The provenance file on Aphrodítē
The provenance file for Aphrodítē. Nothing here is unsourced; that is what the file is for.
Provenance
1. The attestation. Ἀφροδίτη — "Born of sea foam (from ἀφρός)". On record: LSJ, Beekes, Pape-Benseler, Hesiod, Theogony.
2. The preserved evidence. i → í (Acute on short iota); e → ē (Eta: long epsilon) — absent from the ASCII form aphrodite, present in the restoration, verifiable against the sources above.
3. The narrative record. Born from the Sea — When Kronos castrated Ouranos and threw his genitals into the sea, white foam gathered around them. From this foam Aphrodítē arose, first at Cythera and then at Cyprus. The Apple of Discord — Eris threw a golden apple inscribed 'to the fairest' among the goddesses. Paris awarded it to Aphrodítē after she promised him Helen, the most beautiful mortal woman.
4. The physical record. Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Palaepaphos (Kouklia, Cyprus): a 12th-century BCE shrine with later ashlar temple, altar courts, and the famous Cypriot syllabary dedication 'Aphrodite's sanctuary.' At Cythera, the sanctuary of Aphrodite Ourania overlooked the sea from the sixth century BCE. Corinth's temple of Aphrodite on Acrocorinth is attested by Pausanias and excavation. The Knidia of Praxiteles (Roman copies, e.g., Vatican Museums) was housed in a circular tholos at Cnidus.
5. The current holding. The temple at /sites/aphrodite/, classified Tier 1. Tier-1 is not a compliment; it is a measurement. This restoration keeps something the ASCII form provably loses, and the measurement is repeatable.
6. The documented resonances. Beauty, Fashion & Cosmetics, Love, Dating & Relationships, Gems, Jewelry & Luxury Materials — seats argued and weighted in the pattern atlas, read through the myths in this temple's Resonance File.
7. The primary sources. Theogony, Homeric Hymns, Works and Days — the library this file answers to, open at the Sacred Texts collection.
8. The continuing record. Aphrodítē shaped Greek culture more deeply than any martial god. Marriage, prostitution, homosexual love, and civic festivals all fell under her patronage.
At a Glance
- Restored name: Aphrodítē
- ASCII form: aphrodite
- Meaning: "Born of sea foam (from ἀφρός)"
- Domain of influence: Love, Beauty, Pleasure
- Pantheon: Greek
- Classification: Tier 1
- Original script: Ἀφροδίτη
- Series: The Restoration Files, No. 25 of 287
The File Continues
Read the founding dispatch for the name's full story, the Resonance File for the archetype at work — or the whole archive in one sitting.
Continue the series — previous file: ꜥꜣpp (read it here) · next file: Apóllōn (read it here).
The Restoration Files are written from the same canonical record as the temples themselves: the lexicon, the lore catalog, the pattern atlas, and the cited scholarly sources. If a file ever disagrees with its temple, the temple is right — tell us, and the file will be corrected.