INTERPRETING GODS AND MYTH AT THE ANCIENT SCULPTURE MUSEUM
A Miami University Capstone Project Presented by Abigail Lebovitz Under the Supervision of Dr. Steven Tuck
HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE IMAGES OF ANCIENTÂ GODS?
The stories of the gods changed through time and culture, but their images remained so recognizable throughout the centuries that divine narrative could be imparted with just one image to audiences all over the Mediterranean.
INTRODUCTION
We know of ancient gods through stories and popular media, but with low literacy rates and no possibility to watch Disney’s Hercules, how were myths told to the communities that worshipped those gods? For the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, they told the stories of their gods through art.
THE REACH OF THE GODS
These societies were polytheistic, which meant that they worshipped more than one god. You may be familiar with Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades from Greek mythology, but there was a god for every natural occurrence that was otherwise unexplainable. The sun moved by the will of Ra in Egypt, Apollo for the Greeks, and Phoebus for the Romans. You prayed to the gods for healing, for health, for luck, to strike down your enemies, for success in war.
PRESENTATION OF THE GODS
Myths were presented in immortal stone as statues, or in paintings, mosaics, vases, and grave art such as sarcophagi and tomb markers. Art gave the gods a tangible connection to the mortal world. Today they maintain the power to communicate stories in the present, but they also give us important insights into the past.
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Park Hours: Everyday 9AM-5PM
Museum Hours: Sundays & Mondays 12PM-4PM
