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But it was Aphrodite, goddess of love, that
jewellery symbolised most often; sometimes in
the form of Eros, and sometimes by doves or
myrtle, the sacred tree of the goddess. Other
plants held sacred by association with various
deities are the oak of Zeus, the bay of Apollo,
the vine of Dionysus and the olive of Athena.
Under eastern influence the use of semi-precious
stones begins at this time, leading to a new
diversity in jewellery. As well as earrings,
wreaths and diadems, hair pins, necklaces, bracelets
and rings, we now find such new types as breast
ornaments and hair nets.
Declining prosperity from the mid-2nd century
BC became even more marked in the 1st century
BC, and economic difficulties led to a demand
for less costly jewellery. At this time Anatolia
became part of the Roman Empire, and the precious
and magnificent jewellery of the Roman period
was produced not in the provinces but in Rome.
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