by Carla Caruso

‘My Roman Empire’ has become a catchphrase for something that you think about constantly.

It began as a 2023 TikTok trend, where people would ask their male partners how often they thought about the Roman Empire – to which many responded with ‘pretty often’.

One topic, ironically, that you might not ponder frequently is Greek and Roman mythology art in your Adelaide Park Lands. But did you know that there are quite a few places where such sculptures can be found?

With Ridley Scott’s blood-soaked return to ancient Rome, Gladiator II, in cinemas, it seems a good time to delve into such art in our green spaces.

The Park Lands’ ‘ancient’ attractions were recently covered on a travel blog, Greek Gods Paradise. As blogger John writes: “One of Adelaide’s big secrets is that it not only has one Venus but three Venus (Aphrodite) sculptures. Yes, three of them, and they’re all in beautiful locations.

“Venus can be found on North Terrace, in the Adelaide Botanic Garden [Park 11], and also in Belair National Park at Old Government House.”

Venus, in Roman mythology, is the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and victory. She’s heavily inspired by Aphrodite, the Greek version of Venus. 

The Botanic Garden statue is located at the northern end of the main walk, on the western side, near the ‘Elvis’ cupola. In earlier times, there was also a ‘Venus rising from the sea’ sculpture in the Garden’s lily pond — a copy of one by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. However, it’s since gone.

Venus isn’t the only mythological statue in the Garden, though. There are actually a few more, including ‘Amazon’, which is a replica of one by German sculptor August Karl Edward Kiss.

In Greek mythology, Amazon is a member of a race of women warriors.

The sculpture depicts the goddess, on horseback, defending herself from a tiger by using a spear. Although, as Tully Haines, who took the above photo, laments: “Sadly, the horse’s tail [on the sculpture] is gone.”

Meanwhile, at the end of the Garden’s Araucaria Avenue, there’s another nod to classical mythology — ‘Amalthea’, a nymph who looked after the Greek god, Zeus, when he was growing up.

Elsewhere in your Park Lands, another ‘divine’ character, Hercules, can be found in Tarntanya Wama (Park 26). Hercules is the Roman equivalent of the Greek hero, Heracles, son of Jupiter. In mythology, he’s famed for his strength and far-ranging adventures.

The Hercules statue was gifted to the Adelaide City Council by mining magnate William Horn in 1892, but the present came with a side of controversy.

According to history site Adelaide AZ, the life-sized, bronze statue was moved from Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga to the “less prominent” Pennington Gardens, near Adelaide Oval, due to “Victorian attitudes [around] nakedness at the turn of the 19th century”.

Then: “In 2000, deputy lord mayor Michael Harbison thought Adelaide had matured enough for Hercules to return to Victoria Square but another councillor, Anne Moran, argued the statue’s small genitalia might cause comment and ridicule.” Ahem!

One mythological sculpture that hasn’t appeared to have caused any dramas is Pan in the Veale Gardens (Park 21).

John Dowie’s bronze sculpture was created in 1963 as part of a revamp of Veale Gardens and as a focal point of the water feature and sunken garden.

Pan is the Greek god of shepherds, hunters and the wilds of nature, and was born with the legs of a goat and horns on his head.

On the Veale Gardens sculpture, the Greek Gods Paradise site says: “You can watch the goat god playing the panpipes while water is flowing through them. It makes for a very beautiful water fountain.

“There are even goldfish in the pond. Not sure how many Pan water fountains are out there in the world, but this one seems kind of special.”

We would agree!

We also hope that you have enjoyed our trip down ‘ancient lane’ via your Park Lands.

Main photo, top: Pan statue in Veale Gardens (Park 21) by Greek Gods Paradise.