Venus, the goddess of (sexual) love among the Ro- mans, corresponding to Aphrodite among the (ireeks, and in later rimes confounded with the Oriental deities represented by Mylitta, Ashtoreth (q. v.),etc. The popu- lar myths concerning her origin are various. By some she is represented as the daughter of .Jupiter and Dione, but she was poetically said to have sprung from the foam of the sea. She became the wife of Vulcan, but her amours with nearly all the gods and with many mortals were the scandal of heaven and earth. She is depicted under various aspects, but mostly those of un- chastity.
As the creatress of the world, called genefrix, the Ve- nus Urania of the Romans and Greeks was sometimes depicted as Androgyne, and even in a manner still more offensive; and this symbolism seems to typify the fact that Venus was feminine, but powerless if alone. When she was delineated with a mural crown, the idea em- bodied was that she became a mother by her own in-
herent power. Her frequent sj'rabol was the crescent moon. See Qi'een of Heaven. Layard {Xinerth. ii, 345) identifies her with the Hera of classical autiquity, and states that among the Assyrians she sometimes held a serpent in one hand, as in an Egyptian tablet. As a female winged figure, partly naked, and presiding over generation, she is introduced into embroideries of robes in the most ancient palace of Minerva. But the ab- sence of her obscene symbols in the Assyrian monu- ments in general is in remarkable contrast with repre- sentations in other Asiatic religions. Rude images of this goddess in baked clay have been disinterred among the ruins of Bagdad (Layard, Babylon, p. 407).
Figures of the Assyrian Venus.
Her worship was of general prevalence among the pagan nations of antiquity, and meets us at two or three points of special Biblical interest. It was an im- pure form of the same worship which presented its more scientific aspect in that of the temple at Ephesus (q. v.) — the personification of the productive powers of nature ; and there seems to have been the same relation between the rites at Ephesus and Sardis and those at Paphos that exists even at this time between what is called the right-handed and the left-handed worship of the god- dess Parvati in India. Among many proofs of this, the image of the idol itself may be adduced. It was not a human figure. Tacitus {Hist, ii, 3) describes it as con- ical, and states that the reason wdiy Venus should be worshipped under such a form was not clear. JMaximus Tyrius (/)«*>■. viii, 8) speaks of it as a white pyramid; and there can be no doubt that it was intended to rep- resent the same idea as the conical stone of which, in later times, Heliogabalus announced himself to be the priest. Artemis at Ephesus, the sun at Emesa, and Aphrodite at Paphos were symbols or personifications of the same attribute — the universal mother; the plas- tic or all-forming deity, and the productive impulse of nature, were all middle terms for the divine creating energy. Unhappily the impurities of the East were transferred to Paphos (q. v.), and the worship of Venus became a scandal even to the pagan world. The tem- ple at this city was like that of Astarte at Carthage, and the episode of Thammnz was introduced into the myth with a change of name to Adonis. It appears, too, that models of the sacred image were sold at Pa- fihos, just as silver shrines were at Ephesus; and Athenasus (xv, 18) tells a story of one Erostratus who was saved from shipwreck through the possession of such an image.
VENUS (Frail), in Northern fable. In Thuringia there is said to have lived a feen-queen named Frau Venus, who chose the Horselberg as her province. About her she collected a ravishing court of joy and bliss, and they who became her subjects were over- loaded with all the happiness and enjoyment which the most licentious passions might desire; but they, how- ever, lost their soid's salvation thereby. Among the thus living persons, the fabulous stories make mention
VENUSTI
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of the Piphiin \euiib Re^toied
especially of mie Tannluiuser, a warrior, who, after hav- ing lived a number of years in Venusberg, was siidden- 1}' seized with a feeling of repentance, and accordingly went to the pope of Home to do penance and ask for mercy. The pope called his attention to his staff, and said that when that staff should again begin to bear leaves and blossom, then should he receive forgiveness. Tannhiiuser left the presence of the pope discouraged, but in the course of a few days the stafl' began to grow green and bear blossoms. Then the pope sought for Tannhiiuser everywhere; but he was not to be found, for he had returned again to Venusberg, where he will remain in all the ages of eternity (comp. Eckhardt). It is only since the 14th century that the first stories of the Venusberg appear. At about this time, therefore, it seems that the German lIohla-Frifif/d was changed into Venus. — VoUmer, WiJrterh. <I. Mythol. s. v.
Venusti, JIahcello, an Italian painter, was born at Mantua in 1515. He studied under Pierino del Vaga in his native city, and afterwards went to Kome, where he entered into the service of Michael Angelo, from whom he received instruction. lie imitated the style of that great master with excellent success, and exe- cuted many of his designs. Besides these, he planned and executed many works for the churches of Kome, both in oil and fresco, which are atimired for the grand- eur of their com|)osition, elegance of design, beauty of coloring, and nealness of finish. He died in 157G. See Spooner, Biotj. Hist, of the Fine A rts, s. v.