Aphrodite and Persephone

Today I will reveal more of the enigmatic evidence Goris discovered in relation to the archaeological site of the Temple of Apollo Hylates, which I have described in my previous blog. This evidence allowed him to shed light on unknown aspects of two other sacred places in Cyprus connected to the cult of Aphrodite.

In 1991 and 1992, a team of six topographers was called in to verify, through scientific measurements using specialised instruments from the National Technological University of Athens, the alignment of the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates with the position of the sun at midday on the summer solstice. The same team verified the alignment of a Paleochristian basilica situated at the top of the hill at the site of ancient Amathus with the sun at sunrise and the Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Palaipaphos at sunset.

Measurements showed that the three worship sites in question show various degrees of declination in their alignment with the sun on the summer solstice, declinations which are within acceptable limits scientifically, since they are mostly due to the shifts in tectonic plates caused by earthquakes or other geological changes in the passing of the centuries. In fact, the smallest declination is that of the Paleochristian basilica in ancient Amathus, built in the 6th century AD. According to Goris, right under this spot there was once a more ancient temple dedicated to Adonis.

Goris’ claim, that the Paleochristian basilica is built on the foundations of an older temple dedicated to Adonis, has been disputed by the archaeological community, particularly by the French Archaeological School of Athens, which has been excavating the acropolis of Amathus for a number of years.

The archaeologists’ view is substantiated by the fact that the foundations of the Christian church were built with building material taken exclusively from the adjacent temple of Aphrodite, which is also verified by the video I took that morning of the summer solstice of 1992. It was after all a common practice of the first Christians, who systematically destroyed the ancient temples to replace them with their own.

Nonetheless, Goris upholded his belief, justifying it on a number of indications. The first indication for Goris was the name ancient Cypriots gave to Month June. “They called this month Adonis because they identified the harvest month with Adonis for he was the primary force that brought fruition, especially to wheat. This month also was associated with the Adonian mysteries. In ancient Amathus particularly, these were celebrated on the longest day of the year with purification rituals, because they believed that Adonis’ head was cut off in every stalk that was harvested.” 

Another indication for Goris is the existence of ancient texts referring to the worship of Adonis in Amathus, and perhaps to the existence of a sanctuary dedicated to him and Aphrodite.

In Pausanias’ “Description of Greece”, we read: “In Cyprus is a city called Amathus in which is an old sanctuary of Adonis and Aphrodite,”

Stephanos Byzantios also tells us in one of his works:  “In Amathus Adonis-Osiris was worshiped, who although an Egyptian god, was appropriated by the Cypriots and the Phoenicians.”

A final indication for Goris is the archaeoastronomical dimension of the myth of Aphrodite sharing Adonis with Persephone in an annual cycle determined by the rotation of the sun, symbolising nature’s perpetual cycle of death and rebirth.

Goris in an interview said: “According to Macrobius, a great historian, philosopher and geographer, the ancient Greeks wisely divided the zodiac into the higher and the lower signs. It takes twelve months for the sun to move from the higher to the lower signs. For the six months that the days get longer, it’s the course towards Aphrodite. On the 21^st of June, the days start getting shorter. That is the course toward Persephone. This cycle symbolizes the sharing of Adonis, between the two goddesses; Aphrodite and Persephone. Just as the seed germinates in spring, becomes the fruit, which in the case of wheat is harvested, and the seed falls again to the ground to remain dormant until it resurfaces again. It is the perpetual cycle of life and death. It is the never-ending cycle of life, which repeats itself. We too abide by this significant phenomenon. There is no end; there is only perpetual motion. According to the great Pythagoras – with Heraclitus complementing that “Everything flows” – “In its perpetual motion, nature brings everything into being”. And this is the quintessential act whereby divinity expresses its presence and identity.”

Goris’ strong conviction that there is a sanctuary or temple in ancient Amathus dedicated to Adonis, as it is presented in the ENTELECHY documentary (you can watch the trailer of this film through my website: tetraktys.tv) led me to a

new line of research, which seems to lead to the conclusion that Cyprus, apart from a bridge between great civilisations, was also an important geodetic node in the area. More about geodesy in Cyprus will be discussed in future blogs.

The dream, part 2

Today I will tell you more about the weird dream I had at the age of 15 and which had remained indelibly etched in my memory.  I recalled it back in 1989, when I scaled the acropolis of ancient Amathus, in order to visit the Temple of Aphrodite for the first-ever time. When reaching the top, I looked upon pieces of marble from the Temple scattered on the ground next to the Temple’s very foundations. In that dream, I had seen myself scaling a large, steep rockface. It was night time, the air thick with mist, and a full moon in the sky. On reaching the top, I found myself face to face with a magnificent temple, gleaming in the pale light of the moon. Suddenly, the area was struck by a terrible earthquake. The ground shook, and the temple started to collapse. Scared, I ran to scale back down the rockface, but this was now impossible. I found myself standing on the edge of a sheer vertical cliff, and there was no way down. It was then that a beautiful young woman dressed in an archaic-looking white gown, appeared behind me. In the darkness, she shone brightly and, smiling at me, reached out to me with her hand and said, in a calm voice, “Do not be afraid…”

As I mentioned in the previous post, everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason. It was then that my acquaintance with Cypriot artist, lover of antiquity and researcher Goris Gregoriades  played a determining role and opened before me a whole new world.  Goris Gregoriades “initiated” me in an up-till-then unknown to me aspect of the adoration of Aphrodite which has to do with archaeoastronomy. This matter, which was indeed greatly interesting, had as a result my launching of the production of the documentary “ENTELECHY” which, as I’ve already mentioned, took the best part of 20 years. How I succeeded in realizing this production, as well as what it includes, I will be posting in subsequent blogs. 

“The heavens teach us to observe and the earth to remember. Blessed is he who has beheld the Mysteries. He knows the end, he knows the divine origin of life."  With Pindar’s verses as a starting point, I entered the gates of mystery, attempting to decode the secrets hidden in the primordial stone tablets of knowledge, with Goris as my guide in the journey of initiation.

The ancient Greek civilization is a primary source of inspiration for Goris the painter.  His lack of academic training in areas contextual to his research did not prevent him from penetrating into the very depths of archaeoastronomy and philosophy. With their help, his restless and creative spirit was led to a profound and unprecedented discovery: that the distances between three sites of worship in Cyprus form an isosceles triangle. As for their orientation, it is directly linked to the rotation of the sun.

The archaeological site which lead Goris to discover the unique geodesic discovery, is the temple of Apollo Hylates. The temple’s unorthodox orientation in relation to the opposite building was the stimulus that prompted Goris to note its alignment with the sun at midday on the day of the summer solstice. Goris recalls the day he made this discovery.

“It was here, at this temple, which had interested me for decades and was my primary subject of research, that my questions began. Because even though this place, particularly the temple of Apollo Hylates, belonged to the Priesthood, I noticed that they decided to position architectural constructions along oblique lines, and there must have been a reason for that. And that reason is what I have been speculating on for decades. I got my answer in 1989, when I came here and saw that on the longest day of the year, when the sun is as its brightest, its grandest position in the summer solstice, it aligns with the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.”

Indeed, at midday on the summer solstice, the sun lies at a 10-degree angle from the vertical axis over the temple of Apollo Hylates, which is also the exact declination of the temple’s facade from the opposite building, just as Goris had noted. This declination also corresponds to the geographical distance between Ancient Syene – modern day Aswan in Egypt – and the temple of Apollo Hylates in Cyprus. Goris calculated this using the method of Eratosthenes. The great philosopher, mathematician and geographer of the Alexandrine School, was able to calculate the circumference of the Earth by measuring the angle of the sun at midday on the summer solstice in Alexandria, measuring also the distance between Alexandria and Syene, where on the same day the sun would, at midday, appear directly overhead, its rays lighting up even the bottom of wells…  (to be continued)

Aphrodite and the holy cross

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?

A fresco from the church of Stavrovouni. On the top left, one can easily distinguish a temple.

In the Goddess’s Name I Summon You. . .

When greek poet George Seferis paid a visit to the ruins of  the greatest sanctuary of Aphrodite in Palaepaphos, he also visited the church of Panaghia, which is built right next to the site. While standing in the church yard, the scent of oil coming from an old oil press invoked a vision. He saw a girl, a sacred prostitute, offering herself to a stranger, as an act of paying her duties to Goddess Aphrodite.  

In the Goddess’s Name I Summon You...

Oil on limbs,

maybe a rancid smell

as on the chapel’s

oil-press here,

as on the rough pores

of the unturning stone. 

Oil on hair

wreathed in rope

and maybe other scents

unknown to us

poor and rich

and statuettes offering

small breasts with their fingers. 

Oil in the sun

the leaves shuddered

when the stranger stopped

and the silence weighed

between the knees.

The coins fell:

‘In the goddess’s name I summon you...’ 

Oil on the shoulders

and the flexing waist

legs grass-dappled,

and that wound in the sun

as the bell rang for vespers

as I spoke in the churchyard

with a crippled man. 

Filming at the ruins, the church in the back

By George Seferis 1900–1971 George Seferis

Translated By Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard

Perform the rites of the Goddess

A beautiful poem from Ovid's Fasti, encouraging the women of Rome to honour the Goddess's ritual of preparation for the Hieros Gamos (sacred marriage). 

Hieros Gamos refers to a sexual ritual that plays out a marriage between a god and a goddess, especially when enacted in a symbolic ritual, where human participants represent the deities. It is the harmonization of opposites.

The notion of hieros gamos does not presuppose actual performance in ritual, but is also used in purely symbolic or mythological context, notably in alchemy and hence in Jungian psychology. 

"Perform the rites of the goddess, Roman brides and mothers,

And you who must not wear the headbands and long robes.

Remove the golden necklaces from her marble neck,

Remove her riches: the goddess must be cleansed, complete.

Return the gold necklaces to her neck, once it’s dry:

Now she’s given fresh flowers, and new-sprung roses.

She commands you too to bathe, under the green myrtle,

And there’s a particular reason for her command (learn, now!).

Naked, on the shore, she was drying her dripping hair:

The Satyrs, that wanton crowd, spied the goddess.

She sensed it, and hid her body with a screen of myrtle:

Doing so, she was safe: she commands that you do so too.

Learn now why you offer incense to Fortuna Virilis,

In that place that steams with heated water.

All women remove their clothes on entering,

And every blemish on their bodies is seen:

Virile Fortune undertakes to hide those from the men,

And she does this at the behest of a little incense.

Don’t begrudge her poppies, crushed in creamy milk

And in flowing honey, squeezed from the comb:

When Venus was first led to her eager spouse,

She drank so: and from that moment was a bride.

Please her with words of supplication: beauty,

Virtue, and good repute are in her keeping.

In our forefather’s time Rome lapsed from chastity:

And the ancients consulted the old woman of Cumae.

She ordered a temple built to Venus: when it was done

Venus took  the name of Heart-Changer (Verticordia).

Loveliest One, always look with a benign gaze

On the sons of Aeneas, and guard their many wives.

As I speak, Scorpio, the tip of whose raised tail

Strikes fear, plunges down into the green waves."

                                                                     

                                                                             Ovid's Fasti, April

Aphrodite and the Erotes

The dream

I do not believe in luck or chance. Everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason. Besides, it is absolutely true that when you intensely wish for something to happen, the whole universe conspires for the realization of this wish. I call it synchronicity. I remember back in 1989, when I scaled the acropolis of ancient Amathus for the first time in order to visit the Temple of Aphrodite. On looking for the first-ever time upon pieces of marble from the Temple scattered on the ground next to the Temple’s very foundations, I immediately recalled a strange dream I’d had at the age of 15 and which had remained indelibly etched in my memory since. I had seen myself scaling a large, steep rockface. It was nighttime, the air thick with mist, and a full moon in the sky. On reaching the top, I found myself face to face with a magnificent temple, gleaming in the pale light of the moon. Suddenly,the area was struck by a terrible earthquake. The ground shook, and the temple started to collapse. Scared, I ran to scale back down the rockface, but this was now impossible. I found myself standing on the edge of a sheer vertical cliff, and there was no way down. It was then that a beautiful young woman dressed in an archaic-looking white gown, appeared behind me. In the darkness, she shone brightly and, smiling at me, reached out to me with her hand and said, in a calm voice, “Do not be afraid…”

The beginning

I am going back in time, trying to determine the beginning of this long journey. I dive into the depths of my internal memory, searching for my first footsteps. My effort to determine the specific day, or even year seems futile now. It feels like it's a journey as ancient as my primary pulse.

As I move deeper into the labyrinth of knowlegde about our Goddess, the journey becomes even more exciting. Records,documents, artifacts, legends and traditions, all transform into keys unlocking  doors locked with rusted lockers. Doors which were shut for eons,  kept invisible, buried deep into the ground by pilgrims of new religions that dominated the ancient ones, stained with blood. Light over darkness,  our soul's flame spreads a faint light on the walls of dark corridors. Our destination...  could it be the entrance/exit of this labyrinth? Who knows? It doesn't matter anyway. What counts  most, is  the journey to Ithaca itself, according to Constantinos Cavafis, the Greek poet  form Alexandria, Egypt.