The Feast of Venus by Peter Paul Rubens 1636-1637
"The Veneralia was an ancient Roman festival celebrated April 1 (the
Kalends of Aprilis) in honor of Venus Verticordia ("Venus the changer of
hearts") and Fortuna Virilis ("Manly" or "Virile Fortune").
The
cult of Venus Verticordia was established in 220 BC, just before the
beginning of the Second Punic War, in response to advice from a
Sibylline oracle, when a series of prodigies was taken to signify divine
displeasure at sexual offenses among Romans of every category and
class, including several men and three Vestal Virgins. Her statue was
dedicated by a young woman, chosen as the most pudica (sexually pure) in
Rome by a committee of Roman matrons. At first, the statue was probably
housed within the temple to Fortuna Virilis. This cult, older than that
to Venus Verticordia but possibly perceived as weak or gone to seed,
may have benefited from the moral and religious support of Venus as a
relatively new but senior deity; for Ovid, Venus's acceptance of the
epithet and its responsibilities represented the Goddess's own change of
heart. In 114 BC Venus Verticordia was given her own temple. She was
meant to persuade Romans of both sexes and every class, whether married
or unmarried, to cherish the traditional sexual proprieties and morality
known to please the Gods and benefit the State. During the Veneralia,
her cult image was taken from her temple to the men's baths, where it
was undressed and washed in warm water by her female attendants, then
garlanded with myrtle. At the Veneralia, women and men asked Venus
Verticordia for her help in affairs of the heart, sex, betrothal and
marriage. Fortuna Virilis was given cult on the same day."
-taken from wikipedia
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| The Feast of Venus by Peter Paul Rubens 1636-1637. |
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_The_Feast_of_Venus_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
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