Top Results for Ancient Greek

Homer’s *Iliad* is a foundational work of Western literature. This ancient Greek epic poem recounts events during the latter part of the decade-long siege of Troy, primarily centered on the rage of Achilles and its devastating consequences for both Greeks and Trojans. It offers profound insights int...

The Odyssey by Homer remains a foundational work of Western literature. This ancient Greek epic chronicles Odysseus’ arduous ten-year voyage following the Trojan War. It's notable for its exploration of themes like perseverance, loyalty, and fate within a richly detailed heroic narrative. The poem i...

The Azara Herm is a Roman marble portrait bust of Alexander the Great, currently housed in the Louvre Museum. Carved as a herm—a squared stone pillar topped by a sculpted head—it is a Roman copy of an original 4th-century BC Greek bronze sculpture often attributed to the sculptor Lysippos. The artif...

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was an ancient Greek temple constructed between approximately 470 and 456 BCE in Elis, Greece. Built in the Doric order, it was dedicated to the chief god Zeus and served as the central religious sanctuary of the ancient Olympic Games. The temple's interior once housed...

This marble bust of the Athenian statesman Pericles is a Roman copy created in the 2nd century AD, based on a mid-5th century BC Greek bronze original. The original sculpture is widely attributed to the renowned sculptor Kresilas, a contemporary of Pericles. The portrait is highly distinguished by i...

The Bust of Socrates in the Vatican Museums is a Roman marble copy derived from a bronze Greek original created during the 4th century BCE. It depicts the classical Athenian philosopher Socrates, capturing his distinct features, including a broad nose, protruding eyes, and a thick beard. This sculpt...

The Lancellotti Discobolus is a 2nd-century CE Roman marble copy of a lost bronze original by the Greek sculptor Myron (c. 450 BCE), depicting an athlete mid-throw and exemplifying classical ideals of motion in sculpture.

The Bust of Plato housed in the Vatican Museums is a Roman marble copy created after a Greek bronze original sculpted by Silanion. The portrait depicts the Athenian philosopher Plato, who founded the Academy in Athens and authored foundational texts like the Dialogues. It presents him as a thoughtfu...

The surviving busts of Aristotle are Roman marble copies of a lost Greek bronze original, generally attributed to the sculptor Lysippos. They depict the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who studied under Plato in Athens and later served as a tutor to Alexander the Great. These portraits typicall...

The Oracle at Delphi served as a prominent religious sanctuary in ancient Greece from approximately the 8th century BC. Located near Delphi in present-day Greece, it was renowned for its association with Apollo and the pronouncements of Pythia, the high priestess. Individuals seeking guidance—includ...

The Bust of Homer in the British Museum is a Roman marble copy of a lost Hellenistic original, depicting the legendary ancient Greek epic poet. Homer is credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey, and this portrait type characteristically portrays him as a blind, elderly man with a furrowed b...

The Sanctuary of Olympia is an ancient Greek shrine honoring Zeus, located in Olympia, Greece. It served as the primary religious center for the Panhellenic games beginning in 776 BC. The site’s significance lies in its role as the origin and principal location for the Olympic Games, a focal point f...

The Bust of Demosthenes in the Vatican Museums is a Roman marble copy of a Greek bronze portrait created by the sculptor Polyeuktos around 280 BCE, over four decades after the Athenian orator's death in 322 BCE. The bronze original stood in the Athenian Agora and was commissioned by the Polis to hon...

The Epidaurus Sanctuary of Asclepius served as a significant ancient Greek healing center. Located in Epidaurus, Greece, it was dedicated to Asclepius, god of medicine and healing. The sanctuary included a hospital complex and a renowned theater used for religious performances and treatments involvi...

This marble bust is a Roman-era copy of a Greek original depicting the ancient Athenian tragedian Sophocles, who lived from approximately 497 to 406 BCE. The portrait is classified as the "Lateran type" because its proportions are based on a full-length statue formerly housed in the Lateran collecti...

This Roman marble portrait bust, held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, who lived from 341 to 270 BCE. Epicurus founded the philosophical school of Epicureanism, which taught that the pursuit of a simple, tranquil life free from pain...

Telestes was a dancer and choreographer in ancient Greece, active during the 5th century BCE. He is widely recognized by classical scholars as the earliest recorded mime artist in Western history. In 467 BCE, during a performance of Aeschylus's tragedy Seven Against Thebes, Telestes used expressive...

The Bust of Aeschylus is an ancient portrait sculpture housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. It is a Roman marble copy modeled after a Greek original depicting Aeschylus, the Athenian playwright active circa 525–456 BCE who is widely regarded as the father of Greek tragedy. The scu...

The Bust of Euripides (Farnese Type) is a Roman marble copy of a lost Greek bronze portrait of the Athenian tragedian Euripides, who lived from approximately 480 to 406 BCE. The portrait type is named after a famous example formerly in the Farnese Collection, now housed in the National Archaeologica...

This marble portrait bust depicts the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century BCE and is widely regarded as the 'Father of History.' The sculpture is a Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic Greek original and is part of the permanent collection of Greek and Roman art at the Metr...

The Bust of Pindar is a Roman marble portrait sculpture housed in the Chiaramonti Museum of the Vatican Museums. It is a Roman-era copy of a lost Greek original depicting the renowned Boeotian lyric poet Pindar, who lived from approximately 518 to 438 BCE. The sculpture is identified by its idealize...

The Bust of Thucydides is a Roman marble portrait sculpture currently housed in the Marble Hall of Holkham Hall in Norfolk, England. It is a copy of a lost Greek bronze original depicting the prominent Athenian historian Thucydides, who lived from approximately 460 to 400 BCE. The sculpture portrays...

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a monumental tomb built around 350 BCE in the ancient city of Halicarnassus (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey). It was constructed for Mausolus, a satrap in the Persian Empire, by his wife Artemisia II, and designed by Greek architects Satyros and Pythis. Standing approxi...

The Bust of Pythagoras is a marble portrait sculpture housed in the Capitoline Museums in Rome, traditionally identified as the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras. The artwork is a Roman-era copy of a presumed Greek original, as no securely authenticated contemporary likenesses of the ph...

The Sanctuary of Eleusis was an ancient Greek religious complex at Eleusis, west of Athens, and the principal setting of the Eleusinian Mysteries. These initiation rites centered on Demeter and Persephone and were associated with agricultural renewal, death, and hopes concerning the afterlife. The s...

Telestēs was a dancer associated with Aeschylus’s tragedy Seven Against Thebes, performed in classical Athens. Ancient and modern discussions connect him with the play’s presentation of the battle report through movement, although scholars differ over whether his contribution should be described as...

The Sanctuary of Aphaia is an ancient Greek sanctuary on the island of Aegina, dedicated to Aphaia, a goddess associated with the island. Its best-preserved structure is a Doric temple built around 500 BC, replacing an earlier temple on the same site. The sanctuary is known for its architectural rem...