Art Evolution in Greece and Rome
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Art Evolution in Greece and Rome
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Lee Lehman Classical Astrology | Astrology, Science and Society, Mark Urban-Lurain | Nick Campion | Project Hindsight Ancient Astrology | Astrology and Academia | Greek and Roman Mythology | The Nine Planets | Kepler College | Astrological Art | Babylonian FAQ | Egyptian Kings | Image Gallery - Greek | The Gnosis Archive | Culture and Cosmos | Hermetic Texts | Robert Zoller's Medieval Astrology The Evolution of Mythological Symbolism in The Classical Greek and Roman Eras Edmond H. Wollmann San Diego State University: Art in Greece and Rome Fall Semester, November 24, 2000 Five thousand to 500 B.C.E. reflects a period in history wherein civilizations generally categorized archetypal references and connections made between the collective peoples' ideology with Gods and Goddesses who represented these collective principles of life as they saw it. This allowed the psychological recognition of our own eternal nature. The rational had not yet discounted trusting the implied. The greatest Gods were known by different names: Marduk of the Babylonians evolves into Zeus of the Greeks, who becomes Jupiter of the Romans. The classical period is hailed as the turning point in the acceleration of human consciousness. Not many challenge this notion. But the power of the mythology transforms, and like it or not we express these archetypes in varying forms in each successive society through time, despite the changes in structure of the society and the labels applied to it. One of the major shifts in art and consciousness reflected in
the Greek Classical period was the dramatic effort to find a balance between the
representation of the specific and the generic, and to allow the viewer to be
acutely conscious of both (1). This evolving personification of the Gods (2)
becomes apparent in the transition to the classical period of Greece (500
B.C.E.) e. g., in The Temple of Aphaia at Aegina and the differing styles
of figures of the west (500-490 B.C.) and east (490-480 B.C.) pediments.
The change in this orientation can be contrasted by the Dying Warrior of the west pediment, which reflects the impersonal mannequin-like appearance, with the clearly human suffering and realism of the Dying Warrior of the later east pediment. The original theme of the west pediment was the battle of the Greeks and Trojans, but the east pediment was damaged and it was replaced around 480 B.C. after or around the defeat of the Persian invasion. The threat to collective identity with the possibility of the loss of the Greek collective notion to the conquering Persian barbarians was the developmental press (3) that spurred the Greeks into the Hellenic strength of identity preservation. This drove a wedge between Europe and Asia that forced a distinct difference in not only the future history of both regions, but led to the transformation and death of the power of the Gods who once embraced all (only different in name). This change in representation is a psychological reorientation of the personal and collective perspective, and brought about the "period of reason" (4) reflected in the development and movement of mythological representations up to and through the Roman period until the reactive rise of the Christian cult (5). The power of the classical age of the Greeks, lies in the balance of the two sides of this perspective coin, that was triggered by the need to apply creativity and insight pragmatically, not discount it completely. The trust in the creative process was replaced by the demands of objective "proofs." Now we have consumer iconography that permeates societies, instead of iconography that reminds us of our relationship to life and the all. Much of the modern world has been built upon the foundations of these early cultures and their pantheon of deities with their archetypal representation. So powerful was this iconography and mythology, it was aligned with the Greek accomplishments in the classical era and Greek deities were transformed into the Roman. Here are just a few of the comparisons of the Gods:
The Pantheon was the attempt to restore the balance of this classical period, with its "eye" or oculus at the peak or Apex of the dome like the all seeing eye (of the pyramid as is listed on US currency) where the pantheon of gods converge into one. The founding fathers of the US were so impressed by the Pantheon, that Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello (6) was modeled after it (7).
The Pantheon is a temple built under Hadrian that has been called an architectural masterpiece. Hadrian descended from the Roman veterans of the second Punic war called Ulpius Trajanus. The Ulpius were from Italica, Hadrian was the first ruler of Rome born in a province far from Italy. There are attachment holes in the pediment of the Pantheon that indicate there may have been a crowned eagle (Jupiter/Zeus) there originally. The dimensions of the interior dome are such that a sphere of 145 Roman foot diameter would fit inside of it. The dome is supported by concrete aggregate compositions that are heavier at the base to support the tremendous weight. The oculus was designed to make the viewer extremely aware of the "cosmic forces" and the ceiling was originally gilded to appear as a heavenly sphere.(8) Conventional historical academia leaves out some very important information that keys us into why Emperors like Hadrian built such monuments. The horoscope of Hadrian survived in at least three manuscripts. The imperial horoscope came down to us from Hephestian of Thebes, who, in the fourth century B.C. excerpted it with some others from the collection of historical horoscopes compiled by Antigonus of Nicaea (9). 
The delineation of the horoscope proceeds to discuss the Moon/Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius! (humanitarianism) Much of this deification took the form of astrological symbolism such as this that permeated these cultures and has been handed down to us. It is evident in our language and customs today.
Hence, at the funerals of emperors an eagle would be released during cremation as a symbol of the releasing and freeing of the soul. And as in astrology, both Jupiter and Zeus reflected the highest and most etheric aspects of the soul, the divine administration of inspiration from the higher self. Even Cicero (an opponent of astrology) unknowingly describes the archetype that Jupiter and Zeus represent:
The archetypes of Zeus and Athena became prototypical standards for the representation of divinity, standards which in the opinion of the later Hellenistic and Roman critics, were the products of the spiritual intuition of a great sage.(11) In art, Zeus was usually portrayed as bearded, middle aged but with a youthful figure. In the bronze work below we can see this early classical depiction (found off the coast of Greece at Cape Artemision). He most probably was throwing a thunderbolt (power) with the right hand.
Zeus, the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, was the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there. Being the supreme ruler he upheld law, justice and morals, and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and men. Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the Greek tribes (again not unlike Marduk by the Babylonians). But the Greek gods were unpredictable, and the Greeks liked it that way. Generally, the Greeks psychology was of extreme creativity and the acceptance of the physical world as an exploration, and that perhaps life after death may be boring (of it existed at all). Zeus has always been identified as being a weather god, as his main attribute is the thunderbolt, he controlled thunder, lightning and rain (like Marduk of the Babylonians). The thunderbolt signifies power, and in the Greek pantheon, the power more of the natural world than of the other world. Theocritus wrote circa 265 B.C.E.: "sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains";
As Jupiter, Zeus maintains the same archetypal deification. Jupiter is the supreme god of the Roman pantheon, called dies pater, or "shining father". Jupiter god of light and sky, and protector of the state and its laws (Roman). Astrology defines him as "protection and abundance" and in astronomy it is a known fact that Jupiter protects the earth from many comets and meteoric bombardments because of its orbital path, that sweeps up much of the material that may fall in upon earth. Hence, its great size also reflects largess. The Romans worshipped him especially as Jupiter Optimus Maximus (all-good, all-powerful). This name refers not only to his rulership over the universe, but also to his function as the god of the state who distributes laws, controls the realm, and makes his will known through oracles (Delphi). Trajan was called Optimus Princeps or "best chief" fashioned after the archetype of Jupiter. The public had a very positive view of him, and he did much for the republic, including The Trajan Baths, built on the Esquiline Hill in conjunction with Nero's Golden house. Now, Trajan makes use of the Jupiterian archetype to become the benevolent and powerful "protector" of the people, by using this idea of largess as propaganda to win the favor of his people and reinforce the Roman ideals. The Greeks and Romans shared many of the same gods, but they looked at life from two completely different perspectives. Greek mythology and Greek society valued individualism and differences in personality and character, hence the rise of Horoscopic Astrology (13). Greek civilization was based mostly on small, self governing city states. Their is little evidence that although they had their Gods and belief in astrology, that they had any strong beliefs in any sort of heavenly existence after death. They believed that the afterlife would probably be an eternity of unpleasantness and possibly boredom. They were extremely physically oriented. Only deeds that a man could achieve during his life that would be remembered after his death, were important. The artwork of the classical era reflects this love of -- and desire to replicate accurately -- the material world, which was a world of plenty and was to be enjoyed. The Greeks were very aware of the contradiction that the virtues that make a human being great are often those that can also lead to his or her undoing, and their Gods and heroes were depicted with both strengths and weaknesses. The Romans, on the other hand, developed a much more disciplined culture that allowed leadership and power, but for the good of the republic. They valued power, dominance and engineering much more than the Greeks who were more avant guard in their creative expression, and not concerned much with maintaining their power or civilization in good working order as the Romans were--and did. The fact that mythology never dies and only changes becomes clear from the evolution of artworks in conjunction with the consciousness of the civilizations that spawn them. And whether that expression is utilized to convey the beneficence of the personality, or of the collectivity depends on the intent and perspective of the society that deems one or the other the most valuable. Either one expressing the same largess seems to have propelled us into great discoveries and developments in many fields. It is somewhat disconcerting, however, that the power of both of these cultures seems to have been lost in today's society and consciousness expression, when Optimus Maximus -- rather than the noble and high-minded expression of the higher self and best expression of men -- may simply be a new shoddily built and poorly designed casino and hotel on the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. References Cramer, Frederick H. (1954). Astrology in Roman Law and Politics. Baltimore Maryland: J. H. Furst Company. Carl Gustave Jung, (1971). Collected works, The Type Problem in Classical and Medieval thought. Princeton University Press. Kaplan, J.D., (1951) Dialogues of Plato. New York: Pocket Books. Kleiner, F. S., and Tansey, R. G. (1996). Gardner's Art Through The Ages. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Patterson, Gordon M. (2000). Essentials of Ancient History. New Jersey: Research & Education Association. Press, Petra, Michael Friedman (1997). Great Heros of Mythology. New York: Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. Pollitt, J. J.. (1998). Art and Experience in Classical Greece. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Ramage, Andrew, and Nancy H. (1995). Roman Art Romulus to Constantine. Third Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. GE 350, San Diego State University, (1999) Searching for Truth and Beauty, San Diego: Montezuma Publishing. Aristotle and The Greek View of Nature, Those Rational Greeks, Reason VS Observation in Science, Plato, Ptolemy and Al-Biruni, The Creative Process (Scientific American). Endnotes 1). Pollitt, Art and Experience in Classical Greece, Epilogue, page 195. 2). And therefore, the personification of experience is implied. 3). In psychology, developmental press is hypothesized as necessary for resolution of conflict, which leads to increased efficacy. 4). In my view, this was not a triumph for anything but obviously the masculine aspects of control, and an overcompensation to meet the warlike masculine perspective of the Persians by discounting the more feminine and artistic aspect reflected in the pantheon of Gods and the art they inspired. Hence, from this point forward historically, the masculine aspect fosters the patrician perspectives of the republics in Rome focusing on external manipulation of the environment, at the cost of trusting the nurturing instincts. This has brought us wonderful technology and conveniences of the modern era, along with the destruction of the environment, inequity disguised as democracy, and potential for world destruction. 5). Which in my view was responsible for the collective psychological sense of futility that initiated the dark ages. Please see "The Overcompensational Pendulum", Chapter 1, page 25, The Integrated Astrological Guide, volume 1, also by the author. 6). Listed on the US currency nickel piece on the obverse. 7). Roman Art Romulus to Constantine, Hadrian and The Classic Revival, page 213. 8). Roman Art Romulus to Constantine, Architecture, page 215. 9). F. H. Cramer, Astrology in Roman Law and Politics, Astrology in Rome from Nerva to Severus Alexander, page 164-65. 10). Cramer, F. H., The Rise of Astrology in The Hellenistic World, 1953. 11). Pollitt, Art and Experience in Classical Greece, The Classical Moment, page 100. 12). Drawn from The Bulfinch Solution: Teaching the Ancient Classics in American Schools (Salem, NH: Ayer Company Publishers, Inc., l990), ISBN 0-88l43-ll2-5. 13). Astrology based on the time of birth that gives us an ascendant (rising constellation) that specifically delineates the personality.
"That he was honored and received the proskynesis (ceremonial prostration in vogue before oriental rulers) from all men was due to the fact that Jupiter was in epicentric "attendance" on the sun." Antigonus on the horoscope of the emperor Hadrian Edmond H. Wollmann P.M.A.F.A.
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