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s the emblem of Astarte at Byblus； of the native goddess whom the Greeks called Artemis at Perga in Pamphylia； and of the sun…god Heliogabalus at Emesa in Syria。 Conical stones； which apparently served as idols； have also been found at Golgi in Cyprus； and in the Phoenician temples of Malta； and cones of sandstone came to light at the shrine of the Mistress of Torquoise among the barren hills and frowning precipices of Sinai。
In Cyprus it appears that before marriage all women were formerly obliged by custom to prostitute themselves to strangers at the sanctuary of the goddess； whether she went by the name of Aphrodite； Astarte； or what not。 Similar customs prevailed in many parts of Western Asia。 Whatever its motive； the practice was clearly regarded； not as an orgy of lust； but as a solemn religious duty performed in the service of that great Mother Goddess of Western Asia whose name varied； while her type remained constant； from place to place。 Thus at Babylon every woman； whether rich or poor； had once in her life to submit to the embraces of a stranger at the temple of Mylitta； that is； of Ishtar or Astarte； and to dedicate to the goddess the wages earned by this sanctified harlotry。 The sacred precinct was crowded with women waiting to observe the custom。 Some of them had to wait there for years。 At Heliopolis or Baalbec in Syria； famous for the imposing grandeur of its ruined temples； the custom of the country required that every maiden should prostitute herself to a stranger at the temple of Astarte； and matrons as well as maids testified their devotion to the goddess in the same manner。 The emperor Constantine abolished the custom； destroyed the temple； and built a church in its stead。 In Phoenician temples women prostituted themselves for hire in the service of religion； believing that by this conduct they propitiated the goddess and won her favour。 It was a law of the Amorites； that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate。 At Byblus the people shaved their heads in the annual mourning for Adonis。 Women who refused to sacrifice their hair had to give themselves up to strangers on a certain day of the festival； and the money which they thus earned was devoted to the goddess。 A Greek inscription found at Tralles in Lydia proves that the practice of religious prostitution survived in that country as late as the second century of our era。 It records of a certain woman； Aurelia Aemilia by name； not only that she herself served the god in the capacity of a harlot at his express command； but that her mother and other female ancestors had done the same before her； and the publicity of the record； engraved on a marble column which supported a votive offering； shows that no stain attached to such a life and such a parentage。 In Armenia the noblest families dedicated their daughters to the service of the goddess Anaitis in her temple of Acilisena； where the damsels acted as prostitutes for a long time before they were given in marriage。 Nobody scrupled to take one of these girls to wife when her period of service was over。 Again； the goddess Ma was served by a multitude of sacred harlots at Comana in Pontus； and crowds of men and women flocked to her sanctuary from the neighbouring cities and country to attend the biennial festivals or to pay their vows to the goddess。
If we survey the whole of the evidence on this subject； some of which has still to be laid before the reader； we may conclude that a great Mother Goddess； the personification of all the reproductive energies of nature； was worshipped under different names but with a substantial similarity of myth and ritual by many peoples of Western Asia； that associated with her was a lover； or rather series of lovers； divine yet mortal； with whom she mated year by year； their commerce being deemed essential to the propagation of animals and plants； each in their several kind； and further； that the fabulous union of the divine pair was simulated and； as it were； multiplied on earth by the real； though temporary； union of the human sexes at the sanctuary of the goddess for the sake of thereby ensuring the fruitfulness of the ground and the increase of man and beast。
At Paphos the custom of religious prostitution is said to have been instituted by King Cinyras； and to have been practised by his daughters； the sisters of Adonis； who； having incurred the wrath of Aphrodite； mated with strangers and ended their days in Egypt。 In this form of the tradition the wrath of Aphrodite is probably a feature added by a later authority； who could only regard conduct which shocked his own moral sense as a punishment inflicted by the goddess instead of as a sacrifice regularly enjoined by her on all her devotees。 At all events the story indicates that the princesses of Paphos had to conform to the custom as well as women of humble birth。
Among the stories which were told of Cinyras； the ancestor of the priestly kings of Paphos and the father of Adonis； there are some that deserve our attention。 In the first place； he is said to have begotten his son Adonis in incestuous intercourse with his daughter Myrrha at a festival of the corn…goddess； at which women robed in white were wont to offer corn…wreaths as first…fruits of the harvest and to observe strict chastity for nine days。 Similar cases of incest with a daughter are reported of many ancient kings。 It seems unlikely that such reports are without foundation； and perhaps equally improbable that they refer to mere fortuitous outbursts of unnatural lust。 We may suspect that they are based on a practice actually observed for a definite reason in certain special circumstances。 Now in countries where the royal blood was traced through women only； and where consequently the king held office merely in virtue of his marriage with an hereditary princess； who was the real sovereign； it appears to have often happened that a prince married his own sister； the princess royal； in order to obtain with her hand the crown which otherwise would have gone to another man； perhaps to a stranger。 May not the same rule of descent have furnished a motive for incest with a daughter？ For it seems a natural corollary from such a rule that the king was bound to vacate the throne on the death of his wife； the queen； since he occupied it only by virtue of his marriage with her。 When that marriage terminated； his right to the throne terminated with it and passed at once to his daughter's husband。 Hence if the king desired to reign after his wife's death； the only way in which he could legitimately continue to do so was by marrying his daughter； and thus prolonging through her the title which had formerly been his through her mother。
Cinyras is said to have been famed for his exquisite beauty and to have been wooed by Aphrodite herself。 Thus it would appear； as scholars have already observed； that Cinyras was in a sense a duplicate of his handsome son Adonis； to whom the inflammable goddess also lost her heart。 Further； these stories of the love of Aphrodite for two members of the royal house of Paphos can hardly be dissociated from the corresponding legend told of Pygmalion； a Phoenician king of Cyprus； who is said to have fallen in love with an image of Aphrodite and taken it to his bed。 When we consider that Pygmalion was the father…in…law of Cinyras； that the son of Cinyras was Adonis； and that all three； in successive generations； are said to have been concerned in a love…intrigue with Aphrodite； we can hardly help concluding that the early Phoenician kings of Paphos； or their sons； regularly claimed to be not merely the priests of the goddess but also her lovers； in other words； that in their official capacity they personated Adonis。 At all events Adonis is said to have reigned in Cyprus； and it appears to be certain that the title of Adonis was regularly borne by the sons of all the Phoenician kings of the island。 It is true that the title strictly signified no more than lord； yet the legends which connect these Cyprian princes with the goddess of love make it probable that they claimed the divine nature as well as the human dignity of Adonis。 The story of Pygmalion points to a ceremony of a sacred marriage in which the king wedded the image of Aphrodite； or rather of Astarte。 If that was so； the tale was in a sense true； not of a single man only； but of a whole series of men； and it would be all the more likely to be told of Pygmalion； if that was a common name of Semitic kings in general； and of Cyprian kings in particular。 Pygmalion； at all events； is known as the name of the king of Tyre from whom his sister Dido fled； and a king of Citium and Idalium in Cyprus； who reigned in the time of Alexander the Great； was also called Pygmalion； or rather Pumiyathon； the Phoenician name which the Greeks corrupted into Pygmalion。 Further； it deserves to be noted that the names Pygmalion and Astarte occur together in a Punic inscription on a gold medallion which was found in a grave at Carthage； the characters of the inscription are of the earliest type。 As the custom of religious prostitution at Paphos is said to have been founded by king Cinyras and observed by his daughters； we may surmise that the kings of Paphos played the part of t