Cameroon – 2023 – 2000 Francs – Aphrodite and Adonis

Description

Ovid in the Metamorphoses tells of Adonis, a young Greek of rare beauty, with whom even the goddess Venus fell madly in love.
As always, the passion of the forest-raised Adonis was hunting and despite Venus’ constant warnings, he did not give it up. It is said that the goddess tried in every way to dissuade her lover, to save him from danger, to protect him from the attack of beasts. But his love wasn’t enough; as prophesied by the goddess, Adonis died hunting.
The farewell is captured on the coin, which later turns out to be farewell. Adonis, ignoring the goddess’ recent warnings, decides to go hunting.
The young man has a spear in his hand and a faithful hound at his side.
The moment chosen is not the moment of maximum pathos in the story, but the one that anticipates it.
After death, the anemone flower held by the goddess sprouted from the earth soaked in Adonis’ blood.
Adonis symbolizes youthful male beauty, but also death and the renewal of nature, the astrolabe in the background stands for the passage of time and the seasons and thus also for nature that is cyclically renewed.