The Discovery of the Venus de Milo

On this day, on the Greek island of Milos, a local farmer unearthed an ancient Greek marble sculpture dating back to about the 2nd century B.C. Believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, the “Venus de Milo” (Venus being the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite), has been on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1821 and is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture in the world. The statue is made of Parian marble, is about two metres in height, and is missing both arms. A marble hand holding an apple that was found near the statue has led to the belief that Aphrodite was originally holding the apple of discord, the golden apple dropped by Eris, the goddess of strife, at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis that sparked the dispute among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, eventually giving rise to the Trojan War.

Author: Tony

Born and raised in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Educated at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, England. Living in the foothills of Mount Etna since 1982 and teaching English at Catania University since 1987. View all posts by Tony