Aphrodite, Pan, and Eros
Figure 1: Cartwright, Mark. “Aphrodite, Eros, & Pan.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 07, 2015. https://www.ancient.eu/image/3769/.
The sculpture Aphrodite, Eros, & Pan is a prime example of Hellenistic art. It was created circa 100 BC, and it was found in the House of the Poseidoniastai in Delos. The creator and purpose of the piece can be inferred from the inscription on the sculpture’s base. The carving says, “Dionysus, son of Zenon who was son Theodoros, from Beirut dedicated to the ancestral gods for his benefit and that of his children.”[1] The piece was created with Parian Marble, and it measures 1.55 meters tall (including the base). Delos, the island on which the sculpture was found, plays a crucial role in understanding Hellenistic art and the historical context in which the piece was created. Delos is an island off the coast of Greece. It is often considered the most sacred of all islands.[2] The island was initially settled in the third millennium BC, and it reached its peak in prestige in the Classical period. The piece was discovered upon the island in 1904, and its features deliver a story of mixed signals, tantalizing nature, and love.
Before divulging into the symbolic analysis of the sculpture, we must analyze the physical piece itself. The statue sizes up to about 1.55 meters in height and is made of Parian Marble, characteristic of the Classical period in Hellenistic art.[3] The size means that the sculpture should be viewed at a reasonable distance. Not very close, but not very far, either. This size and how it determines our viewing of the object also defines the amount of detail that must go into the sculpture. The sculpture also is in the round, meaning it is a complete object that should be examined from all angles. The statue depicts a scene of resistance. Aphrodite is threatening Pan with a sandal, Pan is in a desperate grasp of Aphrodite’s wrist, and Eros has a grip on Pan’s horn. Aphrodite is the most prevalent member of the three and thus becomes the subject of the piece. The artist portrays her as the largest, most detailed, and most distinct figure of the three, and it is quite clear that she is the center of the viewer’s attention. The sculpture also takes a popularly Classical approach to carving out the piece by taking a very detailed and thorough approach to re-creating the human form. The artist portrays the 3-D image by physically portraying the humans in sculpture in the round and carves the humans in mostly proportional sizes, giving a simulation of a small-scale realistic life. It is not known whether the sculpture was initially painted as many of the Classical marble statues were in the period, so we are unable to tell whether the plain marble was how it was intended to be viewed by its primary audience. The tone and the texture of the sculpture depend on whether it was painted or not, but the plain marble provides a smooth feel, leaving a greyscale tone presented to the audience by natural light. However, the statue, now in a museum, remains under constant volumes of light from a case where the light bulbs are below it in front of the sculpture, giving it less of a natural tone and more of an underlit one.
Aphrodite is seen in the sculpture at first glance, visibly resisting Pan’s unwanted courtship. She, the goddess of beauty, is covering her naked body as she becomes painfully aware of Pan’s affinity for her. As Pan grabs her wrist, she raises a sandal to strike him. However, The situation may not be what it seems at first glance. Upon initial viewing of the piece, it is evident that Pan is coming onto Aphrodite and that Eros is pushing Pan away from Aphrodite. These initial observations depict a scene of active resistance; however, after closer analysis, it is evident that this is not the case. Aphrodite seems to be using her opposition as a declaration of power.
Aphrodite’s body is still relatively close to Pan, despite her raising of the sandal. Even her leg is touching Pan’s hoof. Her muscles are not contracting as if she is under duress or trying to escape. She is, however, maintaining her ground. She holds her hand over her genitalia, obscuring it from Pan. Her face is also not depicting an angry expression or a fearful one. Instead, it seems that the goddess is firmly declining his advances without fear. It could also be argued that she is playing hard to get. This situation is deduced from the direction in which Aphrodite is looking. She is obviously aware of Pan’s presence; however, she is looking off into the distance — away from Pan — seeming more interested in something far away. Aphrodite’s demeanor and stature are contradictory to her, holding the sandal in resistance. She seems to be acting distracted and uninterested by Pan’s endeavor to veer her attention towards him. Aphrodite’s actions are seen stereotypically in our modern culture today. It is often stereotyped and ingrained in our society today that boys must chase girls, and the girls must play hard to get. These notions are derived from millenniums of history in which women are given the silent power they have to this day. Aphrodite’s use of this quiet power gives her total control of the situation with Pan’s attraction. Although Aphrodite’s demeanor and real depiction is an essential factor in this conclusion, there are other circumstances at play in order to reach it.
Pan’s demeanor is another factor in the conclusion of flirtation within the sculpture. Pan, half man and half goat, has the facial expression of affinity and enamor. He is looking up in the general direction of Aphrodite and Eros. Pan is attempting to gain the attention of Aphrodite, likely to court her. His horn is held by Eros, more commonly known by his Roman name: Cupid. The artist vehemently exposes Pan’s muscular composition in order to express the enthusiasm in which Pan feels trying to get Aphrodite to pay attention to him Pan appears at first glance to be overly aggressive. However, after a more profound analysis, it becomes clear that Pan feels an excellent affinity for Aphrodite. The sculpture appears to be a torturous event upon an elementary analysis, but as the investigation becomes more thorough, it seems to be torturous in a different manner, through a sophisticated, sensual experience. Pan, feeling his passion for Aphrodite, is about to be stricken by her. He does not care about the pain he will feel because he feels such strong feelings of passion, love, and care for Aphrodite. This love he feels creates a dilemma in the sense that Aphrodite is not showing interest in him. He pulls at her hand, but she still covers herself. She is actively resisting his attempts at courtship. He is still attracted to her and making advances on her even though she is clearly denying. Pan is making a fool of himself in the name of his unrequited love for her. This experience is not only defined by the relationship between Pan and Aphrodite, but also the appearance of Eros in the back of the sculpture.
Eros, also known as Cupid in Roman mythology, is the Greek god of love and sex. His presence alone, if adequately acknowledged and understood, makes the scene much more complex and gives it a substantially larger depth. Without understanding Eros, the scene would seem more similar to a guardian angel aiding a woman being attacked by pushing Pan away from Aphrodite. However, seeing that Eros is the Greek god of love and sex, it adds a sense of affinity and sensation to the image. While Eros is a small figure and remains in a small portion of the sculpture, he plays a significant role in the story told by the artist. This depiction of Eros is similar to how Eros or Cupid is understood today. Cupid has become the symbol of love in our every day, and through many representations of love in cartoons, art, and many other mediums in our every day, Cupid and his matchmaking work are afoot. Eros’s presence in the sculpture is small. Symbolically, however, Eros’s presence is what makes the entire sculpture what it is. Eros is a God of passion and physical desire. He is depicted as a child because of his mischievous ways, which can also have grave consequences.[4]Upon first glance, Eros is aiding Aphrodite in escaping Pan. This, however, is not the case. Eros, being the mischievous god he is, is leading Pan into the dangerous game of love, at least to Eros. Eros is known for striking people’s hearts and making them fall in love, no matter the repercussions. This theme is seen repeatedly in renowned works, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. While in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the creature creating the mischief is Puck — not Eros — he has many parallels to Eros in the sense that he creates damage with love and alters the way people feel about each other, blind of the repercussions it would have. The nature of Eros’s mischief is reflected in this sculpture through his grasp on Pan’s horn. While it first appears that he is pushing Pan away from Aphrodite, he is actually veering him towards her. Eros is playing matchmaker with the god and goddess by bringing them together. While Aphrodite is playing hard to get, she holds the sandal in the air, and she threatens to strike Pan with it. Pan, however, remains enamored by Aphrodite and her beauty. Eros’s pride in his mischievous deed is reflected in his facial expression. He is seemingly smiling as he leads Pan into his inevitable embarrassment with Aphrodite. This entire situation would only be possible with the work of Eros.
With the story, the characters, and the motives laid out, it is quintessential to consider the repetition of the motif of love in the artwork. The topic of love appears in many different circumstances, forms, and action within the story created and told by the sculpture. Eros uses his powers of love to manipulate Pan into falling for Aphrodite. Aphrodite, with her pose in contrapposto, actively resists Pan and his extreme feelings of love and passion for her. Pan being in love with Aphrodite even though she denies him, creates the presence of unrequited love. This unrequited love is created by Eros’s mischievous and possibly even malicious intentions. Pan is a man struck and controlled by Eros, simply feeling his passion and affinity for Aphrodite at any cost. Eros is manipulating Pan and creating the unrequited love seemingly for his own enjoyment. Love has a stronghold on every single character in the sculpture and remains the most prevalent motif in the artist’s mind during the creation of the piece.
Another idea to consider is that of the commentary provided by the juxtaposition of beauty and nature. The sculptor visually represents the commentary by depicting the scene of the god of nature coming onto the goddess of beauty. The artist is saying that nature is beautiful, and society’s conception of beauty does not recognize nature’s beauty. Aphrodite — the goddess of beauty — is rejecting Pan — the god of nature — even though he is entirely in love with her and can not resist his attraction to her. However, Aphrodite denies Pan’s advances and even his existence as she looks off into the distance, while he is wholly fixed on her face. The commentary made on the sculpture is how the sculptor feels about the world around him.
The sculpture also calls the integrity of Eros and representatively all angelic beings into question. Is Eros Malicious, or is he mischievous? Does he have Pan’s best interest in mind, or was he manipulating him for his own gain? Eros has a bright smile and a sense of pride as he creates a situation of unrequited love amongst Aphrodite and Pan, seeming quite invigorated by the dilemma he created. The story the author depicts questions the integrity of all of the gods and angelic beings and their true intentions with the people that they manage.
The sculpture provides a lot of insight into the author’s thought process and the demeanor of Greek mythology by merely analyzing the story told by the figures. Further analysis of the piece could reveal issues, metaphors, symbols, etc. that have not yet been uncovered. More vast knowledge of Greek mythology could also provide better introspect on the situation depicted in the sculpture and therefore create a better understanding of it.
References
“Aphrodite of Delos, Marble Group of Aphrodite with Pan and Eros.” Mykonosgreece.com. May 31, 2018. https://www.mykonosgreece.com/aphrodite-of-delos-pan-and-eros/.
Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Delos.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/530/.
“Eros • Facts & Information About Greek God of Love (Cupid).” Greek Gods & Goddesses. https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/eros/.
Larson, Katherine A. 2013. “A Network Approach to Hellenistic Sculptural Production.” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 26 (2): 235–59. doi:10.1558/jmea.v26i2.235.
“Ministry of Culture and Sports: National Archaeological Museum.” Ministry of Culture and Sports | National Archaeological Museum. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh430.jsp?obj_id=5442.
[1] “Aphrodite of Delos, Marble Group of Aphrodite with Pan and Eros.” Mykonosgreece.com. May 31, 2018. https://www.mykonosgreece.com/aphrodite-of-delos-pan-and-eros/.
[2] Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Delos.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/530/.
[3] Larson, Katherine A. 2013. “A Network Approach to Hellenistic Sculptural Production.” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 26 (2): 235–59. doi:10.1558/jmea.v26i2.235.
[4] “Eros • Facts & Information About Greek God of Love (Cupid).” Greek Gods & Goddesses. https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/eros/.
