The Knidian Aphrodite's Divine Body

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Aphrodite’s divine power rested in her sensuality, and her body was her means of expressing that power. In the case of the Knidian Aphrodite, even the artificial representation of Aphrodite’s divine body held sway over mortal men. It is said that a young man once concealed himself in her temple, and under the cover of night he attempted to consummate his love with the statue, leaving a stain on the marble. Because the women who beheld the statue had the same anatomy as her, they would have believed they possessed some of that power. Though the statue has this sort of erotic power, some scholars would argue that Aphrodite is ashamed of her nudity. The hand gesture known as the pudica, according to Salomon, tries to cover up the vulva but also