Aphroditeles Life And Accomplishments

The historic and iconic marble sculpture, Aphrodite of Knidos, sometimes referred to as Aphrodite of Cindus, was created by the sculptor Praxiteles. Not much is known about Praxiteles for sure as the only definite dates in relation to him are found at the base of a portrait statue where he inscribed “Praxiteles the Athenian made it” or are written by Pliny the Elder in his monumental work, Naturalis Historia (Encyclopedia of World Biography). This work places him during the 104th Olympiad, or roughly 364-361 BCE (Pliny the Elder) while the base of the statue places him around roughly 330 BCE. Nevertheless, it is believed by some that Praxiteles was born around 375 BCE and is either the son or close relative of the famous artist, Kephisodotos (Encyclopedia of Sculpture). Praxiteles was one of the greatest and most famous sculptors that came out of ancient Greece and is considered to be in the ranks of legendary sculptors such as Myron and Polykleitos (Encyclopedia of Sculpture).
At the beginning of the 4th century Athenian civilization was disappointed with some of the civic values which
She was the goddess of sexual love, beauty, sea and seafaring, war, love, and fertility (The Editors). Being as she was the goddess of all things beautiful and sexual, this might offer an explanation as to why she was the first goddess to be depicted in the nude. As previously stated, the Aphrodite of Knidos is both sexual while retaining a sense of modesty though the hand covering her genitals; however, this did not stop one man who reportedly hid himself in the temple where the statue was located until nightfall to then try and reproduce with the sculpture (Ancient Greece). This story resulted due to a stain that was on one of the sculpture’s thigh and, according to Pliny, the sculpture was so powerful that even homosexuals would find themselves desiring her (Buell