Hermaphroditus
In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, born a remarkably handsome boy with whom the water nymph Salmacis fell in love and she prayed to be united with him forever. A god in answer to her prayer merged their two forms into one and transformed them into an androgynous form. His name is compounded of his parents names, Hermes and Aphrodite. He was one of the Erotes.
His name is the basis for the word hermaphrodite.
Herculaneum fresco 1-50 AD, National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
Drawing of a relief depicting Hermaphroditus and Eros crowning a herm, c. 1721 (Antonio Maria Zanetti)
Hermaphroditus statue from Pergamum, Hellenistic, 3rd century BC (Istanbul).
Symbolism
Hermaphroditus, the two-sexed child of Aphrodite and Hermes (Venus and Mercury) had long been a symbol of androgyny or effeminacy, and was portrayed in Greco-Roman art as a female figure with male genitals.
Theophrastus's account also suggests a link between Hermaphroditus and the institution of marriage. The reference to the fourth day of the month is telling: this is the luckiest day to have a wedding. Hermaphroditus's association with marriage seems to have been that, by embodying both masculine and feminine qualities, he symbolized the coming together of men and women in sacred union. Another factor linking Hermaphroditus to weddings was his parents' role in protecting and blessing brides.
Hermaphroditus's name is derived from those of his parents Hermes and Aphrodite. All three of these gods figure largely among erotic and fertility figures, and all possess distinctly sexual overtones. Sometimes, Hermaphroditus is referred to as Aphroditus. The phallic god Priapus was the son of Hermes in some accounts and the youthful god of desire Eros of Hermes and Aphrodite.
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Hermaphroditus ]
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