3-037-288 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Statue of Salus, A.D. 200-250. Additional Info: Standing with her weight on one leg and clothed in a voluminous gown, this statue of a goddess looks off to her left. The figure displays elements connected with both Hygieia, the goddess of health, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The presence of the small, sleeping Eros, the winged young god of love, who leans against her leg, and the goddess's knotted bow hairstyle argue in favor of her identity as Aphrodite. Yet the dress the goddess wears and the snake she holds are more typical of Hygieia. Furthermore, the egg she holds, an emblem of Hygieia's father Asklepios, associates her with that goddess.