the immortals the greek gods - glyptothek€¦ · the greek gods and their progeny the greek gods...

The Greek GodsThe Immortals

This brochure is a col-lection of the paneltexts from the specialexhibition “The Im-mortals – The GreekGods” in the StateCollection of Antiqui-ties and GlyptothekMunich 2012/2013. Onthe occasion of thisexhibition, a 600-pagecatalogue has beenpublished with over850 illustrations, mostof which are in colour.The catalogue is avail-able at the museumcounters or [email protected] a price of 25 Euros(plus shipping costs).

State Collection of Antiquities andGlyptothek Munich

1 | State Collection of Antiquities

THE IMMORTALS – THE GREEK GODS

The gods of the Greeks possess human form. They areneither almighty, nor omnipresent nor omniscient. Whatessentially distinguishes them from humans is that theyare immortal. The myths chronicle their human weak -nesses at great length. Yet for mortals the purpose of divine action is not always evident. It was not the prophets nor the priests, but poets – firstand foremost Homer and Hesiod – who shaped theimage of the Greek gods. Subsequent authors can how -ever represent the myth differently. There are so many gods that even the ancient authorsadmit that they do not know them all. Out of the many,a small, clear circle stands out: the ‘Olympic’ gods, so-called after their mutual abode where they also meet incouncil. The god of the sky, Zeus, is their undisputed sovereign. The father of gods and men secures his re-gency by means of his divine children, Athena, Hermes,Artemis and Apollo, all of whom are obedient to him.

Hesiod, modern bronze

replica of a portrait from

the 2nd century B.C.

The Greek Gods and their Progeny

The Greek gods are named after their home on MountOlympus, the mountain of the gods. Only twelve maingods number among the ‘Olympic gods‘ in the narrowersense. The composition of this group was the subject ofcontroversy even in ancient times. According to writtensources, Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, is almost always included, whereas Dionysos is not. Neither does Hades, the brother of Zeus and ruler of the under-world, attend the councils on Olympus with his wifePersephone.In art, however, there is hardly a god who is portrayedmore often than Dionysos. So the god of wine frequentlytakes the place of Hestia, of whom there are very fewportrayals, in depicted assemblies of the TwelveOlympians. Older generations of deities preceding the Olympians areknown to us only from written sources. We find no traceof them being worshipped, and they do not play a role in visual art. The gods beget mortal children togetherwith humans. Kings and noble families often claim de-scendancy from such demigods.


The gods can be worshipped everywhere, but they alsohave favourite places where they experience particularreverence. A large part of religious life takes place in theirsanctuaries in the form of cultic rituals: donations, sacri-fices, votive offerings and prayer. In some places, hugetemples are built for them, but the only item that is reallyessential in a sanctuary is the altar. Portrayals of the gods range from colossal idols made ofgold and ivory to unpretentious figurines made of clay.But most of the portrayals of the Greek gods are foundon vessels that are not intended for cultic use. This showshow ever-present the gods and their deeds are in humanperception. Greek cults are also available to non-Greeks; grand con-secrations of oriental rulers bear witness to this. TheGreek pantheon is also open for new gods. So over thecourse of the centuries, new cults, both Greek and non-Greek, are added. Ever since the Hellenistic period, thecult of the deified ruler plays an increasingly importantrole. All of these deities can be worshipped alongsideone other. Only when Christianity arrives, which does nottolerate other gods, is the old religion finally ousted.


Homer, modern bronze

replica of a portrait from

the 2nd century B.C.

Chaos

Gaia (Earth) – Ouranos (Sky, son of Gaia)Erebos (Darkness) – Nyx (Night)

Koios – Phoibe

Leto

Medusa Pan

ATHENA ARES HEPHAISTOS APHRODITE HERMESPersephone

with Zeus with Zeus with Zeus

with Zeus

with Zeus

Hades Dione

Asklepios

ChrysaorPegasos

Theseus Herakles Perseus

DIONYSOS

Semele

Harmonia – Kadmos

Odysseus

Atlas PrometheusHestia

ARTEMIS APOLLO

POSEIDON DEMETER ZEUS–HERA

Kronos – Rheia Okeanos – Thetis Iapetos

Eros

Maia

and Eileithyia. But the children he conceives with otherwomen acquire greater power: Apollo, Artemis, Athena,Hermes and Dionysos. They comply with his wishes andsecure his power. In Greek mythology, the ascendency of Zeus to becomethe most powerful god is a violent one. Even his birth is dramatic. His mother gives birth to him secretly onMount Ida on Crete, as his father Kronos swallows all his children for fear of being displaced. After his victoryover the old gods and demons Zeus puts the world inorder and gives mortals a new legal order. He is the patron not only of house and family but also of the state.Zeus is revered by all Greeks as the one universal god.The Etruscans model their supreme god Tinia on his example, whom the Romans in turn equate with theirsupreme god Jupiter. Like Zeus he has an eagle as hiscompanion. The mighty bird serves also as the standardof the Roman legions, but never however as an abstractState coat of arms. This does not exist in the ancientworld.


Zeus

Zeus is the supreme Greek god. He can use his power atany time and against anyone. He is mostly depicted as amature, benevolent man, bearded and with flowing hair.In majestic posture he sits calmly on his throne, holding along sceptre in his left hand. He usually lets others carryout his will. His behaviour thus corresponds exactly withthat of an earthly ruler in early times. Zeus is however also the weather god wielding weapons,the lightning thrower and cloud gatherer. His attributesand mightiest weapons are the bolt of lightning and thethunderbolt. Zeus’s sanctuaries are normally situated onmountains far away from human settlements. As the godof the heavens he is frequently accompanied by an eagle. Zeus excels all other gods in sexual virility. He has liaisonswith a large number of divine and mortal women. He isvery resourceful in achieving his aims unrecognised andvery often assumes a different form. He approaches Ledain the form of a swan; he bears Europa away disguised asa bull. His divine spouse is however without question hissister Hera. Their children are Ares, Hephaistos, Hebe


Zeus, bronze figurine,

after 69 A.D.

Zeus, Attic wine mixing

vessel, around 470 B.C.

Tinia, Etruscan terracotta

head, 300–250 B.C.

is Hera’s essential sphere. In the practice of the cult it isabove all adult women who turn to her. Hera is howeverby no means a mother goddess such as Demeter. Her relationship with her own children is frequently notmarked by motherly love. In mythology Hera mostly appears as cantankerous andhaughty. Quarrels with her spouse Zeus on account of his extra-marital escapades are an everyday matter. Hera reacts jealously to his love affairs and punishes relentlessly every disregard of her rightful position. Shepursues her spouse’s lovers with boundless hate andmakes life difficult for their illegitimate off-spring. The Italian Juno is the counterpart of the Greek Hera.Nevertheless the goddess has greater importance inRome than in Greece. In addition to her role as the protectress of marriage she also acts as protectress of the local community.


Hera

Hera is the spouse and sister of Zeus, the supreme god.The queen of the gods is distinguished by her majesticbearing, her noble attire, a crown, frequently also a sceptre and a pomegranate. The last is a symbol of fertility. Hera is a paragon for brides and married women.Their function is to bring legitimate offspring into theworld. Hera and her daughter, the goddess of childbirth,Eileithyia, come to the aid of women in childbirth.Notwithstanding her high rank among the gods, her cult is not to be found everywhere, but only in particularregions of the Greek world such as the Peloponnese,Boeotia, Samos and in Southern Italy. Here, Hera plays animportant role in political communities. She is called thecow-eyed on account of her beautiful eyes. Female cat-tle, the most noble of sacrificial animals, are the due ofHera. Many of her sanctuaries lie outside the towns in fertile pasturage.Hera is however above all the goddess of weddings andmarriage. She keeps her distance from other men and inportrayals occasionally appears in the company of aveiled figure, the personification of modesty and morality(Aidos). Her wedding with Zeus – the sacred wedding – is the archetype for the marriage of mortals, althoughmarriage between brother and sister does not conform tosocial norms even in ancient Greece. The female destiny,from virgin to wife and her cohabitation with the male,


Hera, Attic drinking cup,

470/60 B.C.

The judgement of Paris

with Hera (centre), Etruscan

amphora, around 540 B.C.

Juno, clay lamp,

2nd/3rd century A.D.

Poseidon stands for the menacing violence of the sea,which he churns up with his trident. Helmsmen on thehigh seas do not turn to him for help, but to Zeus’daughter Athena. Nevertheless, after military victories at sea, the Greeks dedicate ships, gifts and shrines to Poseidon. Cults and celebrations in honour of Poseidon are not verynumerous. They usually take place on the Peloponnese.The Isthmian Games that are celebrated near Corinth inhis honour rank among the most important sportingcompetitions of ancient times. The marks of his trident in the Erechtheion, where he causes a salt-water well tospring up, is one of the most important ritual places onthe Acropolis of Athens. It bears witness to the contestbetween Poseidon and Athena over Attica, which Zeus’daughter won. Poseidon’s consort is Amphitrite, the mother of Triton. Inlater visual art, the latter is often portrayed in multipleform. Together with the Nereids, the good-natured seanymphs, the Tritons form the swarming escort of Posei-don and Amphitrite. Like Zeus, Poseidon also fathers children of other women. However, here too the savageryof the mighty sea god becomes apparent. He has inter-course with monsters such as the Gorgon, Medusa.Ghastly creatures such as Polyphemos, the Cyclops, andthe giant Antaeus are his offspring. The Etruscans worshipped Nethuns as the god of freshand sea water, the Romans venerated Neptune.


Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the sea. His younger brothers areZeus and Hades, who rule the air and the underworld.Poseidon embodies the unrest, the effervescent agitation,the violence and impermanence that are characteristic of his element. He is thus the opposite of Zeus, who radiates calm and supremacy.The rest of the sea gods are subordinated to Poseidon.He is not, like them, portrayed with the body of a snakeor a fish, but in human form and mostly naked. Poseidonis an imposing figure, strong and muscular. However,without his characteristic attributes – the trident and thefish – he is often not clearly distinguishable from otherfather-figure deities.Poseidon is the oldest of the Olympic gods. To him humans sacrifice bulls, the most exclusive of offerings.The other gods respect him. But Zeus is undisputedly the stronger of the two.


Poseidon, bronze figurine,

150–130 B.C.

Council of the gods with

Poseidon (second from

right), Attic amphora,

around 510 B.C.

Poseidon, pelike from

Southern Italy, around

370 B.C.

of the musical arts they inspire the poets. Since Hel-lenism, they have been responsible for various spheres,from poetry and literature, to music, theatre and astron-omy.Apollo is also the god of revenge. Relentlessly he takesaction against those who violate the prevailing order. Hecarries out Zeus’ will whilst displaying inhuman merciless-ness and cruelty, as only Athena is otherwise known todo. His bow brings sickness and death.But Apollo is also the god of purity. He atones for crimesand pardons evildoers. This also makes him the god of healing and oracles. For both the physician and the oracle show the way to the cleansing of one’s sins. Hisrole of fending off evil is closely linked with his healingfunction.The largest cult site of Apollo is located at Delphi. It isclosely connected with his visionary power. He bestowshis gift upon the Pythia, who makes prophecies sitting on a tripod. The oracle holds immense political influence.In the Greek world it is recognised as the highest judicialauthority. Various cities acknowledge Apollo as guarantorfor state order.The Etruscans worship Apulu/Aplu. For the Romans,Apollo is above all a god who cleanses sickness andblood guilt.


Apollo

Apollo is the god of poetry and music. As PhoebusApollo, he embodies purity and sunlight. The god ismarked by his long curly, well groomed hair and laurelwreath.He is the son of Zeus and Leto, as well as the brother of Artemis. Apollo is known as the father of the famousancient singers Orpheus and Linus. Contrary to the ecstatic elements of Dionysian songs, his music is characterised by measure and harmony.Apollo possesses eternal youth. He is portrayed with an athletic body and armed with bow and arrow or asmuse-leader and god of the arts, wearing a garment thatreaches to his ankles and holding a string instrument, thekithara. It is not until the time of the Roman Empire thathe is depicted in soft, lavish, graceful body forms.The muses are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne,the goddess of memory. Together with Apollo, they delight the gods with songs and dances. As patronesses


Apollo (left) punishing

Tityos, Attic drinking cup,

460/50 B.C.

Apollo, terracotta head,

late 5th/early 4th century B.C.

Apollo (right) with muse,

Attic amphora, around

430 B.C.

The goddess keeps her distance from mortals. Artemisprefers to reside in untouched nature. She unrelentinglypunishes every malefactor, particularly if they have of-fended against the rules of the hunt or of chastity. Thesaga of Iphigenia in Tauris even associates the goddesswith cruel human sacrifices.Since time immemorial her care is aimed at defencelessyoung lives – both mortals and animals. In Brauron in Attica young girls place themselves as little she-bearsunder her protection. Artemis’ care comes to an endwhen her protégés come of adult age. For girls this point is often reached at the age of 15, when they aredisposed of in marriage.Artemis can however also assist women in childbirth.After a safe birth they dedicate expensive garments toher.Myth has it that just one day after her own birth Artemishelps her mother Leto to deliver her brother Apollo onthe Cycladic island of Delos. Artemis repeatedly appearsat the side of Apollo, in assemblies of the gods as well as in altercations with heroes and malefactors.Artemis is also associated with Zeus, the father of thegods, and Ares, the god of war. Sacrifices are made before battle to obtain her goodwill. Artemis is a popular goddess, to whom monumentaltemples are erected. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesuscounts as one of the Seven Wonders of the AncientWorld. Artemis is venerated by members of all classes in all circumstances of life.The Roman Diana is initially the goddess of the moonand of fertility. She protects girls and women. Later, likethe Greek Artemis, she becomes the goddess of hunting.


Artemis

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt. In this capacity shewears a maidenly short garment and is equipped with abow, arrows and a quiver. She is sometimes accompaniedby the nymphs, female nature demons.Her connection with wild animals is often emphasised in early pictures in antiquity. As the winged mistress ofanimals she rules over untamed nature. Stags are hermost frequent companions. The power of the old goddess of the hunt stretches even further. Her rapidbow-manoeuvre can bring instant death. Executions ofcriminals in antiquity often take place before portrayals of Artemis.


Artemis, Attic anointing oil

vessel, around 470 B.C.

Artemis, gold plating from

Eastern Greece, around

650 B.C.

Artemis, terracotta figurine,

around 350 B.C.

countless herms dedicated to him. Mortals often feel acloser connection to him than to other divinities. Theplacing of food on herm-pedestals, to which all travellersmay help themselves, is a frequently practiced ritual. Accordingly, Hermes is also the giver of all things goodand gracious. The god further serves as the supporter and leader of heroes – as for instance in the Trojan War. In addition, heassists his half-brother, Herakles, with his twelve labours.Hermes also acts as guide to the gods, above all escort-ing their chariots in mythological wedding processions. As the god of nature, Hermes maintains close contactwith the nymphs and joins in their round-dancing. He is also closely associated with the world of young shep-herds. He is worshipped as ram bearer and is consideredto be an increaser of cattle. Pan is his son. As the god of youth, Hermes is also venerated on the palaestra, thesports ground. His speed and skill are exemplary. His ability to descend into the underworld and returnfrom it safely sets the god distinctly apart from otherdeities. Therefore he serves as the guide of souls, escort-ing the dead into Hades. The Roman counterpart of the Greek deity, Hermes, isMercury. In Rome, however, the god is merely associatedwith commerce.


Hermes

Hermes is the messenger of the gods. He is furtherknown as the guardian of travellers, merchants andthieves, as well as the assistant of gods and heroes. He is the god of shepherds and the guide who escorts souls into the underworld. The kerykeion, or caduceus, is his attribute. His shoes and cap often bear wings, signifying the god’s ability to arrive anywhere in no time. Always under way himself, Hermes supports mortalsalong their journeys. He can often be found on Greekroads, in the form of stone herms. Herms also mark theboundaries between wild regions and villages surroundedby fields. This speaks for Hermes as a god of boundaries,particularly since he often transcends them. Hermes is the messenger of Zeus. He is sent by thesupreme Olympian to inform other deities of his deci-sions. As a ‘minor’ god, he is not honoured with largetemples. Even so, he is ever-present thanks to the


Hermes, Attic amphora,

510/500 B.C.

Mercury, bronze figurine,

1st century B.C.

Mercury, bronze figurine,

2nd century A.D.

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