Le polymorphisme de Priape. Les formes multiples d’un dieu

Our study aims at the rebuilding of the models of priapical iconography. Portayed as an old person or as a child excluded from the city due to a disproportionate phallus, Priapus is relegated in the gardens. Under the form of a rough wooden post like a phallus, daubed with a red colour, he is a god for gardens, he is linked to the place he is due to protect and fixed on the ground to feed symbolically the land. Equipped with a crown of reeds and a sickle, he plays the role of a scarecrow. However, under the form of a non erotic phallus, he finds his role in the city where his function is to be apotropaic. That’s the reason why we can find him on the most usual objects such as an amulet. We don’t speak about « phallus » anymore but about « fascinum », in charge of a reproductive and prophylactic mission. To sum up, according to his different missions and to the place where he stands, Priapus is portrayed in different ways, according to a very accurate and legal code.