Sexual life in ancient Greece : with thirty-two full-page plates

PERVERSIONS OF GREEK SEXUAL LIFE 4. PYGMALIONISM

Pygmalion, the mythical King of Cyprus, was so delighted with the statue of the girl executed by him, that he fell in love with the ivory-work, and could not rest until Aphrodite, at his incessant entreaties, animated the statue, after which he begot Paphos with the young woman, from whom the well-known town in Cyprus was named. Hence the love of statues and other works of art was called “ Pygmalionism ” (see Ovid, Metam., x, 243 ff.).

A case of Pygmalionism is given in detail in the Erotes of Lucian (xv ff.). A youth of excellent family who had fallen in love with the famous statue of Aphrodite in Cnidus by Praxiteles, spent whole days in the temple, and “ was never tired of gazing without cessation at the divine images. Gently whispered sighs and passionate laments of stolen caresses with a struggle escaped his lips. As a token of his ever increasing passion every wall was filled with inscriptions of love, and on the bark of every tree he carved the words “ Beautiful Aphrodite’. He adored Praxiteles as Zeus himself, and laid at the feet of the goddess as votive presents all that he possessed that was ornamental and valuable.

This was not the only time when a youth fell in love with the Cnidian Aphrodite. Philostratus (Vita Ap., 276) relates that such a case was reported by Apollonius of Tyana, who caused the youth to visit him, and healed him of his passion. He told him that it did not befit men to love the gods and, by way of warning, reminded him of Ixion, who was undergoing severe punishment in the underworld because he had desired Hera. ‘“‘ Thus he succeeded in healing this madness, and the youth was allowed to go, after he had offered sacrifice to obtain the forgiveness of the goddess.”

Elian tells of a young and distinguished Athenian, “who fell madly in love with the statue of Agathe

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