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.
The Discovery of the Venus de Milo
8th April 1820