Who came out of the foam of the sea. The Birth of Venus (Aphrodite Anadyomene) - Art History

Bay of Aphrodite. A place where dreams come true.

There is a special place on the island of Cyprus, which is rightfully considered one of the most romantic and mysterious in the entire Mediterranean. This is the bay of Aphrodite.

Here came out of the foam Marine Aphrodite,
And stepping on a stone with a graceful foot,
looked around the most beautiful mountains,
Covering your chic figure with hair.

The bay is located at a distance of 25 km from Paphos on the road to Limassol. Greek name of this place - Petra tou Romiou (Petra tou Romiou) or "Romea's Stone" - in the Middle Ages, the Greeks, as the heirs of the Roman Empire, called themselves Romans.

The bay of Aphrodite, even if you do not believe the legends, in itself is very beautiful place with a magnificent and peaceful landscape, a cozy and harmonious atmosphere.

All this beauty was specially left in its original form. You will not find any infrastructure here. In this wild place there is no dirt from "civilization and the rumble of spaceports", here you just want to admire all this and think about the beautiful.

And now for the legends. One of them tells about the hero of the ancient Greek epic Digenis, who possessed incredible strength.

From time immemorial, the Byzantine guarded the island from frequent attacks from the sea.

The mighty giant warrior, in order to sink the enemy ships of the Saracen pirates, threw huge stones at them.

The ships sank, but the stones remained. One of them is called the "Romean Stone". So it has been standing since then, having fallen into the sea, and at its foot emerald waves have been foaming for many centuries.

But still, most travelers are attracted here by another, more romantic legend.

It says that it was on this beach in 1200 BC. came out of sea ​​foam and the beautiful Aphrodite found a human body.

She is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, eternal spring and life.

The "Stone of Romeus" is the "Stone of Aphrodite", known far beyond the borders of Cyprus, near which the foam-born goddess first set foot on Cypriot soil.

The beach of Aphrodite and its seabed are covered with rather large pebbles, in some places there are large pitfalls, and the bottom is rapidly gaining depth.

Often there are waves in the waters of the beach, and because of the underwater currents, the water here is quite cool.

It seems that time has no power over this corner of nature, and that the local beautiful scenery has remained unchanged since ancient times.

According to ancient belief, women, having bathed in these waters, gain eternal youth and men - courage and bravery.

Romantics believe that if you swim around the Rock of Aphrodite three times in a row counterclockwise, then your wish will come true.

There is such a variety of bizarre shapes of pebbles on the pebble shore that you are directly amazed at the intricacy of nature.

If you find a heart-shaped stone on the beach, then love will accompany you throughout your life.

In the bay there is a rock hanging over the water, at the base of which there is a small grotto. It was in it, according to the myth, that the goddess of love took baths from spring water, preparing for dates.

Frequent guests of the beach are not only tourists who come here on excursions, but also newlyweds from different countries peace. For them, the trip here has already become a good tradition.

Natural beauty the beach and the surrounding area inspires artists to create many wonderful paintings and photographs.

It is better to go to those places for the whole day, providing good supplies of water, comfortable shoes for long walks over the stones.

It seems like time has stopped. Now a wave will rise, and from the snow-white sea foam, like thousands of years ago, on Sandy shore the beautiful Aphrodite will emerge.

Still, it's time to get back to reality.

Let's go to a cafe, which is not far from the bay, to taste delicious Cypriot fish.

Who is Aphrodite?

Aphrodite is one of the most revered and beloved Greek goddesses. Her importance can be confirmed by the fact that she was one of the twelve great Olympians. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. She is the patroness of marriage and childbearing, the personification of eternal spring. The forces of Aphrodite were obedient not only to people, but also to the immortal gods, with the exception of Athena, Artemis and Hestia. She blesses women with beauty and gives them a happy marriage, and kindles the fire of true and eternal love in the hearts of men.

There are two versions of its appearance. According to the version proposed by Homer, Aphrodite was the child of the supreme god Zeus and a nymph named Dione, and was born in the usual way. The version proposed by Hesiod is more mystical. According to her, Aphrodite appeared after the castration of Uranus by Kronos. His blood got into sea ​​waters and, mingled with the foam, gave birth to the most beautiful goddess that ever existed. The wind brought her to the shores of Cyprus, where the Ores met the goddess. They crowned Aphrodite with a precious diadem and dressed her in sparkling gold-woven clothes. Wherever the goddess stepped, fragrant flowers bloomed. When Aphrodite appeared on Olympus, all the gods were delighted with her beauty. She made Hephaestus, patron of fire and blacksmithing, her chosen one. Their union of beauty and craftsmanship is the epitome of art. But this marriage was not very happy. Hephaestus spent all the time with his cousin, while Aphrodite communicated with her lovers. From one of them, Ares, the goddess gave birth to three children. The fruit of her connection with Hermes was Hermaphrodite, combining the beauty of both parents. Eros is also considered the son of Aphrodite.

Cyprus is a land with rich history and the birthplace of the famous romantic myth of the birth of Aphrodite.
Beautiful and naked, the Greek goddess of love, fertility and eternal spring emerged from the foam of the sea. It is rather difficult to call the prehistory of its appearance beautiful. According to one legend, she was "conceived" from the blood of the castrated god Uranus when she fell into the waters. mediterranean sea. Blood, combined with water, formed a snow-white foam, from which Aphrodite came ashore.

Wherever her foot trod, flowers blossomed and the grass turned green. There is no direct evidence of the birth of the goddess here. Although this is mentioned in numerous poems. But after all, his second name - Cyprida, Aphrodite obviously got it for a reason, but by the name of her place of birth.

Touch the legend

A variety of things attract tourists to Cyprus. Some come here to relax from the hustle and bustle big cities and everyday work, others - to soak up in the midst of original nature, others come for sweets. But everyone, without exception, is sure to go to see the place where, according to legend, Aphrodite came out of the foam to the shore.
It is a landmark and, in a way, a symbol of the island. The symbol has its own name: Stone of Aphrodite or Greek stone(rock Petra tou Romiou). Sometimes tourists confuse it with the Baths of Aphrodite. The latter is known for the fact that the goddess took baths there, and in the former she appeared from the sea foam. Several tourist attractions are associated with the patroness of love and beauty:

• Directly to the beach and rocks
• Baths of Aphrodite (bay)
• Trail
• Hotel Aphrodite

The latter, of course, is difficult to attribute to the sights of the island, but it also bears the name of the Greek celestial.

How to get there and what to see

The birthplace of Aphrodite in Cyprus is located near Paphos. From Paphos to Aphrodite's Rock you will have to overcome 15 kilometers to the southeast, to the side, along old road us by sea (highway B6). But what does this distance mean if you have the opportunity to touch the evidence ancient history Cyprus? Sandy Aphrodite beach rightfully considered one of the most beautiful corners islands.

People come here not only to admire the landscape and take a couple of photos for memory. If you got out to relax with your soulmate, do not forget to swim. As the legend says, swimming in these waters not only prolongs youth and gives invincibility, but also grants eternal love couples. So it's pretty popular place at the newlyweds.

Nearby is the bay of the same name. In it, the rocks form a small grotto, where Bath of Aphrodite. According to legend, there she not only took baths, but also indulged in love pleasures with Dionysus and other worthy men of that time. True, you won’t be able to swim in the bath today, and it’s forbidden to drink water, but it’s worth admiring the view and taking a photo as a keepsake of Cyprus.

Behind the font begins Trail of Aphrodite. Today it is popular a tourist route on the island. Its length is about 7 km. On your way you will come across the ruins of Pyrgos Regina, near which an ancient oak tree grows. The trail offers a beautiful panorama of Cape Akamas, Polis and the forest of Paphos. At the ruins, and then on the way between the bath itself and the village of Kakoskali, located along the fountain with clean drinking water. The trail itself connects with the Adonis trail.
Temple of Aphrodite you will find near the village of Kouklia, which is 15 km from. Of course, it has not survived in all its splendor to this day. At the beginning of our era, the original temple was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. The Romans built an even more majestic structure in its place. But only ruins have survived from it to this day.

The beginning of the decline of the temple can be considered the appearance of Christianity in Cyprus in the 4th century AD. At the end of the 14th century, during excavations, many artifacts were discovered here, which are now exhibited in museums in London, Paphos and New York. From the birthplace of Aphrodite to the Temple, about 8 km along the B6 highway. Then you need to turn at the sign and move for another kilometer to the entrance to the sanctuary.

In the footsteps of a legend

As for, several hotels bear the name of the patroness of the island at once: Aphrodite Sands Resort And Aphrodite Hills Holiday Residences 5* in Paphos and Aphrodite Beach Hotel 2* in Latchi. If you want to spend your entire holiday under the auspices of a Greek maiden, choose according to your tastes and possibilities.

Not to mention wine. The Cypriot company KEO, which produces alcoholic beverages, also named this noble drink the name of Aphrodite. Under her sign, a soft and delicate white semi-sweet wine is produced, with a strength of 12%. Especially popular, as you might guess, is enjoyed by the fair sex.

Cyprus is small paradise, where lovers of calm will find something to their liking beach holiday, and admirers of ancient history.