Venus

Vĕnus, ĕris (gen. sing. VENERVS, Inscr. Orell. 1364), f. [v. veneror],

• the goddess of Love, the goddess Venus, Cic. N. D. 3, 23, 59 sq.; id. Div. 1, 13, 23; id. Or. 2, 5; id. Verr. 2, 4, 60, § 135; Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 6; Lucr. 1, 2; Hor. C. 1, 30, 1: filius Veneris, i.e. Cupid, Ov. M. 1, 463; cf. puerum, id. Am. 1, 10, 17; also Aeneas, Verg. A. 1, 325; and in jest, Venere prognatus, of C. Julius Caesar, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2: Veneris mensis, i.e. April, Ov. F. 4, 61.—
• • B Transf.
  • • 1 Love, sexual love, venery (as euphemism freq.): sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Ter. Eun. 732: Venus trivio conmissa, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 19; Verg. G. 3, 97; Ov. M. 10, 80; 10, 434; 11, 306; 12, 198; Ap. Met. 1, 9, 5; Quint. 8, 6, 24; Tac. G. 20; Col. 6, 27, 10.—
    • 2 Like the Engl. love, to denote a beloved object, beloved: nec veneres nostras hoc fallit, Lucr. 4, 1185: mea Venus, Verg. E. 3, 68; Hor. C. 1, 27, 14; 1, 33, 13.—
    • 3 Qualities that excite love, loveliness, attractiveness, beauty, grace, elegance, charms (sing. and plur.; not in Cic.): quo fugit venus? quo color? decens Quo motus? Hor. C. 4, 13, 17: ac bene nummatum decorat suadela venusque, id. Ep. 1, 6, 38; id. A. P. 42; Sen. Ben. 2, 28, 1: fabula nullius veneris sine pondere et arte, Hor. A. P. 320: sermo ipse Romanus non recipere videatur illam solis concessam Atticis venerem, Quint. 10, 1, 100: quod cum gratiā quādam et venere dicatur, id. 6, 3, 18; so (with gratia) id. 4, 2, 116.— Of paintings: deesse iis unam illam suam venerem dicebat, quam Graeci charita vocant, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 79.—Plur.: profecto Amoenitates omnium venerum atque venustatum adfero, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 5 (329): Isocrates omnes dicendi veneres sectatus est, Quint. 10, 1, 79.—
    • 4 The planet Venus, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53; id. Rep. 6, 17, 17.—
    • 5 The highest throw at dice, when each of the dice presented a different number, the Venus throw, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 45; Hor. C. 2, 7, 25; Aug. ap. Suet. Aug. 71; cf. in the foll.—
• II Derivv.: Vĕnĕrĕus or Vĕnĕrĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Venus: sacerdos, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 23 (328): antistita, id. ib. 3, 2, 10 (624): nepotulus, id. Mil. 5, 20 (1413); 5, 28 (1421): nutricatus, id. ib. 3, 1, 54 (649): servi, temple-slaves of the Erycinian Venus in Sicily, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 20, § 50; 2, 5, 54, § 141; v. also infra, B. 2.: res, voluptates, etc., of or belonging to sexual love, venereous, venereal, Cic. Sen. 14, 47; id. Div. 2, 69, 143: visa, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 166; Col. 12, 4, 3; cf. in a pun: homo, belonging to Venus and lascivious (of Verres), Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 141: delphinus, wanton, Gell. 7, 8, 1: nostros quoque antiquiores poëtas amasios et Venerios fuisse, id. 19, 9, 9: pira, a kind of pear, Venus-pear, Col. 5, 10, 18; 12, 10, 4; Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 56.—
• • B Substt.
  • • 1 Vĕnĕrĕus (Vĕnĕrĭus), i, m. (i. e. jactus), the Venus-throw at dice (v. supra, I. B. 5.), Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23; 2, 21, 48; 2, 59, 121; also Vĕnĕrĕum, i, n.: hoc Venereum est, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 55 (905).—
    • 2 Vĕnĕrĕi (Vĕnĕrĭi), ōrum, m. (i. e. servi), the templeslaves of the Erycinian Venus (v. supra), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 92; 2, 3, 25, § 61; id. Clu. 15, 43.—
    • 3 Vĕnĕrĕae (Vĕnĕrĭae), ārum, f. (i. e. conchae), a kind of mussels, Venus-shell, Plin. 9, 33, 52, § 103; 32, 11, 53, § 151.

1 Venus [CL] 1 Venus (Roman goddess of love, identified with the Greek Aphrodite). nec Venus aut Veneris prodest spurcissima proles Aldh. VirgV 1330; ego sum ~us, cujus digito apposuisti anulum W. Malm. GR II 205; Affrodita, ~us, quasi spumea quia de affros, i. de spuma, nata est Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 52; ubi ‥ invenies ~erem uxorem Vulcani matrem Joci et Cupidinis, intellige carnis voluptatem Bern. Comm. Aen. 10; legitur ‥ tres deas, Junonem, Palladem, ~erem, Paridem adiisse Ib. 46; s1387 hii ‥ milites plures erant ~eris quam Bellone, plus valentes in thalamo quam in campo Wals. HA II 156. 2 (in names of or applied to var. things assoc. w. Venus): a (also stella ~eris) the planet Venus. b (avis ~eris) dove. c (dies ~eris) Friday. d (alch.) bronze or copper. a ~us luminis venustate quam ex solis vicinitate percipit suo cernentes allicit aspectu Bede TR 8; pro ~ere ‥ et Mercurio Adel. Elk. 17; tu summa Venus que certo limite labens / infra zodiacum solem comitaris euntem V. Merl. 436; in constellatione ~eris Bern. Comm. Aen. 5; ex quo patet quod loquitur de stella ~eris Peckham (Stell.) ed. Etzkorn (2002) 196; Sol exaltatur in Ariete, Luna in Tauro, ‥ ~us in Piscibus Bacon Maj. I 260.  b dicuntur aves ~eris quia sunt luxuriose: unde dicuntur columbe quasi colentes lumbos Bern. Comm. Aen. 64.  c illae viijto predictae salinae regis et comitis in ipsa ebdomada qua bulliebant ‥ in die ~eris reddeb' xvj bulliones DB I 268rb (cf. Bede TR 8: gentiles cum observationem a populo Israhel hebdomadis ediscerent, mox hanc in laudem suorum deflexere deorum; primam ‥ diem soli, secundam lunae ‥ sextam ~eri ‥ dicantes); obiit die ~eris ante Ascensionem RDomin 38; Gaufridus cepit in manum habendi eum die ~eris PlCrGlouc 43; 1267 die ~eris proxima post diem Cinerum Dryburgh 52; 1431 capellano ‥ missam de requiem singulis diebus Lune et ~eris celebraturo Wills N. Country I 40.  d ~us est frigida et humida in quarto gradu, id est es M. Scot Alch. 152 (cf. M. Scot Lumen 240: quodlibet metallum habet suum planetam. dixerunt ‥ philosophi quod aurum est filius solis,‥ es filius ~eris); qualiter ~us in Solem mutatur et quomodo et qualiter fit artificialiter Ib. 153; nam plumbum dicitur Saturnus; stannum, Jubiter; ferrum, Mars; aurum, Sol; cuprum, ~us; vivum argentum, Mercurius; argentum, Luna Bacon Tert. sup. 83; elixir cujus una pars 100 partes ~eris mutabit in Lunam Ripley 196. 3 (bot., in the name of various kinds of plant): a (bona herba ~eris) vervain (Verbena officinalis). b (cacabus ~eris) water lily (Nymphaea). c (capillus ~eris) maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris). d (labrum ~eris) sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus). e (pecten ~eris) shepherd's needle (Scandix pecten-veneris). f (supercilium ~eris) milfoil, yarrow (Achillea millefolium). g (umbilicus ~eris) navelwort, pennywort (Umbilicus rupestris). a columbaria, peristereon, verbena idem. G. verveyne, A. fleguurt, bona herba ~eris Alph. 43.  b cacabus ~eris, respice in nimphea Alph. 29; nimphea sive ut alii cacabus ~eris, i. papaver †plaustre [l. palustre] sive ut Latini gallam †plaustrem [l. palustrem] vocant Ib. 125.  c optima ‥ ei esset decoctio cassie fistule myrobalanorum citrinorum cum capillis ~eris et seminibus citroli, et cucurbite, et melonis P. Blois Ep. 43. 127B; in urna grandi si capillos ~eris, epaticam, ceterach et polictricum ‥ superstraveris Gerv. Tilb. I 13; capillus ~eris subtiliorem habet stipitem et ramos subtiliores, politrico grossiores. G. filet, A. maydenher Alph. 29.  d faenucardo, labrum ~eris, [we]veþystille Herb. Harl. 3388 f. 79v; labrum ~eris, cardo idem, folia habet lata et maculas albas in foliis, valet contra opilacionem splenis et epatis, semine utimur, anglice sough thistil Alph. 89.  e pecten ~eris, sive scandix, shepheards needle, or Venus combe (Gerard Herball) OED s. v. Venus C2b .  f millefolium dicitur supercilium ~eris SB 30; miriofillos sive ut Latini millifolium majus, i. supercilium ~eris dicunt, nascitur in locis palustribus, tirsum habet ex una radice mollem, folia similia feniculo, A. noseblede Alph. 118.  g herba cotiledon þat ys umbilicus ~eris Leechdoms I 22; recipe ‥ partes ‥ umbilici ~eris, capilli ve’ Gad. 22. 2; umbilicus ~eris, colitidone [l. cotilidone] ‥ [scat]imcella, cimbalaria idem. A. penewert Alph. 192. 4 quality of being pleasing, charm. dicitur autem ~us quandoque pro venustate, Horatius in epistulis ‘decorat Suadela Venusque’ [Hor. Epist. I 6. 38] Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 603. 5 sexual activity. utere cibis dulcibus, vino indulge, ~eri parce, jejunia minime exsequere Bede TR 30; alienigene qui suam ~erem corrigere neggligunt, a patria cum sua substantia et peccato discedant (Cons. Cnuti) GAS 349; molles flammisque cremandos turpiter fedabat ~us sodomestica Ord. Vit. VIII 4 p. 290; cameli ‥ cum ~erem requirunt, oderunt equinum genus Neckam NR II 142; dic que causa fuit; serve conceptio, lectus / illicitus, fracta lex, Abraheque venus Garl. Tri. Eccl. 109; nonne castracio, camphora, agnus castus, stercus muris, et similia extingunt ~eris appetitum? Bradw. CD 119B; vir satis pius, nisi carnis voluptatibus et ~eri succubuisset Ferr. Kinloss 35. 6 (understood as) game (cf. venari, AN veneisun). quatuor ex mediocribus hominibus ‥ qui curam et onus tum viridis tum ~eris suscipiant (Ps.-Cnut) GAS 620; nam crimen ~eris ab antiquo inter majora et non immerito numerabatur, viridis vero ‥ ita pusillum et exiguum est quod vix ea respicit nostra constitutio (Ps.-Cnut) Ib. 623; vulpes et lupi nec foreste nec ~eris habentur, et proinde eorum interfectio nulli emendationi subjacet ‥ aper vero, quanquam foreste sit, nullatenus tamen animal ~eris haberi est assuetus (Ib.) Ib. 625.

1 Vĕnus, (7) ĕris, f. , ¶ 1 Vénus [déesse de la beauté ; fut not^t mère de Cupidon et des Amours ; épouse de Vulcain ; mère dʼÉnée] : Cic. Nat. 3, 59, etc. || mensis Veneris Ov. F. 4, 61, mois de Vénus [mois dʼavril] ; Venere prognatus Cæl. d. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2, le descendant de Vénus [César] ¶ 2 [fig.] amour, plaisirs de lʼamour : Ter. Eun. 732 ; Virg. G. 3, 97 ; Ov. M. 10, 80 ; Quint. 8, 6, 24 ; Tac. G. 20 || amante, personne aimée : mea Venus Virg. B. 3, 68, ma maîtresse, cf. Hor. O. 1, 27, 14 ; 1, 33, 13 ¶ 3 [nom commun, venus ] charme, attrait, grâce, agrément, élégance : Hor. O. 4, 13, 17 ; Ep. 1, 6, 38 ; P. 42 ; 320 ; Quint. 10, 1, 100 ; pl., omnes dicendi veneres Quint. 10, 1, 79, toutes les grâces du style ¶ 4 Vénus [planète] : Cic. Nat. 2, 53 ; Rep. 6, 17 ¶ 5 coup de Vénus [aux dés, quand chaque dé présentait un nombre différent] : August. d. Suet. Aug. 71 ; Hor. O. 2, 7, 25 ; Prop. 4, 8, 45 ¶ 6 gén. Veneris désignant des plantes, des villes, etc. : Veneris labrum Plin. 30, 24, chardon à carder ; pecten Plin. 24, 175, cerfeuil musqué ; Veneris gena Plin. 37, 123, sorte dʼaméthyste || Veneris portus Mela , port de la Méditerranée [Port-Vendres] ; Veneris oppidum Plin. 5, 92, ville de Cilicie.

➳ gén. arch. Venerus CIL 1, 675 ; 1, 1495 ; dat. Venerei CIL 1, 2221 ; abl. Veneri Pl. Pœn. 256.

Venus

the goddess of love among the Romans, and more especially of sensual love. Previously to her identification with the Greek Aphrodite, she was one of the least important divinities in the religion of the Romans, and it is observed by the ancients themselves, that her name was not mentioned in any of the documents relating to the kingly period of Roman history. (Macr. 1.12.) This is further evident from the fact that at no time a festival was celebrated in honour of Venus, for the Vinalia (on the 23d of April and 19th of August) were quite a different festival, and were connected with this goddess only by a misinterpretation of the name (Dict. of Ant. s. v. Vinalia), which led courtesans to regard the 23d of April as a holiday of their own, and to worship the goddess on that day in their peculiar way in a temple outside the city. (Ov. Fast. 4.865.) In later times several other solemnities were celebrated to Venus in the month of April, partly because that month being the beginning of spring, was thought to be particularly sacred to the goddess of love, and partly because the belief had gradually gained ground that Venus, as the beloved of Mars, was concerned in the origin of the Roman people. This latter point gained support from the legend which made Aeneas a son of Anchises and Aphrodite (identified with Venus ; see Ov. Fast. 4.135; Plut. Num. 19; Macrob. l.c.; Laur. Lyd. De Mens. 4.45). There was at Lavinium a sanctuary of Venus common to all Latium, the ceremonies at which were performed by the people of Ardea, but its age cannot be defined. (Strab. p. 232.) At Rome we may notice the following circumstances as proving the worship of Venus to have been established there at an early time. There was a stone chapel with an image of Venus Murtea or Murcia in the Circus near to the spot where the altar of Consus was concealed. (Fest. p. 149, ed. Miller; Apul. Met. 6.395 ; Tertull. De Spect. 8; Varro, De L. L. 5.154; Liv. 1.33; August. De Civ. Dei, 4.16.) The surname Murtea or Murcia shows that the myrtle-tree stood in some relation to the goddess, and it is actually said that in ancient times there was a myrtle grove in front of her sanctuary below the Aventine. (Plin. Nat. 15.36; Serv. ad Aen. 1.724; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 20.) It must however be observed that some of the ecclesiastical writers preferred taking the surname Murcia in the sense of " stupid" or " dull" (from murcus). Another ancient surname of Venus was Cloacina, which, according to Lactantius (1.20), was derived from the fact that her image was found in the great sewer (cloaca), and was set up by the Sabine king, T. Tatius, in a temple near the forum. (Comp. Liv. 3.48 ; Plaut. Curcul. 4.1. 10.) If Venus had been one of the divinities of the lower world, this story might be intelligible enough, but as such was not the case, it appears to be nothing but an etymological inference from the name. Cloaca is connected with cluere, Cluilia, Cloelia, κλύζειν, luere (i. e. purgare), and there is a tradition that T. Tatius and Roranlus, after the war which had arisen out of the rape of the Sabine women, ordered their subjects to purify themselves before the image of Venus Cluacina. (Plin. Nat. 15.29 ; comp. Serv. ad Aen. 1.724, where purgare must be read for pugnare.) This explanation agrees perfectly with the belief of the ancients that T. Tatius was the founder of marriage; and Venus Cloacina, accordingly, is the goddess presiding over and purifying the sexual intercourse in marriage. A third ancient surname of the goddess is Calva, under which she had two temples in the neighbourhood of the Capitol. Some believed that one of them had been built by Ancus Marcius, because his wife was in danger of losing her hair ; others thought that it was a monument of a patriotic act of the Roman women, who during the siege of the Gauls cut off their hair and gave it to the men to make strings for their bows, and others again to the fancies and caprices of lovers, calvere signifying " to teaze." (Serv. ad Aen. 1.724; Lactant. 1.20; Nonius, p. 6.) But it probably refers to the fact that on her wedding day the bride, either actually or symbolically, cut off a lock of hair to sacrifice it to Venus. (Pers. Sat. 2.70, with the Schol.) In these, the most ancient surnames of Venus, we must recognise her primitive character and attributes. In later times her worship became much more extended, and the identification with the Greek Aphrodite introduced various new attributes. At the beginning of the second Punic war, the worship of Venus Erycina or Erucina was introduced from Sicily, and a temple was dedicated to her on the Capitol, to which subsequently another was added outside the Colline gate. (Liv. 22.9, 10, 23.30, 31, 40.34; Ov. Rem. Am. 549; P. Victor, Reg. Urb. v.) In the year B. C. 114, a Vestal virgin was killed by lightning, and her body was found naked; as the general moral corruption, especially among the Vestals, was believed to be the cause of this disaster, the Sibylline books were consulted which contained the order to build a temple of Venus Verticordia (the goddess who turns the hearts of men) on the via Salaria. (Ov. Fast. 4.160; V. Max. 8.15.12.) After the close of the Samnite war, Fabius Gurges founded the worship of Venus Obsequens and Postvota; Scipio Africanus the younger that of Venus Genitrix, in which he was afterwards followed by Caesar, who added that of Venus Victrix. (Serv. ad Aen. 1.724.) The antiquity of the worship of Venus Militaris, Barbata and Equestris is unknown (Serv. l.c.; Macr. 3.8); but the sanctuaries of Venus Rhamnusia, Placida, and Alma are all of a very late date. (P. Vict. Reg. Urb. v. x. xii.) Lastly, we may remark, that Venus is also said to have presided over gardens. (Varro, De R. R. 1.1; Plin. Nat. 19.4; Fest. p. 58, ed. Müller ; compare Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii. p. 248, &c.) [L.S]

Venus

An Italian goddess, who, after the Greek mythology influenced the Roman, was identified with Aphrodité, and in Latin literature has the same myths and characteristics (see under Aphrodite), though originally the Italian Venus was a goddess of gardens and of spring. Prior to her identification with Aphrodité she was one of the least important of the native deities; yet her cult was established at Rome at a very early date. A stone altar with an image of Venus Murtea or Murcia stood in the Circus near the place where the altar of Consus was concealed (see circus), and a sanctuary of the goddess below the Aventine had a myrtle-grove before it. Another ancient name of Venus was Cloacīna, which is said to have been derived from her image having been found in the great sewer (cloaca); but this tale is nothing but a volksetymologie, as the name, which is probably connected with cluere, rather marks her out as “the purifier.” Under this title her statue was erected by Titus Tatius in a temple near the Forum. Venus was also styled Calva (“the bald”) and as such she had two temples near the Capitol. To explain this title the story was told that one of the temples was built by Ancus Marcius because his wife was in danger of losing her hair; others thought that it was a monument of a patriotic act of the Roman women, who, during the siege of the Gauls, cut off their hair and gave it to the men to make strings for their bows; and others again supposed it to refer to the fancies and caprices of lovers, calvere signifying “to tease.” Very likely it refers to the fact that on her wedding-day the bride, either actually or symbolically, cut off a lock of hair to sacrifice it to Venus. (See matrimonium.) In these, the most ancient surnames of Venus, one can recognize her primitive character and attributes. She is also styled Paeta, as to which see Paetus.

In later times, as her worship became much more extended, her identification with the Greek Aphrodité introduced various new attributes. At the beginning of the Second Punic War the worship of Venus Erycina was introduced from Sicily (see Eryx), and a temple was dedicated to her on the Capitol, to which subsequently another was added outside the Colline Gate. In the year B.C. 114, a Vestal Virgin was killed by lightning; and as the general moral corruption, especially among the Vestals, was believed to be the cause of this disaster, the Sibylline Books (see Sibyllae), upon being consulted, commanded that a temple should be built to Venus Verticordia (the goddess who turns the hearts of men) on the Via Salaria. After the close of the Samnite War, Fabius Gurges founded the worship of Venus Obsequens and Postvorta; Scipio Africanus the younger, that of Venus Genetrix, in which he was afterwards followed by Caesar, who added that of Venus Victrix. The worship of Venus was promoted by Caesar, who traced his descent from Aeneas, who was supposed to be the son of Mars and Venus. (See Aeneas.) The month of April, as the beginning of spring, was thought to be peculiarly sacred to the goddess of love, and recalled also the early Italian conception of her functions. Both ideas are beautifully blended in the magnificent apostrophe to Venus Genetrix with which Lucretius commences his poem De Rerum Natura, in which she is regarded as the creative, vivifying force of Nature, the source of life and strength in all things. Respecting the Greek goddess see Aphrodite.

Venus

(Ἀφροδίτη). A name given to the best possible throw of the dice (tesserae or tali), which was the one in which the numbers all came up different (Suet. Aug. 71). See talus; tessera.