Perry, Walter Copland: Greek and Roman sculpture: a popular introduction to the history of Greek and Roman sculpture (London, 1882)

THE CNIDIAN APHRODITE.

441

CHAPTER XXXVII.

PRAXITELES
(continued).

25. APHRODITE OF CNIDOS.

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Of all the works of Greek plastic art which ancient writers have
thought worthy of especial mention, none, except perhaps the Zeus
and Parthenos of Pheidias, excited their interest and admiration in
so high a degree as the Aphrodite of Cnidos. In speaking of this
miracle of beauty,.the wise grow foolish, and the foolish mad. Pliny1
himself makes no exception : ' Above all the works not only of
Praxiteles, but in the whole world, is the Venus, to see which many
men made the voyage to Cnidos, which was fashioned, as is supposed,
with the approbation of the Goddess herself.' ' What,' says Cicero,2
' do you suppose the Cnidians would have suffered rather than lose
their marble Venus ?' 'The Paphian Cytherca,' runs the epigram,:i
' went through the waves to Cnidos, desiring to behold her own image,
and having beheld it, " Alas ! alas !" she cried, " where did Praxiteles
behold me thus ? ] thought only three persons—Paris, Anchises, and
Adonis—had done so." ' The same epigram says that ' when Pallas
and the Consort of Zeus had seen the Cnidian Aphrodite, they said
" We were wrong to blame the Phrygian (Paris)."1 " Neither did Praxi-
teles fashion thee nor the chisel, but thus thou Stood est when judged
by Paris." '" As another proof of the value and celebrity of this

1 xxxvi. 20. ' />i Vciicm, 60.

■ Anthot. Ci. i. 104. 9. Conf. iv. 16S, 246.

' AmtluL Gr. i. 97. !j.
1 Ihid. i. 104. 10.