Venus Barbata, or bearded Venus, was an epithet of the Roman goddess Venus. The Roman writer Macrobius mentions a statue of Venus in Cyprus that portrayed the goddess with a beard and in female attire, but resembling in her whole figure that of a man, an image combining male and female nature that appears to belong to a very late period of antiquity. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayHistorically attested; no continuous cult 2 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Function
Domain / Function Identity
GenderAndrogynous / dual-gendered 2 Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 Sources
1. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend
Anthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. Dow, Facts on File- Domain / Function: Love and desire
- Theology: Polytheistic: many gods
- Historicity: Not a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being
2. The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th edition
Simon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth and Esther Eidinow (eds.), Oxford University Press- Gender: Androgynous / dual-gendered
- Veneration Today: Historically attested; no continuous cult
Wikipedia, "Venus Barbata"
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