Currently researching a possible connection of the holy cross with Aphrodite! I accidentally came across a piece of information that I found very intriguing: the site of the church of the Holy Sepulchre was originally a temple of Aphrodite, built by the roman emperor Hadrian in the early second century. Emperor Constantine ordered the demolition of the temple in 325 and directed his mother Eleni to build a church devoted to Jesus. While in the process of excavating the site, Eleni has allegedly discovered the holy cross under the temple of Aphrodite!
She immediately set off for Constantinople, but was forced to land in Cyprus due to bad weather.Cyprus was in a bad way. It had not rained for a very long time-some 36 years.The land was filled with snakes, and many of the inhabitants had fled elsewhere. After a vision she had, she decided to built churches throughout the island.Story has it that the Holy Cross itself miraculously found its way to Mount Olympos, revealing to St Helena where a church should be built. There she built Stavrovouni.The interesting part is that at the specific site laid the ruins of a temple of Aphrodite!
A twist of fate? Cosmic irony? A series of coincidences?
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| A fresco from the church of Stavrovouni. On the top left, one can easily distinguish a temple. |
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