Mermaids have occupied our imagination for thousands of years, originating in ancient Assyria with the legend of goddess Atargatis, whose worship spread to Greece and Rome. In one account, Atargatis transforms herself into half-human, half-fish being out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover. However, in other accounts, Atargatis is a goddess of fertility who is associated with a fish-bodied goddess at Ascalon. It is thought that worship of Atargatis and Ascalon eventually merged into one, leading to the description of one ‘mermaid-goddess’.
The reverse of a coin of Demetrius III depicts fish-bodied Atargatis, veiled, holding the egg, flanked by barley stalks. Image source: Wikipedia
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