Hermaphroditus

Rare card · No. 67788

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hermaphroditus ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἑρμαφρόδιτος, [hermapʰródi:tos]; sometimes conjugated with a feminine suffix as Hermaphrodite) is a minor deity of love symbolizing dual sexuality, androgyny, and the union of the sexes in marriage. He has an androgynous body combining both masculine and feminine physical characteristics. Evidence of his cult in Athens existed in the fourth century BCE, and the origin of his dual sexuality varies depending on the ancient text being referenced. Diodorus Siculus describes him as the child of Hermes and Aphrodite, born with both male and female physical attributes. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Hermaphroditus is introduced as a 15 year-old adolescent who was transformed after being forcibly embraced by the nymph Salmacis as she begged the gods to never let them be separated. As a being of two sexes, Hermaphroditus reflected ancient concepts of dual sexuality, marriage and the union of male and female characteristics . A...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Unknown authorUnknown author., Public domain