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Where did Aphrodite find the Body of Adonis?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Extract

In ancient Cyprus no one could have hesitated to point out the spot in question. But in the present day we have nothing to guide us except a hint of the famous Καινὴ ἰστορία of Ptolemy Hephaestion, as recorded by Photius in chap. cxc of the Myriobiblos.

The mythographer deals in the seventh book with the Λευκὰς πέτρα which had the miraculous power of curing those who, when afflicted with love, dared to jump from it. It was this extreme remedy that Apollo counselled to Aphrodite, disconsolate at the death of Adonis: Μετὰ τὸνΑδώνιδός φασι θάνατον περιερχομένη καὶ ζητοῦσα ἡ Αφροδίτη εὖρεν αὐτὸνἐν Αργει πόλει τῆς Κύπρον ἐν τῷ τοῦ ἐριθίου Απόλλωνος ἰερῷ καὶ ἀνείλεναὐτόν

Whereabouts in Cyprus was this πόλις Αργος? None of the ancient geographers tells us, and, so far as I know, no modern scholar has elucidated this point. All of them mention ᾿´Αργος among the towns in Cyprus not yet identified.

A short while ago I expressed the opinion (in ᾿Αθηνᾶ vol. xviii, p. 343) that this ᾿´Αργος was ᾿´Αρσος and I now explain the reasons which appear to me sufficient to justify my conjecture.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1908

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References

1 See Μυθογράφοι, edit. A. Westermann, Brunswigae, 1843, p. 198.

2 Commentationes Philologae in honorem Theodori Mommsenii. Berolini, 1877, p. 678.

3Κουβουκλια’ occurs in the Chronicle of Μαχαιᾶς (Sathas, , Bibliotheca medii aevi, vol. ii. Venice, 1873, p. 384)Google Scholar. The French also wrote ‘Couvoucles.’ In the Chorograffia … dell' isola di Cipro of Stephen Lusignan, fol. 7, 1 (Bologna, 1573) where the v is always printed u, the word has been misprinted Conuclia, and this caused Mr.J[ames], M. R. to suggest (in J.H.S. ix. 191)Google Scholar that ‘if Conuclia is right, it may have some connexion with κούνικλος, a rabbit.’ The misprinting, however, is corrected in the last folio of Lusignan (without No. 124) ‘conunclia, couvouclia 7, 1.’

4 Kypros, Bible and Homer, Berlin, 1893, p. 12, No. 18.

5 Essai … sur le changement de λ en ρ (Extrait des Mémoires Orientaux, Paris, 1905)

6 Editio minor Mauric. Schmidt, Jenae, 1867, p. 234.

7 Curtius, Georg, Grundzüge der Griech. Etymologie, Leipzig, 1878, p. 356Google Scholar.

8 Cf. Scholia vetera in Pindari Carmina, edit. Drachmann, , Olymp. iii. 31Google Scholar.

9 By G. F. Hill (London, 1904, p. xlv).

10 Σίμου Μενάρδου Τοπωννμικὸν τῆς Κύπρον in ᾿Αθηνᾶ vol. xviii, pp. 382—384.

11 Εκκλησιαστικῆς ἱστορίας Book ii. ch. v. Migne, Patrol. gr. vol. 67, p. 945 B.

12 In the village of Athienou (nearest to Γιόρκοι) two inscriptions were lately found, the one on the pedestal of a statue and the other on a column. These I intend to publish shortly.