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Modern Description: To the west of the Temple of Hercules, marked by a raised stone stylobate and erected column fragments, was a 2nd century BC sanctuary of Aphrodite, another divinity found often in proximity to ports because she was the protectress of sailors and the goddess of the love and sex for which they pined when away at sea. Here the sanctuary comprised two identical temples to different attributes of the goddess: Aphrodite Pandémos (Protectress of the City as a whole) and Aphrodite Pontía (Protectress of Sailors). The twin temples were pro-style, with four columns supporting a pediment, set in the middle of a colonnaded courtyard (62 x 45m), with altars in front of them, and preceded by two axial entrance gates with columns and steps. They faced north across the harbour, i.e.
the back side of the sanctuary virtually abutted the north city wall which runs along the line of the pathway in the centre of the archaeological area. This fact makes it hard to explain the purpose of the platform of mosaic floor, with ivy-leaf border and insets of birds, which is seen half way along the central path as it heads west, and which projects into the space between the back of the sanctuary of Aphrodite and the city walls. It belongs perhaps to a later, public building which was entered from the perimeter street inside the walls.
Trismegistos Geo: 2796

Info: McGilchrist's Greek Islands

(From McGilchrist’s Greek Islands, © Nigel McGilchrist 2010, excerpted with his gracious permission. Click for the books)

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