Several artworks found among the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii depict a female figure fishing with a cupid nearby. Some scholars have asserted that the figure is the goddess Venus, since she is known to have been linked with cupids in Roman culture, but University of Leicester archaeologist Carla Brain suggests that cupids may have also been associated with fishing generally. The fact that a cupid is shown near the female figure, therefore,
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) is not conclusive evidence that the figure is Venus.
B) suggests that Venus was often depicted fishing.
C) eliminates the possibility that the figure is Venus.
D) would be difficult to account for if the figure is not Venus.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is A) is not conclusive evidence that the figure is Venus.
Explanation:
The passage presents two different viewpoints on the identification of the female figure in the artwork. The first viewpoint is that the figure is Venus, as she is often depicted with cupids in Roman culture. However, archaeologist Carla Brain suggests that cupids might have been associated with fishing in general, not exclusively with Venus.
The argument that the figure could be Venus is based on the presence of a cupid nearby. However, the text explains that this connection is not definitive. The presence of a cupid might simply imply a general association with fishing, not necessarily the goddess Venus herself. This means that the depiction of a cupid does not provide conclusive evidence about the identity of the female figure.
Option A acknowledges that while the presence of a cupid is suggestive, it does not definitively prove that the figure is Venus, thus allowing room for other interpretations.
Let’s examine why the other options do not fit:
- B) “suggests that Venus was often depicted fishing” is incorrect because the passage does not suggest that Venus was specifically linked to fishing; rather, it shows that cupids may have had a more general association with fishing.
- C) “eliminates the possibility that the figure is Venus” is also incorrect. The text does not rule out the possibility of Venus being depicted but points out that there is a competing interpretation.
- D) “would be difficult to account for if the figure is not Venus” is an unsupported claim. The passage does not argue that it would be difficult to account for the presence of a cupid without Venus being the figure; it simply presents an alternative explanation.
Thus, the best choice is A, which maintains that the presence of the cupid does not conclusively identify the female figure as Venus.