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Life of St Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza

Mark the Deacon, tr. Hill, 1913

Chapter 59

But when we came into the city, in the place that is called the Four Ways,¹ there was a statue of marble which they said was a statue of Aphrodite; and it was upon a base² of stone, and the form of the statue was of a woman, naked, and having all her shame uncovered. And all they of the city did honour to the statue, especially the women, kindling lamps and burning incense. For they reported concerning it that it giveth answer in dreams³ unto those who wish to make trial of marriage, but they deceived each other, speaking falsely. And oftentimes, being bidden by the demon to make a contract of marriage, they were so unfortunate that they came even to divorce, or lived together in evil wise. These things did we learn from them which turned aside from error and acknowledged the truth.

Notes

Four Ways. The Leipzig editors compare the Acta Martyris Anastasii Persae, ed. Usener 23ᵃ9, ‘the Tetrapylon that is in the middle of the city.’ It is the crossing of the four main roads in the centre of the town. Cp. also τετραπλάτεια (Ducange, App. ad Gloss. Graec.).
upon a base, or, above an altar (βωμός).
giveth answer in dreams. Draeseke (Zeitschr. f. wiss. Theol. xliv. 1901, pp. 82-86) supposes this to be a case of incubation, i.e. of the practice of sleeping in temples in order to receive the assistance of the deity. But, since this statue was in a street, he admits that the actual incubation must have taken place elsewhere, i.e. in the temple of Aphrodite (c. 64). If so, one would have expected the offerings to have been made to the cultus-statue in the temple. On the practice of incubation in antiquity, see Mary Hamilton, Incubation (St. Andrews, 1906).