In the late Roman world, temples were closed, statues shattered, and the gods declared demons. But why were sacred images feared so intensely that their eyes were gouged out, their heads severed, and crosses carved into their foreheads? In this episode of The Goddess Divine Podcast, we explore the ancient power of divine statues, why pagans believed the presence of a goddess could dwell within them, and why early Christians believed these images had to be mutilated to neutralize their spiritual force. Through history, theology, and sacred symbolism, we uncover what these statues meant to ancient worshippers and why their destruction marked one of the most dramatic religious transformations in the ancient world.
References
Theodosian Code, late 4th century AD
Pliny the Elder, Natural History
Simon Connor, studies on the Sekhmet statues of Amenhotep III
Guillaume Deprez, research on ancient religious statuary
Symmachus, Relatio 3 (Plea for the Altar of Victory)
Riddick, Deanna, The Divine Feminine's Path to Seership, 2024, Independent Publishing.
