Ancient Greek Vase Depicting Mother Aphrodite Disciplining Her Unruly Child With a Sandal Awes Researchers

The interesting discovery at the Taranto Archaeological Museum in Italy brought to light an ancient Greek vase from 360 B.C., which depicts the goddess Aphrodite disciplining her son Eros with a sandal, according to the Greek Reporter. This unique find gives a peek into ancient parenting, where even divine mothers had to deal with unruly children. It is a vase of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who is going to strike her mischievous son Eros—in Roman mythology, known as Cupid—with the back of her sandal—a disciplinary method that surprisingly resonates with parenting practices still observed in various cultures today.

Eros, though primarily identified with the Greek god of love and sexual desire, takes on many various roles throughout Greek mythology. The earlier cosmogonic texts position him as one of the primordial deities involved in creating the universe, while the later mythological accounts present him as the son of Aphrodite, whose playful interventions often result in complicated love affairs between gods and mortals.

Sandals as deterrents are not unique to maternal discipline in ancient Greek artwork. The same scene can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Athens: The statue shows an Aphrodite standing defiantly and holding her sandal against Pan, the goat-legged god of the wild and of shepherds, who now pursues her, according to Meeting Myths. A hovering Eros presses against his mother's shoulder from behind and plays with Pan's horn in play.

Setting aside its role in the mythological stories, Greek ancient sandals are even contributing so much to fashion history. Although originally designed to serve the functional purposes of covering and protecting the foot, these designs eventually became highly desired fashion statements. Their timeless appeal has captured more than their fair share of celebrities—from Sophia Loren and the Beatles to Kate Moss—who order custom pairs from Greek artisans. If anything could solidify sandals' place in Greek culture, it would be the discovery of an ancient artifact found in Istanbul.

During the excavations for the Marmaray underwater railway tunnel project, two ladies' sandals 1,500 years old, were found with an emotional message in Greek: "Use in health, lady, wear in beauty and happiness." This treasure, now the centerpiece of Istanbul's archaeological museum, was evidence of how footwear had come to transcend its practical purpose and become a medium for personal expression.

The Taranto vase of Aphrodite and Eros is a good representation of family dynamics in ancient Greece. It's a snapshot in time—a moment of maternal authority—that even the children of immortals weren't immune to being disciplined. This makes ancient Greek deities rather modern in a sense, having very real family dynamics. The vase itself is a work of art, showing the prowess of ancient Greek potters in creating such pieces and their ability to portray even the most intricate of familial relationships. The details in the depiction of both figures—the authoritative stance of Aphrodite and the presumed defiant posture of Eros—speak to the artist's keen observation of human behavior and their skill in translating these moments onto clay vessels.