Part of Discovering Ancient Cyprus: A Month of Archaeology, Mythology and Cultural Heritage | Lecture, films & exhibition visit.

Sunday 13 December 2026

Arrival: 1:30 p.m. | Event: 2:00–3:35 p.m.

Ashmolean Museum Study Room, Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH

Free Admission | Registration Required

Presented by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in London, in collaboration with the Ashmolean Museum, NEPOMAK UK and the Cypriot Educational Mission in the UK, this special event forms part of Discovering Ancient Cyprus: A Month of Archaeology, Mythology and Cultural Heritage.

Join us for a unique afternoon at the Ashmolean Museum exploring the archaeology, mythology and artistic legacy of Aphrodite the goddess whose story begins on the island of Cyprus before travelling across the ancient Mediterranean and shaping Western art and culture for more than two millennia.

Guests are invited to arrive at the Museum's main entrance, where they will be welcomed and directed to a room which is located in the Headley Lecture Theatre, on the Lower Ground Floor next to the Cafe and museum shop.

Aphrodite to Venus – The Making of a Goddess

The afternoon opens with a lecture by Dr Anja Ulbrich, A.G. Leventis Curator of the Cypriot Collection at the Ashmolean Museum and curator of the acclaimed exhibition Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess.

Although Aphrodite known to the Romans as Venus is celebrated today as the goddess of love and beauty, her story begins in ancient Cyprus, where she was worshipped as a deity with universal powers connected to fertility, nature and every aspect of human life.

Drawing upon archaeology, mythology and the remarkable objects assembled for the Ashmolean exhibition, Dr Ulbrich will explore how the goddess worshipped in Cyprus became Aphrodite to the Greeks and Venus to the Romans, while examining how four key myths shaped her evolving image in ancient art and later inspired generations of artists from the Renaissance to the present day.

Special Screening – Myths of Cyprus

Following the lecture, audiences will enjoy a special 35-minute screening of selected episodes from Myths of Cyprus, produced by the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus (PIO).

Directed by Markos Kassinos, with research, writing and presentation by Dr Iosif Hadjikyriacos, the acclaimed series combines archaeology, mythology and cinematic storytelling, bringing Cyprus's ancient myths vividly to life for contemporary audiences.

The programme includes episodes exploring the myths discussed during the lecture, allowing audiences to experience Aphrodite's story through both scholarship and film. Several of the films have been created especially in connection with the Ashmolean exhibition and the Cultural Section's programme celebrating the archaeology and mythology of ancient Cyprus.

Following the programme, guests are warmly invited to continue their journey by visiting the exhibition Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess, where they can experience first-hand the exceptional sculptures, antiquities and international loans that inspired the afternoon's discussion.

Programme

1:30 p.m. – Arrival at the Ashmolean Museum

1:45 p.m. – Guests escorted by Museum Visitor Experience staff to the Study Room

2:00 p.m. – Welcome

2:05 p.m. – Lecture by Dr Anja Ulbrich

Approximately 2:50 p.m. – Myths of Cyprus special screening (35 minutes)

Approximately 3:25 p.m. – Questions and discussion

3:35 p.m. onwards – Visit the exhibition Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess

Join us for a memorable afternoon where archaeology, mythology, cinema and one of the world's great museum collections come together to celebrate the extraordinary journey of Aphrodite from her origins in ancient Cyprus to her lasting legacy in world culture.

Description supplied by the event organiser.