Oct 26: From Paphos to Olympus: the Cypriot Roots of Aphrodite, with Caroline Barnes (UBC)

Join us October 26, 2026, at 7:30pm, at 4500 Arbutus Street - Upper Hall.

Aphrodite is one of the most recognizable goddesses of the ancient Greek world, yet her origins may be far from Olympus. This talk explores the goddess's connections to the island of Cyprus, particularly at Paphos, where Hesiod claims that she first emerged from the sea and where she was worshipped for centuries. Moving beyond the familiar associations of love and beauty, we will examine evidence for Aphrodite's eastern Mediterranean and Near Eastern antecedents, including her relationship to the goddess Astarte.

The talk will also explore a less familiar aspect of Aphrodite: her association with the figure of Hermaphroditos. This gender and sex-fluid dimension of the goddess may reflect echoes of earlier Cypriot religious traditions represented by bisexual or androgynous figurines found on the island since the Chalcolithic period.

Caroline Barnes is a PhD Candidate at the University of British Columbia specializing in the archaeology of Bronze Age Cyprus.