A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

VENUS,

the Goddess of Beauty, that was always accompanied by the Graces. Cicero, L. 3. de Nat. Deor. shews there were Four several Ve∣nus's: The first, the Daughter of Coelum; the second she, that sprung from the Foam of the Sea and Cupid's Mother; the third, was Jupiter and Dione's Daughter, who was married to Vul∣can, and on whom Mars begot Anteros; the fourth Tyr, called Astarte, who was married to Adonis. The first and fourth were in all likeli∣hood the same as the Venus of Assyria, which was called Ʋrania or Coelestis, as being the Daugh∣ter of Heaven, whose Worship passed from As∣syria or Babylon into Syria. Sanchuniathon makes Astarte to be the Daughter of Coelum, and Sa∣turn's Wife, and the Mother of Seven Daugh∣ters called Titanides. Lucian speaks of Venus that was worshipped at Biblos in Phoenicia, and of Adonis with whom she was in Love, and whose Death she bewailed after he had been killed by a wild Boar. Herodotus makes the Temple of Venus Ʋrania to be in the City of Ascalon in Phoenicia, which was the Ancientest of all the Temples of this Goddess; the Temples of Venus in Cyprus, and at Cythera or Cerigo were much in request; but they were built by the Phoenicians according to the Model of that at Ascalon. The Worship of Venus passed to Arabia; from whence 'tis that Herodotus himself says, the Arabians worshipped but two Deities, viz. Dionysius and Ʋrania: The Persians, in Imitation of the Assy∣rians, did also worship Venus Ʋrania, and called her Mitra. There were the Cities of Paphos, Amathus, and Ʋrania in the Isle of Cyprus, and all these were famous for the Worship of Venus; and as 'twas but a short Passage from Phoenicia to Cyprus, the Worship of this Goddess was easi∣ly carried thither; and as Venus was transported thither by Sea, they feigned she was produced of the Foam of the Sea; so Horace calls her Marina Venus. Tacitus speaking of the Temple of Venus at Paphos, uses the following Words, that clearly shew that the Forming of Venus of the Foam of the Sea, was nothing else but that she was brought thither by Sea: Fama recentior tradit, à Cinyra sacratum Templum, Deamque ipsam con∣ceptam mari hùc appulsam. This Historian, L. 2. Hist. speaks also of that Temple in this manner:

The Ancients, says he, made King Aërias to be the Founder of it, altho' some were of Opinion, it was the Name of the Goddess; but modern Authors will have the Temple to have been built by Cinyra, when Venus coming by Sea landed in that Country; he adds, that he sent for the Prophet Thamyrus into Cilicia, and a∣greed that their Descendants should divide the Priesthood between them: But those of Thamyrus his Race did afterwards resign it to the King's Posterity, as a Point of Prerogative yielded to the Royal Family, insomuch that no other were consulted there but the Successors of Cinyra. All sorts of Victims were allowed of, provided they were of the Male kind, but the He-goat was accounted the best; they shed none of the Blood upon the Altar; for they of∣fered nothing there but Prayers and pure Fire, which no Rain could put out, tho' the same were open to the Air: The Goddess was re∣presented in the Form of a Globe, ending py∣ramidically, without any other resemblance, and the Reason is not known.

Pausanias acknowledges that Venus of Cythera came also from Phoenicia: He elsewhere describes her bearing Arms: Hesychius says as much, and in another place speaks of a Temple of Venus, into which none but the Sacristan ever entred, (and the same Person was forbid to marry) and a Virgin that exercised the Priesthood here for one Year only. This Author takes notice of several Places in Greece, where Venus Ʋrania was worshipped, and wherein there was nothing practised like those Effeminacies and Impurities, which were attributed to the Common Venus; since we find, besides the Name of Ʋrania or

Coelestis, that her Priestesses were Virgins, and that she her self was represented armed. Pau∣sanias in another place distinguishes between Venus Ʋrania, whose Statue was made of Gold or Ivory by Phidias, and Venus Popularis, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that was made of Brass; he hath not forgot that place in Arcadia, where there were three Statues set up for Venus, one for Coelestis, the other for Popularis, and the third without any Surname, which distinguished it from the rest. Xenophon makes a Distinction between Venus Coelestis and Popularis, and attributes to the first a Love of Knowledge and Vertue, as he does to the other the Love of Corporeal Pleasures. This Name of Venus Coelestis comes either from her being represented upon a Lion's Back, and ascending up to Heaven, or from her being the Daughter of Heaven; from whence the Greeks called her Ʋrania, or because the ancient and true Ʋrania was very different from that which they called the Common one, and inspired Men with no∣thing but pure and chaste Love, which raised up the Heart to Heaven. Apuleius also in his Apo∣logy bears the same Testimony, wherein he shews, that that Venus Coelestis, which is distin∣guished from the Common Venus, allows us to love no other Beauty than that which can re∣vive the Idea and Love of Heavenly Beauties in our Souls. Plutarch speaks of Venus at Rome, surnamed Libitina, in whose Temple they sold all things belonging to Burials: He likewise adds, that those of Delphos, had also their Venus Sepul∣chralis, where they conjured up the Dead by Ma∣gick Spells. Calvus the Poet calls Venus a God, Pollentemque Deum Venerem, as well as Virgil, in Aen. 2.

Discedo, ac ducente Deo flammam inter & hostes Expedior.

Some Criticks who have not perhaps made this Observation, would correct this place, and put Dea instead of Deo, contrary to the Authority of the Manuscripts. Levinus speaking of this Dei∣ty, says; having worshipped Venus, whether Fe∣male or Male, which is the same as the Moon. Aristophanes calls her 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Neuter Gender, and Hesychius 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Salmatius has corrected it. Theophrastus, says he, assures us, that Aphroditos or Venus is an Hermophro∣dite; and that her Statue with a Beard on like a Man was to be seen in the Island of Cyprus, near Amathusa. Venus Victrix was represented some∣times carrying Victory in her Right Hand, and a Scepter in her Left, and leaning her Arm up∣on a great Shield; and another time with a Mu∣rion or Steel-piece in her Hand instead of Victo∣ry, and the Apple which Paris adjudged to her as the Reward of her Beauty, which she got from Pallas and Juno: The Poets make her Chariot to be drawn by Swans and two flying Cupids, They represented her like a beautiful Goddess sitting in a Chariot drawn by two Swans and as many Doves, crowned with Myrtle, and having a burning Torch in her Bosom. Pausanias also speaks of a Statue of Venus made of Ivory and Gold by Phidias, with one Foot upon a Tor∣toise, and likewise another of Venus, riding upon a He-Goat, and made by Scopas; the Venus of Praxiteles at Cnidos was made of white Marble, and half opened her Lips as if she smiled. Venus the Mother of Love, and the Goddess of Pleasures would by no means comply to make Vulcan her Husband, but as he could not compass his Design in Heaven, and that he was weary with her Coiness, Jupiter advised him to give her some Poppy in her Drink, which put her unto such a Love-fit, that without think∣ing any more of the Persons that so entirely loved her, she took up with what fell in her Way, and make that sorry Smith her Husband,

Cum primùm cupido Venus est deducta marito, Hoc bibit; ex illo tempore nupta fuit.

But she reassumed her disdainful Carriage again when her Love-fit was over, and she always lived at Variance with her wretched Cripple. Au∣gustus Caesar dedicated the Temple of Venus Genetrix to Julius Caesar, whose Statue was made by Archesilaus.