god
Venus
also: Venus, Veneris
Roman goddess of love and beauty; here the subject of Apelles's famous painting, the Venus rising from the sea (Anadyomene). Distinct from the cult-specific Venus Erycina (god:venus-erycina).
Reading notes
- On Divination §1.23 make the Venus-throw
In Roman dice the 'Venus' was the best cast, all four knucklebones showing different faces. Quintus argues that a single lucky throw is chance, but a long run of them could not be.
- On the Nature of the Gods §1.75 the Venus of Cos
The famous Aphrodite painted by Apelles for the island of Cos, a masterpiece of illusion. Cotta uses it to mock the Epicurean god: a mere semblance of body and blood, not the real thing.