἥφαιστος, λάθρᾳ δὲ αὐτῇ συνελθὼν Ἄρης ἔτεκε τὸν Ἀντέρωτα. καλεῖται δὲ πολλαχοῦ καὶ Πασιφάη, ἡ πᾶσιν ἐπαφιεῖσα τὴν ἡδονήν· καὶ Ἐρυκίνη παρὰ τὸ τοὺς ἔρωτας κινεῖν. ἀπ' αὐτῆς δὲ καὶ Ἑρμοῦ τὸν Ἑρμαφρόδιτον τεχθῆναι λόγος, οἷον τὸν εὐφραδῆ καὶ ἀστεῖον λόγον, τὸν ἐξ ἡδονῆς τὸ τραχὺ θηλύνοντα. τὸν δὲ ταύτης ἀστέρα τῇ σελήνῃ παρέπεσθαί φασι διὰ τὰς νυκτερινὰς συναφείας, ὅθεν καὶ σκιὰν αὐτὸν ἀποτελεῖν διὰ τὸ σωμάτων εἶναι παρεκτικόν. ἱερούργουν δὲ αὐτῇ χῆνας καὶ πέρδικας, ὅτι αἱ μὲν τοῖς ὕδασι χαίρουσι -πελαγία δὲ ἡ Ἀφροδίτη-οἱ δὲ ταῖς φωναῖς τῶν θηλείων ἀγόμενοι ἁλίσκονται. τοσαῦται μὲν τοῖς παλαιοῖς αἱ περὶ Ἀφροδίτης κατὰ μυθικὴν καὶ φυσικὴν θεωρίαν δόξαι. οἱ δὲ φιλόσοφοι ∆ιώνην τὴν Ἀφροδίτην εἶναί φασι τὴν διὰ πάντων οὖσαν τῶν ὄντων φύσιν· τεχθῆναι δὲ αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν Οὐρανοῦ μηδέων καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, τουτέστιν ἐξ ἀρτίου ἀριθμοῦ καὶ περιττοῦ· καὶ περιττοῦ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ εἴδους, ἀρτίου δὲ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης, τουτέστι τῆς ἀπείρου ὕλης. Κίγκιος δὲ ὁ Ῥωμαῖος σοφιστής φησι τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἐξ ἀφροῦ τεχθῆναι, οἱονεὶ ἐκ τοῦ χιονώδους ἀέρος καὶ τῆς ψυχρᾶς οὐσίας τὸ ἔαρ ἀποτεχθῆναι. τοσαῦτα περὶ Ἀφροδίτης. ὅτι τὸν Ἀπρίλιον παρ' Αἰνείου πρὸς τιμὴν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ οἱονεὶ ἀφροδίσιον, τινὲς δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Ῥωμύλου οὕτως ὀνομασθῆναι βούλονται· τοῦ πρώτου γὰρ μηνὸς δῆθεν ἀνατεθέντος Ἄρει εἰκὸς ἦν τὸν δεύτερον Ἀφροδίτῃ ἀνατεθῆναι. οὕτως μὲν οὖν Ἕλληνες, οἱ δὲ Ῥωμαῖοι Ἀπρίλιον ὡσανεὶ Ἀπερίλιον ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀνοικτικὸν τοῦ καιροῦ φασιν· ἐγκεκλεισμένης γὰρ ὥσπερ τῷ χείματι τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἔαρ ἐξανοίγειν τὰ πράγματα πέφυκεν. εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν τῷ τοῦ Ἄρεος μηνὶ συζευχθῆναι τὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ὡς εἴρηται· διότι, ὥς φασιν Αἰγύπτιοι, διὰ τῆς πραότητος τῆς Ἀφροδίτης πραύνεται ὁ τοῦ Ἄρεος ἀστήρ. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ὕμνοις ἐγγὺς τριακοσίοις ὀνόμασιν εὑρίσκομεν καλουμένην τὴν Ἀφροδίτην. οἱ δὲ Φοίνικες Ἀστάρτην, τὴν σφῶν πολιοῦχον-οἱονεὶ τὴν ἀστερίαν ἢ τὴν τοῦ ἄστεος ἀρετήν-εἶναι τὴν Ἀφρο δίτην βούλονται. ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ Λιβάνου-ὄρος δέ ἐστιν ἐκεῖ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς λίβα νεύσεως οὕτω καλούμενον -δύο ποταμοὶ ἐκπίπτουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, ὧν ὁ μὲν μείζων καὶ διειδέστερος Ἄδωνις, ὁ δὲ ἐλάσσων καὶ γεωδέστερος Ἄρης προσαγορεύεται. ἐμπίπτων δὲ ὁ Ἄρης τῷ Ἄδωνι οὐ διασώζει τὴν οἰκείαν προσηγορίαν ἄχρι θαλάσσης. ἐπεὶ οὖν Ἄδωνις ὅλος ἐμμίγνυται τῷ πελάγει, δοκεῖ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς ἀγαπᾶσθαι πρὸς τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἀντὶ τοῦ τῆς θαλάσσης. 4.65 Ταῖς τοίνυν Καλένδαις Ἀπριλίαις αἱ σεμναὶ γυναικῶν ὑπὲρ ὁμονοίας καὶ βίου σώφρονος ἐτίμων τὴν Ἀφροδίτην· αἱ δὲ τοῦ πλήθους γυναῖκες ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν βαλανείοις ἐλούοντο πρὸς θεραπείαν αὐτῆς μυρσίνῃ