New evidence of the aniconic iconography of Astarte-Aphrodite in Cyprus

Abstract

The author considers the aniconic iconography of the goddess Astarte-Aphrodite in Cyprus/. The baetyl was venerated throughout the Levant in antiquity and its importance in the worship of this goddess on the island attests to strong Oriental influence shaping cultic practice. The new evidence for the aniconic cult presented in the paper consists of a group of three clay naiskoi coming from Amathus and two as yet unpublished portable baetyls of marble found in Kourion, similar to the image said to come from the Paphian sanctuary of Aphrodite represented on Roman coins. The conclusion is that the baetyl cult practice in Cyprus was not limited to the Paphos area and its roots can be traced to the Cypro Archaic I period, It continued to have a remarkable influence in later periods as well and its revival in the Roman period illustrated the growing popularity of cultic practices of Oriental origin.