In the 4th century BCE, the Greek sculptor Praxiteles created the first female nude statue, now known as the Aphrodite of Knidos. The statue caused controversy and fascination, and a young man even raped it. Yes, you read it well, the statue did not give her consent, after all! The sculpture was so alluring that it drew crowds of men, some would admire her, others would get roused and took things too far…
Featured image: Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos, around 350 BCE, plaster cast, Gallery of Classical Art, Hostinné.
Ancient sources, such as those written by Pliny the Elder, report that the statue made Knidos a popular tourist destination, and the Roman author considered it the most beautiful marble statue in the world. The fictional work Amores, written by Pseudo-Lucian between the 3rd and 4th century CE, narrates the story of a young man who, captivated by the beauty and charm of the Aphrodite of Knidos, stains the thigh of the sculpture with his lust and, after being overcome by shame he takes his own life. Thus, it becomes apparent that the goddess is objectified, which might make her the first example of artwork subjected to the male gaze.
This marble sculpture was intended to be sold to the island of Kos. However, the citizens refused it, preferring a clothed version. Therefore, Praxiteles ended up selling it to the island of Knidos, where it was placed inside a round shrine situated at the top of a promontory. The shrine's planimetry made seeing the statue in the round possible, allowing voyeuristic glimpses, which were also encouraged by the statue’s pose, caught in the act of coyly covering her pudenda.
Featured image: Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos, Roman copy, around 1st century BCE, marble, Glyptothek, Munich. Bridgeman Images.
Using the power of ekphrasis, I created a fictional account of a young man visiting the shrine. This text is intended to transport you, the reader, back in time, allowing you to experience this thrilling pilgrimage for yourself as you get immersed in the scene. Details such as that of the shrubs surrounding the shrine and the people copulating in its vicinity are historically documented. However, I could not find any information about the type of shrubs that encircled it. In the story, I wrote that these were rosemary and oleander only because they are common around Mediterranean countries. Now, enjoy this trip back in time.
Knidos, Asia Minor (Modern Turkey), fourth century BCE.
A young man wipes off the glistening drops of sweat that constellate his forehead. His lips are crusty, and his throat is screaming for water. However, not much is left of the precious liquid in his leather flask.
‘Excuse me, old man. How far is the shrine?’ He asks a passerby.
The old man, with an acute, all-knowing look in his eyes, taps the shoulders of the young man, telling him, ‘She is only a couple of miles away, my boy, hiding just behind those shrubs!’
The man’s heart skips a beating.
Only two miles, only two miles, and she’ll be right before me! He thinks.
Suddenly, the fiery ball in Apollo’s chariot seems to have cooled down, and its rays gently kiss the man’s skin. As he raised his eyes towards the blue dome, he could swear that he had seen Apollo himself grinning down at him. Each and every step pulls the shrubs closer and closer, and the sweet scent of the pink oleander blossoms gets mixed with the more pungent and aromatic scent of rosemary.
The man locks his eyes and opens his lungs to their full capacity, letting in the inebriating scents filling up his airways. As he does so, Eurus passes by, carrying with him the soft moans of love from interlocked bodies hidden in the vegetation. He ventures into the green labyrinth of plants, feeling the red humour of passion begin to throb in his veins, rushing down towards his manhood. He swallows the cascades of saliva that flood his mouth, and with the excess that rests on his tongue, he hydrates his lips, now plumped and scarlet. His skin becomes moist and hot, so much so that even the air he breathes feels humid.
AI-generated image.
Was Zeus heating the atmosphere, or was Aphrodite intoxicating the air with one of her filters? Swallowing the last mouthful of saliva, he takes a deep breath, raising his chest. Then, as his shoulders go down, he disperses the inhaled toxic perfumes back out of his chest. He accelerates his steps, giving way to a fully bloomed excitement, passing by hordes of mating bodies belonging both to humans and animals, when he finally reaches a round Doric shrine, her shrine. The palms of his hands are dripping, tattering the gold soil with dark stains quickly absorbed by the thirsty Gaia.
The shrine's colonnade is animated by a disordered, voyeuristic crowd of sweaty bodies, and all their glances are for her. He can only steal glimpses of her as he moves among the vertical masses of bodies and rocks. She is gazing towards Parthia, not caring about the several flesh-devouring eyes laid on her. Then, he suddenly freezes, seeing her left hand covering her sex. Is he among the others being sickly indiscreet? She had just unclothed herself, and the freshly creased chiton still fell on the top of her kalpis. The curve assumed by her spine draws an ‘S’ along her back, and each and every eye follows that sinuous line dying between her perfectly sculpted marmoreal protuberances. She stayed still the whole time.
Featured image: Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos, Roman copy, around 4th century BCE, marble, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Bridgeman Images.
‘She is beautiful, isn’t she?’ Said a man on his left.
‘Indeed, she is…’ He agreed.
‘Too bad she’s a statue!’ He blurted.
Written by Gabriella Sentina
08/10/2024
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