Illustrated Fiction: Trial by Coitus (Aphrodite / Hermes)

My dear demigods and demigoddesses,

I'm happy to present Aphrodite domming the hell out of Hermes today 😈

If you are not (yet?) a demigod patron, find the plain text version here.

For those of you who already read the WIP draft, I hope the editing could make it even hotter.

This month's illustration was created by Arja, with a guest appearance of Hermes' two snakes. Aren't they cute? We had a blast working on this particular illustration and, as always, Arja found some amazing jewellery for Aphrodite and she went all out with the body chains, don't you think? Potnia Aphrodite can step on me anytime 😳

Glossary

chiton: an ancient Greek piece of clothing akin to the Roman tunic.

chlamys: a short cloak worn by travellers. Hermes is usually depicted wearing one.

hermai: simple statues of Hermes, often just simple pillars carved with the the head of the god and an erect phallus at the appropriate height. They were thought to ensure the fertility of the herds and flocks and bring good luck.

kerykeion: Hermes' iconic herald's staff, called caduceus in Latin. It looks like this:

Bronze Kerykeion, 480-470 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily

Kypros: Cyprus, one of Aphrodite's major cult centres

myrtle lips: an ancient Greek euphemism for the labia

olisbos: an ancient Greek dildo made from leather and wool

Paphos: a coastal city in the Southwest of Cyprus where Aphrodite first set foot when she rose from the sea and seat of her worship.

Peitho: the Goddess of Persuasion. In the Dionysiaka, she is the wife of Hermes.

pórnē: (πόρνη) a female prostitute, oftentimes cheap to have

Potnia: (πότνια) Mistress, Lady

Ram Bearer: an epithet of Hermes (Kriophoros)

sexual violence: in vase paintings, Eros flees scenes of sexual violence

to stretch the sandals toward the roof: a euphemism for sex from Aristophanes' Lysistrata