Venus Pendant, Silver

Venus / Aphrodite pendant

Phalerae or Phalerae are round ornamental discs with a sculpturally elaborated motif, which were usually awarded as military decorations, so-called Dona Militaria. In a smaller form, the ornamental discs with their elaborate figural decorations make a beautiful necklace.

Small amulet with the portrait of Venus (Greek Aphrodite) from our series of miniaturised phalera pendants. The depiction of Venus / Aphrodite with the large diadem is based on a statue from Augusta Raurica (Augst). With a diameter of about 25 mm, the piece is a wonderful lucky charm on a leather thong or chain. The Venus pendant is handcrafted from solid high quality 925 silver using an elaborate technique and comes with a leather thong and certificate in a beautiful jewellery case.

Venus or Aphrodite pendant - the historical background

Within the framework of the Interpretatio Romana, the Roman goddess of love Venus was equated with the Greek Aphrodite from the 4th century BC onwards.

Various creation myths of the ancient goddess of love exist, but they are often associated with the sea. The most famous of these is the painting by Botticelli, in which Aphrodite emerges from a shell after being conceived by the seed of the Titan Kronos.

The classical legends of antiquity tell of the numerous love affairs of the beautiful goddess, from whom numerous gods and demigods sprang. The fateful judgement of Paris, in which the Trojan hero chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess and received the love of Helen as a reward, is also one of the great myths of antiquity as the prehistory of the Trojan War.

Aphrodite is not only the goddess of beauty and platonic love, but as Aphrodite Pandemos also the goddess of sensuality and physical love. At the beginning of the 3rd century BC, the first temple of Venus was founded in Rome. As the progenitor of the entire Roman nation, she soon became one of the most important deities in the Imperium Romanum.
According to her origin as being born of the sea, dolphins are associated with the goddess. In ancient depictions, one often sees little erotes riding on dolphins, serving as messengers of the goddess of love.

Among the Germanic tribes, Venus was equated with the goddess Freya (or Frija or Frigg). While in Italy the 6th day of the week still commemorates the goddess of love as "venerdi", in German-speaking countries we have adopted the Germanised designation "Freitag".