Roman Ionia - Priapus
Priapus son aof Dionysus and Aphrodite. The goddess it is said, had yielded to the embraces of Dionysus, but during his expedition to India, she became faithless to him, and lived with Adonis. On Dionysus' return from India, she indeed went to meet him, but soon left him again, and went to Lampsacus on the Hellespont, to give birth to the child of the god. But Hera, dissatisfied with her conduct, touched her, and, by her magic power, caused Aphrodite to give birth to a child of extreme ugliness, and with unusually large genitals. According to other myths, Priapus was son of Dionysus and a Naiad.
He was regarded as the promoter of fertility both of the vegetation and of all animals connected with an agricultural life, and in this capacity he was worshipped as the protector of flocks of sheep and goats, of bees, the vine, all
garden-produce, and even of fishing.
Priapus' images of the god of fertility were mass produced in Roman times and considered to be symbols of good luck.
Source: Source: William Smith, “Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology”
Terracotta figurine
Roman period
Selçuk, TR, Ephesus-Museum
Roman Ionia - Priapus
Priapus son aof Dionysus and Aphrodite. The goddess it is said, had yielded to the embraces of Dionysus, but during his expedition to India, she became faithless to him, and lived with Adonis. On Dionysus' return from India, she indeed went to meet him, but soon left him again, and went to Lampsacus on the Hellespont, to give birth to the child of the god. But Hera, dissatisfied with her conduct, touched her, and, by her magic power, caused Aphrodite to give birth to a child of extreme ugliness, and with unusually large genitals. According to other myths, Priapus was son of Dionysus and a Naiad.
He was regarded as the promoter of fertility both of the vegetation and of all animals connected with an agricultural life, and in this capacity he was worshipped as the protector of flocks of sheep and goats, of bees, the vine, all
garden-produce, and even of fishing.
Priapus' images of the god of fertility were mass produced in Roman times and considered to be symbols of good luck.
Source: Source: William Smith, “Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology”
Terracotta figurine
Roman period
Selçuk, TR, Ephesus-Museum