פירוש על עבודה זרה 88:10

Abaye offers a different alternative as to what the deception may have been. One of Rabban Gamaliel’s answers was that he did not enter Aphrodite’s domain, she entered his. But Abaye points out that it is permitted to enter the domain of an idol in order to take a bath, or a stroll in the garden. The prohibition is only to provide direct benefit to the idolatry. Thus Rabban Gamaliel did not need to say that he didn’t enter her domain.
But Abaye himself points out that this answer is not actually deceptive. Rabban Gamaliel is a very important person, a real macher. His mere entrance into someone’s domain is considered providing a benefit. So if Rabban Gamaliel had entered Aphrodite’s domain, it would have been a problem. But he did not. She entered his.