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pleasant documentary about the cult of Aphrodite
In this well-made documentary, presenter Bettany Hughes traces the cult of Aphrodite through the Classical world, complete with its historic and geographical roots, its temples, its worshippers and its statues. While doing so she points out that for many of the Ancients, Aphrodite was a goddess far removed from her current images as a simpering nude or as a giggly bit of all right. Once upon a time thousands trembled before her might, since she was regarded as the irresistible life principle shaping both the natural and the supernatural world.
The documentary also discusses the rediscovery / recuperation of Classical culture by the Renaissance and later eras. It contains a rather interesting segment on Sir Francis Dashwood, aristocrat, politician and libertine, who introduced his own pseudo-cult of Venus (aka "Prostitutes and Booze") in order to counteract and mock Christianity. This segment acts as a salutary reminder of the fact that very few people will try to stop you as long as you're the richest man for miles around.
I liked the documentary well enough, although I would have liked to have seen a bit less of the presenter and a bit more of the places she visited and the objects she discussed.
The documentary also discusses the rediscovery / recuperation of Classical culture by the Renaissance and later eras. It contains a rather interesting segment on Sir Francis Dashwood, aristocrat, politician and libertine, who introduced his own pseudo-cult of Venus (aka "Prostitutes and Booze") in order to counteract and mock Christianity. This segment acts as a salutary reminder of the fact that very few people will try to stop you as long as you're the richest man for miles around.
I liked the documentary well enough, although I would have liked to have seen a bit less of the presenter and a bit more of the places she visited and the objects she discussed.
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- myriamlenys
- Mar 17, 2023
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- Runtime59 minutes
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