Hybridization In Isis Aphrodite

Before looking into detail the idea behind the hybridization in Isis Aphrodite, it is important to understand the historical concept of the period of Roman-Egypt. Rome’s rule over Egypt officially began with the arrival of Octavian (later called Augustus) in 30 B.C. For the first part of the century following the Roman conquest, Egypt played the role of an active and prosperous Roman province in the Mediterranean world. According to author J. G Milne in his book titled, A History of Egypt Under Roman Rule, “the conquest of Egypt and its incorporation into the Roman Empire inaugurated a new fascination with its ancient culture”; even though this source might be dated, its content still has some relevance to this particular topic. The cult of Isis, the Egyptian mother goddess, had an immense impact throughout the empire. Likewise, changes were easily identifiable in Egyptian artistic and religious forms, as “Egyptian gods
Traditional idealized images open the door to ones enhanced with “contemporary Greco-Roman coiffures and dress as influenced by fashions of the royal court in Rome, and even panel portraits were painted in the illusionistic Greco-Roman style. One of the most noticeable examples of this blending of cultures between Roman and Egyptian traditions, is the idea behind Isis Aphrodite, a goddess that serves as a connecting point between two very similar faith systems that come together, bringing the best of both worlds.

Isis Aphrodite
Some of the clearest examples of the hybridization in art, more specifically between the regions of Rome and Egypt are depictions of Isis-Aphrodite. In Figure 2 we can appreciate a hybrid depiction between the two goddesses from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In order to gain a better understanding, we ought to take a step back, and perhaps it is worth looking a little in depth at both deities separately