Greek Profile - special interpretation profile human face, which is part of the canon of ancient Greek sculpture of the classical and Hellenistic eras. It is one of the most important characteristics of the beauty of that period. In this sense, it was perceived by the artists of the New Time, who were guided in the visual arts by Ancient Greece.

Distinctive features are the line of the nose, directly passing into the forehead with little or no emphasis on the bridge of the nose. If the head is crowned with a helmet, then this line also merges with it. A relatively heavy chin is also noticeable.

In real life, it is extremely difficult to meet people with a similar appearance, including among modern Greeks. General type: rectangular face, narrow nasal area, rectangular eye sockets, high compact nose, developed cheekbones. The use of an expression in speech to describe someone's beauty in most cases is not true, since usually people really just intend to express admiration for the purity of the lines of the profile being described. "Greek Profile" also not synonymous « long nose» (common mistake).

The researchers note that the initial folding of this type of image is easiest to notice in Greek vase painting, where the Greek profile appears in the last stage of the archaic. In the paintings of red-figure ceramics of this period, the proportions of faces change: their general outline is leveled, the chin is shortened and heavier, and the forehead becomes lower and harder, while the nose is shortened and becomes more vertical. In sculpture, the principle appears somewhat later. Vipper explains that for the Greeks, the relationship of individual features in such a face is determined not by psychological, but by plastic expressiveness, which was caused by their special love for the naked human body in action and its deep understanding.

Hegel, analyzing the Greek profile, concludes that the “animal” features inherent in the head are maximally leveled in it: mouth, chewing muscles, cheekbones, which are reminiscent of the physiology of a person, and, conversely, features that indicate mental life are accentuated - this is, first of all, a beautiful forehead. In such a face, whose proportions are in absolute harmony, the forehead (usually not very high) receives an expression of hardness and stubborn mental concentration, which speak of the high merits of the depicted.

The images of gods and heroes were endowed with a similar profile, which became the ideal of beauty: according to the Greek concept of kalokagathia (beauty and virtue are equal to each other), these positive characters were supposed to be the most beautiful. In the same time negative characters, even opposing them in one composition, were depicted with hooked "eagle", flattened "monkey" noses.

The Benaki Museum of Greek Civilization displays a photograph of the "Girl from Ipati", which has a classic Greek profile and facial features. The Greek nose is also found among modern Greeks, for example, the artist Sakis Rouvas, the singer Dimos Anastasiadis. The Greek nose could be a representation of perfect beauty faces, probably because of their rarity.

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Greeks appearance
Greek profile - a special interpretation of the profile of a human face, which is part of the canon of ancient Greek sculpture of the classical and Hellenistic eras. Is one of the most important
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Greek nose: what happened to classic appearance Greeks?

Perhaps everyone has heard about the famous standard of beauty of the ancient Greeks - the Greek nose, all over the world it is with it that the concept of classical beauty is associated. If countries could be associated with parts of the body, then Greece would undoubtedly get a face along with the famous profile and the nose shape characteristic of the Greeks. For many years there have been debates about why these features were considered ideal, were they really inherent in all Greeks, and is it possible to meet people with a real Greek profile in Greece today?

If you believe the canonical interpretations of the Greek appearance, then the forehead of a typical Hellene smoothly passes into the line of the nose, and the bridge of the nose is almost not highlighted (except that it is separated by a barely noticeable bend). The famous straight nose is perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Greek profile. Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is not synonymous with a big nose. But it seems that not all Greeks appreciate this: still, rhinoplasty remains the most popular procedure to improve the appearance in Greece. ??

It is not known who first identified such features of the Greek appearance. Some put forward the version that the Greeks themselves did this: the famous profile and nose are inherent in most ancient Greek frescoes and sculptures. Others argue that such an interpretation of the profile is simply an example of the ideal of beauty. And this means that this type of appearance is more rooted in art than due to physical characteristics. real people. Appearance, which for a long time determined the canons of beauty, was endowed with heroes and gods. But the negative characters were depicted with flattened, hooked and "eagle" noses.

The figurative vessel is the head of a maiden. Athens, 5th-6th century BC

The very first examples of a Greek profile can be seen on ancient Greek red-figure vases.

Female head, Idalion, 6th century BC

Since the people and gods on them are drawn in profile, it will not be difficult to form an idea of ​​​​the appearance that was classic for that era: a forehead line that passes into the nose and a weakly pronounced chin. Moreover, the forehead was certainly portrayed as beautiful and large - so they reminded of high mental capacity depicted and its merits.

Artemis with a swan, Athens, c. 5th c. BC.

Over time, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ideal appearance has changed a bit - the chin began to be depicted as pronounced. Thus, the Greek profile is not just a straight nose shape, but a combination with a smooth forehead line and an implicit emphasis on the bridge of the nose.

In the Hellenistic era, realistic busts and sculptures began to be created. It was they who made me doubt the real existence of the so-called "Greek profile". The types of appearance depicted on realistic busts proved that the ancient Greeks were no different from their contemporaries. They had different noses and profiles, and were often far from ideal. From the 19th century, newspapers and scientific writings began to reflect on the topic “What became of the classical Greek profile?” and "Were there perfect faces? Many agreed that there were similar examples of appearance, but not all Greeks had such a profile.

Greek appearance - who is her a typical representative? First of all, it is worth referring to the classic busts of heroes and gods. Hermes and Athena correspond to the ideal idea of ​​beauty. Excellent examples among famous sculptures- Venus de Milo, reconstructions of Athena Lemnia, Venus Tauride, Diadumen.

(photo can be viewed enlarged)

As you can see in the photo above, the Greek nose for men and the Greek nose for women are not too different, except that they are slightly larger. The Greek nose with a hump is not quite the same, we don’t see a single such example in classical statues, and the Greeks themselves consider a straight nose to be the ideal.

But the image of Socrates does not at all correspond to the Hellenic ideas of beauty, and even more so does not correspond to the ideas of an ideal profile. The great philosopher had bulging eyes, an upturned and flattened nose with wide nostrils - in general, by ancient standards he was frankly ugly. According to the descriptions, he was incredibly similar to the Sileni - satyrs, who were often portrayed as drunk and who were characterized by demonic qualities.

Greek philosopher Socrates

The portrait of the orator Demosthenes also bears little resemblance to the classical ideal of beauty:

Greek speaker Demosthenes

Of the modern holders of the Greek profile, the most prominent representatives are actresses Irini Pappa (Irene Papas):

Greek actress Irene Papas

and unforgettable Ellie Lambety,

Greek actress Ellie Lambeti

singer Elena Paparizou.

Greek singer Elena Paparizou

Among men, the Greek nose, almost in its classical sense, has Sakis Rouvas.

Greek singer and artist Sakis Rouvas

In ordinary life, the Greek profile in Greece can be seen, although this happens extremely rarely. But presence clear examples confirms: such appearance existed and exists. Another thing is that she was not "the only true one."

Have you met people with a Greek profile? Still, the Greek nose is found not only in Greece ...

Hello everyone! Our contest "Olive - my love" continues.

The film, in which the theme of Greek mythology is touched upon, will certainly be a success.

Dear readers, I continue our column "Friends and Guests". Today is yours.

Today we have new topic on the site "My Greece" - hairstyles in Greek.

25 Responses to

Congratulations on the holiday of spring!
With all my heart we wish you
May your life be bright
Let it be strewn with roses
Your life path to the end.

We wish truth, happiness, kindness
Extraordinary and come true dreams
We wish light, we wish stars
We wish you laughter and happy tears.

Thanks, Svetlana! And you with spring holiday!

about noses of course cool! ALL LADIES WITH THE COMING HOLIDAY.

Thanks, Sergey!

Happy first spring holiday, dear women!

Michael, thanks for the congratulations! And for your story - a great addition to the article. And to that girl who has matured a long time ago, God bless!

The Greek nose can also be found in Russia, interesting article. Happy Women's Day, Elena!

Interesting reflections on the Greek profile. We are really more used to it historical portraits, and now I thought that in Russia, probably, I met people with a Greek profile a little among my friends, I know one for sure, but in Bulgaria I met more such people. Perhaps the proximity of the countries influenced this??

Olya, of course - this is the Balkans, everything is mixed up here ...

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Greek nose: what happened to the classic appearance of the Greeks?
What is the difference between the Greek nose and the Greek profile, the classic Greek nose of Ancient Greece and modernity
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Greek people

Although they say that the people of Greece are the descendants of the Gods, that the most ancient man lived in Greece more than nine thousand years ago, and that it was the Greeks who founded the sciences and arts, they do not at all consider themselves great. Friendly? Yes! Do they love football? Yes! Admire women? Yes!

In Georgia, the Greeks are called “berdznebi” (“wise men”), and Greece is called “saberdzeneti”, that is, “the land of wise men”.

Mostly these people ate fish. Moreover, the fish whose bones were found in the cave were never found near the shore, which means that the ancients were not afraid to go out to the open sea and were well versed in navigation. As a result of searches in the cave, pottery and vessels for grain were also found, which confirmed the guesses of scientists that the ancients knew how to cultivate the land. Of particular interest were tools made of obsidian. The fact is that this material was present only on the island of Milos, located a hundred kilometers from the continent. Today, scientists are confident that Neanderthals inhabited Fraghti Cave, and perhaps a new study will answer the question of why Neanderthals disappeared and Homo sapiens survived.

State lottery draws weekly "make" one or two millionaires, and at the same time provide the state treasury with a good income. For many Greeks, buying a lottery ticket is a habit as common as buying a morning paper.

People in Greece are proud, which is typical of southern European peoples. But it should be noted that the Greeks have reason to be proud. The names of their ancestors alone are worth the great scientist and philosopher Aristotle, the father of mathematics Pythagoras, great thinker Socrates, father of chemistry Archimedes, father of philosophy Plato, father of medicine Hippocrates, famous antique sculptor Phidias, well great commander Alexander the Great and many others.

The Greeks are very proud that Greece still continued to fight in World War II against the Nazis at a time when all European countries had already capitulated. “Now we no longer say that Greek soldiers fight like heroes - we say that heroes fight like Greeks,” said Churchill.

Greece in Greek is Hellas, and the Greeks are Hellenes and Hellenids (as they call themselves). More than half of the population is employed in the tourism business: there are few industrial enterprises.

Every morning before the start of school, children read a prayer. On the first day of the school year, instead of the principal, the children are greeted by a priest, wishing them successful studies. In Greece, young people want to work as teachers. But a young specialist himself does not choose a place of work: he is sent to this or that city or village by the department of education, located in Athens. The teacher can only agree or not, or wait for other suggestions. In schools, half of the teachers are men. The profession of a teacher is budgetary, therefore, paid. And the teacher earns "no worse than other" state employees. In hospitals, there are also men behind the reception desk. And the shop assistants are men. Of course, women work too, it's just unusual to see men in a candy store packing cakes.

Handshakes among the Greeks are accepted only during the acquaintance. When friends meet, they say "Hello" ("Yia sou") to each other, and kiss on both cheeks. This greeting does not depend on gender or age. The Greeks reserve the kissing of hands for the clergy of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Now about the Greeks themselves. Greek names are not particularly diverse. Grandfather, son and grandson have the same name. When you meet a Greek, you can be sure it is Yirgos, Giannis, Kostas or Dimitris. Among women, the names Panayot, Maria, Vasiliki are popular. Women themselves can forget their own full name- all their lives they are called diminutives. In recent years, the fashion has come to be called in the English manner: Yorgos - George, Giannis - John.

Greeks love to communicate by cell phone. Thanks to the various offers of companies, they have the opportunity to talk for free for a long time. which they enjoy using. Basically, the Greeks are friendly and hospitable people, polite in communication: they will show the way, explain the incomprehensible. Greeks are not aggressive. There are almost no fights in bars. At most, they will shout and wave their hands, after a while they will calm down and will communicate, as if nothing had happened. Greeks love coffee. With ice. And without. They sit in a cafe for a long time, discussing the news and not hurrying home.

Even today, Greeks can read many ancient texts without any problems, thanks to the fact that the language has not changed significantly over thousands of years.

Greeks love folk music, which they listen to in buzukya. Usually musicians are invited to this party, they drink wine and dance folk dances. Favorite dance - no, not sirtaki, but zeybekiko, similar to the dance of a drunken sailor. It is usually performed by one man. The audience sits in a circle and applauds. Tired one, the next entered the circle.

The favorite food of the Greeks is souvlaki (like shawarma) with fried potatoes fries. Both children and adults eat it, often and in large quantities. This is Greek fast food. They drink Coca-Cola. Favorite Greek saying: “When other peoples were still climbing trees and eating bananas, the Greeks were already suffering from cholesterol.” They drink little. They get drunk quickly. But they are behaving well. Greek men know how to appreciate feminine beauty: when they see a beautiful woman, they will definitely demonstrate their admiration in some way. Flirting in Greek is called kamaki. The Greeks "make kamaki" (flirt) with pleasure and often.

The nature of the life of the Greeks and their appearance

Let's, however, see what Attica was like in the 8th-6th centuries BC. Let the books of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Tacitus, Plutarch, Plato and Aristotle serve as our guides. Attica on early stages was a society where most people still lived in rural areas, in small villages of a semi-rural or semi-urban type. But then military dangers and other reasons led to an outflow of residents from villages to cities (the Greeks called this exodus "sinoikism" - a settlement together). The process was outlined already under Tsar Theseus. As happened more than once in history, the war had not only negative, but also positive consequences. She united the Greeks and gave them a sense of unity for a short time. In the same way, the great wars united all the Russians - the Hellenes of the North.

Sh. Kuapel. Achilles' Fury

In the poems of Homer and Hesiod, and other authors, one can learn about the position of the masses. The poems give a broad picture of the life and work of Greece in that era. Before us is a country with patriarchal way, but already felt a taste for wealth and crafts. Slavery acts as the most important sign of wealth. Although some patriarchal features are still preserved in society. At the head are the elders or priests, whom the Greeks call "basileus". There is also a popular assembly, which meets only in emergency cases (for example, it has not met in Ithaca for 20 years). However, the basileus try to maintain at least the appearance of the people's will. In other words, the socio-political system of the Greeks could be assessed as "a kind of military democracy." But this so-called democracy is cruel, sometimes simply inhuman ... The pages of the Iliad are full of scenes of outright cruelty, almost sadism ... Agamemnon dishonored the daughter of the Trojan king Priam and Hecuba - Cassandra. Or here the "hero" Achilles not only after the duel refuses the dying Hector mercy - to transfer his dead body to his elderly father, but he also abused the dead body of the hero. Let Hector kill Patroclus, Achilles' friend, but Patroclus and Achilles are invaders. It seems that this blood is not enough for Achilles. He wants revenge and kills 12 young Trojans with his own hands. The Achaeans kill the men of defeated Troy, and take the women into slavery. Achilles explained the cruelty of his heart by the fact that he was born not from Peleus and Thetis, but from rocks and the sea. I believe that he was not born of rocks and sea, but of that vaunted Western civilization, which is organically inherent in cruelty.

A. Ivanov. Priam asks Achilles to give the body of his son

C. Marilie. Achilles ties Hector's body to the chariot. 1786

A lot of space in the poems is given to the description of weapons, clothes and household utensils. Everything indicates that Greece has entered a period of social stratification. In the "Odyssey" we see immigrants and farm laborers. Their bitter share is known to Homer. The Iliad speaks of the plight of the laborers (Achilles speaks of this). Before us flashes the image of a lonely spinner who is barely able to earn bread for his children. King Agamemnon is opposed to the poor. There are also colorful figures of beggars (the image of Iru, standing in front of the feasting suitors, asking for alms, and Odysseus appeared nearby in the form of a disguised beggar). In a word, the society that we see is far from justice. Therefore, Zeus brings down a storm and downpours on evil and unrighteous people who “perform their wrong in the square and multiply violence, oppress the truth and do not fear the punishment of the gods” (Il. XVI, 386-388). Trade is spoken of little and without any reverence. In the Odyssey, however, it is said about the arrival of a Phoenician ship on about. Syria, which is full of beautiful goods. These merchants trade with the Greeks throughout the year, and Odysseus himself sometimes pretends to be a merchant (Od. XV, 415; IV, 222). However, when the Phaeacian Evrial saw in Odysseus a merchant who had gone overseas to enrich himself, he was terribly offended and called him an insolent one (Od. VIII, 159-166). Although he absolutely calmly accepted the question of Polyphemus, and whether he was a robber. At that time, robbery and slavery were perceived as a worthy and laudable occupation. Disguised, Odysseus confesses to his companions not without obvious pride (Od. XVII, 422-423):

I had many slaves

and everything else

With what we live well, for what

we are called rich.

So, cities-polises appear in Greece (Corinth, Megara, Thebes, Chalkis, Argos, Eretria, Aegina, Miletus, Smyrna, Ephesus, Sparta, and of course Athens). And in Asia Minor, cities arose that were the most developed part of Greece (at least in the 8th century). Here were fertile lands, mineral deposits, ran the main trade routes connecting Greece with the East. It was by no means trade, not the language of knowledge or crafts that were then the main tools, sources of wealth, but swords, daggers, robberies, wars. With their help, the warring parties captured numerous wealth. The house of Odysseus is full of gold and copper, which attracted suitors here (and not at all the charms of his Penelope).

I. Jordans. Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemus. 1630s

Recall that in Homeric Greece there was no money then, and precious metals (bronze, iron, gold) usually acted as a medium of exchange. The minting of coins began in the 7th century, having borrowed this art from the Lydians, where King Croesus ruled (his wealth became a household name). Barter also played a leading role.

D. Velasquez. Arachne weaves a cloth, challenging Athena to a competition. 1657

have been changed and labor Relations… More recently, the Queen of Nausicaa herself helped the slaves wash sheets in the river, and Penelope, Helen and Andromache with maids were busy spinning, weaving, and embroidery. Arachne challenges Athena herself to a weaving competition. Odysseus himself, and not without pleasure, made chairs, beds and saddles. Agamemnon and Achilles themselves prepared everything for the feast and the reception of guests. Andromache fed the horses. The Nausicaa brothers unharnessed the mules. Even the queen of the gods, the divine Hera herself, served herself on her own. The slaves of the ancient Greeks at first were almost no different from other people. However, as social relations developed, the situation began to change. The small free farmer, of course, could no longer compete with the rich landowner who had many slaves. The same can be said about a small craftsman who faced the owner of a large workshop, which was based on forced slave labor. In the era dating back to the VIII-VII centuries BC, there is a rapid spread of slavery in Greece. “The Chians were the first of the Hellenes (after the Thessalians and the Lacedaemonians), wrote the historian, “began to use slaves. However, their method of acquiring slaves was not the same as that of those ... for the Lacedaemonians and Thessalians enslaved the Hellenes, who previously inhabited the country that they now possess ... while the Chios acquired barbarian slaves for themselves for a fee. In Corinth, the labor of purchased slaves was widely used (in the 7th century BC). Other nations began to use slaves later. The less wealthy did not have slaves at all. Note that if the early Greek society was not at all alien to labor and communal democracy, then soon, along with military victories, the Greeks tasted all the “charm of slavery”. An inevitable and fatal division of the people into workers and rulers, into freemen and slaves took place. True, there were elements of slavery before, but this was a relatively rare occurrence. Above we spoke about the communal nature of the life of early society. Slaves were still a luxury item (a beautiful slave woman cost from 4 to 20 bulls). It even happened that the king and queen fell into slavery. The queen was forced to share a bed with the winner, give him food and clothes, wash him, in a word, please him in every possible way.

Bull feeding. Composition on a vase

Everything changes as the winners are approved in power. The conquered peoples found themselves in different position. Their status was different. Some of them maintained relative freedom, cultivating the land and paying dues. All the joys of life were available to them, sometimes they participated in military campaigns and owned a certain fortune. They sat together with the Thessalians in assemblies (Perrebs, Magnets, Achaeans). There was also a kind of division of labor. As one of the characters in Menander's plays says: "Winning a war is inherent in free people; to cultivate the land is the work of slaves. The emergence of slavery gave impetus to such an important phenomenon as colonization. It has already been said earlier that colonization has become a fairly common phenomenon in the East. However, perhaps it was the ancient Greeks who put this process on stream. Here it is worth mentioning the Mycenaean expansion, which lasted from the XIV to the XII century BC. The Mycenaeans colonized the island of Rhodes and took possession of Cyprus ( early XIV in. BC.). Then their path ran to Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Achaeans reached Phoenicia, Byblos, Palestine. Colonization continued in the future. For two centuries (from the end of the 8th century to the 6th century BC), the Greeks colonized part of the Mediterranean (Kerkyra, Epidamnus, Syracuse, Catana, Sybaris, Tarentum and further up to Massilia, Marseilles). In the western direction, their colonization collided with the colonization of the Carthaginians and Etruscans. In the eastern direction, the Greeks colonize the northern coast of the Aegean Sea, penetrate the Hellespont and the Bosphorus. In the 7th century BC. they founded Byzantium, from which the Byzantine Empire would later develop. Further, their path will lie on the coast of Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea), to the Scythian or Slavic lands - Sinop, Trebizond, Olbia, Chersonesos, Feodosia, Panticapaeum (Kerch), Tanais. Such are the ancient Greeks.

The itinerary of Odysseus

The Greeks are an exceptionally energetic, active, talented people. Indeed, it seems simply incredible that such a small and fragmented Greece could develop such a frenzied colonial expansion over the course of two centuries. However, there are reasons for this. In the course of the concentration of land in the hands of the nobility, small producers were forced out, driven off the land, which led to overpopulation. Many are forced to seek happiness outside their homeland (beyond the seas). In addition, in connection with the development of trade in Greek society, there was a noticeable stratification. If in Homeric Greece there were almost no local merchants (although the poem mentions the son of Jason, who received good profits from the supply of wine to the Achaeans, as well as a merchant exchanging iron for copper), then already in the 7th century merchant families appeared frequently (say, the Alcmeonid family in Athens). Since trade and robbery were very closely connected, this kind of "rebirth" of merchants occurs quite quickly.

Collection of olives. Image on amphora

By the end of the 7th century BC. a clearly differentiated society is already looming, consisting of the nobility, i.e. noble (eupatrides) and common people(demos). Aristotle unambiguously pointed out the oligarchic essence of the Athenian state (“Athenian politia”): “The fact is that in general the state system of Athens was oligarchic, and besides, the poor were enslaved by the rich - and they themselves, and their children, and wives. They were called pilates and six-dollars, because for such a fee they cultivated the fields of the rich. All the land was in the hands of a few. And if they (i.e., the peasants) did not pay their wages, then they themselves and their children fell into bondage. Also, loans up to Solon were made on the security of the person.

According to Genelli. Penelope with the bow of Odysseus

According to Genelli. The death of Penelope's suitors at the hands of Odysseus

Plutarch wrote about the same in the biography of Solon: “The inequality of the position of the poor and the rich reached its highest degree at that time, as a result of which the state was in an exceptionally dangerous position. After all, the common people were indebted to the rich. He either cultivated their land, giving the nobility a sixth of the bread (according to another interpretation - five-sixths), as a result of which such people were called hectemors (six-dollars) and fetes (labor laborers), or borrowed money on the security of himself. Creditors could take these people into bondage. They either turned them into slaves or sold them abroad. Many were forced to sell even their children (Greek law did not forbid this) and flee the city, fleeing the severity of their creditors. The oligarchs then seized almost all the land. The people fell into debt bondage to them. The debt law of the Greeks was severe. Debtors could easily be turned into slaves or sold abroad - to foreign lands. However, at that time, of course, there was no need to talk about justice. Whoever has power and strength is right. Herodotus noted how the same Athenians drove the Pelasgians from the land, which they themselves had once given for hard work (building walls around the Acropolis). The Pelasgians cultivated the land, and the Athenians, under the pretext that they were pestering their girls, drove out the poor Pelasgians.

The Greeks are ardent individualists. Here is what the historian Thucydides (460-396 BC), the owner of gold mines, who was related to Miltiades, wrote about this: she obviously did nothing with the combined forces. It even seems to me that Hellas, in its entirety, did not yet bear this name, that such a designation did not exist at all before Hellen, the son of Deucalion, but that separate tribes, mainly Pelasgians, gave names to it by their names. Only when the Hellenes and his sons reached power ... and they began to call for help in other cities, only then these tribes, one after another, and then rather due to contact with each other, began to be called Hellenes, although for a long time this name was not could supersede all others. This is best evidenced by Homer. After all, he lived much later than the Trojan War and, however, nowhere designates all the Hellenes, in their totality, by that name, but calls Hellenes only those who, together with Achilles, arrived from Theotida - they were the first Hellenes ... Homer does not use and the name of the barbarians, therefore, it seems to me that the Hellenes themselves did not separate themselves under one more name, the opposite of the name of the barbarians. So, the Hellenes, who lived separately in cities, understood each other and subsequently called everything by a common name, before the Trojan War, due to weakness and lack of mutual communication, did not do anything together. Yes, and on this campaign they set out together after they had become more accustomed to the sea. In the future, we will see what troubles this will turn out for them.

Leohar. Apollo Belvedere

What were the Greeks like? Some imagined them as such Apollonian beauties: tall blonds, broad-shouldered, with a straight waist, with marble-white skin, slender legs and a sensual, hot look. Others said that the Greeks (especially those who had previously undergone the process of assimilation and tended to illegitimate marriages) were often short and slender types with hooked and pressed noses, mouths to the ears, bent shoulders, large bellies and thin and crooked legs. . Far from handsome men were cited as an example - Euripides and Demosthenes, Socrates and Aesop. The Greeks dressed in tunics worn directly on the body, the ends of which were fastened with a buckle. Their color and length could be different. Men chose any color except yellow (this color was given to women). Their hair was thick and fluffy. Long hair was usually worn by dudes, dandies and ... philosophers. Sandals were worn on their feet, sometimes boots, half boots or shoes. At home, everyone went barefoot. The most hardy and hardened walked barefoot and through the streets. Socrates did this even in winter. The Athenian's breakfast was rather symbolic (a piece of bread - that's all). On the streets one should walk calmly, speak not very loudly. "How do you want me to cut your hair?" - asked the barber of the king of Macedonia, Archelaus. “Silence,” he replied jokingly.

And yet the Greeks were sociable and very fond of chatting with friends. Therefore, more than anything else, they valued true friendship. In a Greek song listing the conditions for mortal bliss, after health, beauty, and wealth comes friendship. Socrates said: "I want to have a friend much more than the treasures of Darius." Therefore, they often spent their leisure time in the company of friends. Describing the joys rural life, Aristophanes said: there is nothing more pleasant for a Greek than to say to a neighbor: “Hey, Komarchides, what can we do now? Shouldn't we have a drink together, for the gods are favorable to us. Friends met with pleasure, sometimes they drank.

At the same time, spiritual qualities were considered more important than physical beauty. The Greeks possessed, perhaps, the best properties of the ancient peoples: they are lively, quick-thinking, reasonable, grasping, brave, courageous, like Hercules, and at the same time prudent, witty and ironic, like Ulysses. Herodotus wrote that they differed from the "barbarians" in their greater ingenuity and the absence of stupid gullibility. Over time, they became famous for their trading resourcefulness, so they even ousted the Phoenicians (and those great masters of trade) from the markets. True, Juvenal, already at the time of the decline of Greek civilization, ridiculed their resourcefulness, which sometimes goes beyond all the limits, beyond which uncleanliness, swindle and trickery begin. Glory enjoyed in Greece Spartan witticisms, characterized by conciseness and strength.

Hedonism at the feast

It is known that the Athenians did not go into their pocket for a word ... The German Jean-Paul wrote (XIX century): “The Greeks were not only eternal children (as the Egyptian priest scolded them), they were eternal youths ... The climate gave the Greek fantasy (some) the middle - he occupies a place between the Norman and the slave, like the calm heat of the Sun - between moonlight and devouring earthly fire ... Freedom, where the slave, of course, is condemned to work hard, be in a craft shop and study for a piece of bread poets are slaves, and in Rome slaves were the first poets and sages), thanks to which a citizen, released into the wild, could live, doing only gymnastics and music, that is, live for the sake of educating body and soul. Immediately and simultaneously, the Olympic victories of the body and spirit were proclaimed ... Philosophy was not practiced for the sake of bread, for the sake of life, and "the student grew up and grew old in the gardens of teachers." E. Renan said: “The Greeks, like real children, had such a cheerful attitude to life that it never occurred to them to curse the gods or find nature unfair and treacherous in relation to people.” Another quality is inherent in the Greek: anxiety about his fate, awakened in him with his brilliant imagination and imposed on early works - "with all the energy that distinguishes them - the imprint of such deep sorrow that we do not find anything exceeding it in strength among the newest peoples" (J. Girard).

Live scene between Greeks in the market

Another distinguishing feature of the Greeks is their curiosity. The mysterious attracted them irresistibly, no matter what was discussed. They wanted to see everything, understand everything, know everything. This need is found in the first natural philosophers of the Ionian Islands. The overflowing thirst for curiosity is also manifested in the writings of the greatest Greek historians (Herodotus and Thucydides). She constitutes one of characteristic features the school of peripatetics, who opened many new avenues in science for the research of scientists.

Departure of the hunters. Fresco from Tiryns

Initially, the market was the meeting place of the Greek community, and later the people gathered in the squares. In Athens, a square on a wide cliff called the Pnyx served as a gathering place for people. Some came to this square to have fun, others - for business reasons. The Greeks knew how not only to trade, but loved to communicate with friends, talk, sing, dance, walk, travel, and generally indulge in entertainment. The young Anacharsis, after his visit to Greece, wrote about the behavior of the Greeks: “Almost everyone is attracted (to the square or agora) by personal or public affairs. …A square at certain hours, freed from the bustle of the market, opens up an excellent opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the crowd or, conversely, to attract the attention of others. Around the square there are shops of incense merchants and money-changers, barbers, etc., where anyone can freely enter and where state affairs, cases are noisily discussed. family life, vices and funny features of individuals ... The Athenian people are too mocking and their jokes are especially cruel, because their causticity is carefully disguised. Here and there there are companies holding instructive conversations under various porticoes scattered around the city. The insatiable love of the Athenians for news, which is a consequence of the liveliness of their mind and encouraged by the idleness of life, makes them draw closer to each other. This is especially noticeable during the war and hunting ... "

Meleager and the Calydonian boar. antique statue

Among different kind hunting is popular entertainment ... There is a story about the hunt for the terrible Calydonian boar. This boar literally terrorized the population of Aetolia. And then, with the aim of killing the beast, many heroes of Greece arrived in Calydon. They were led by the fearless Meleager, who fell in love with the beautiful huntress Atalanta. Unfortunately, the hunt ended, as often happened, with the killing of not only the boar, but also the rival. Hunting in general often turns the hunters themselves into animals.

Antonio Canova. Elena the beautiful

People have long begun to appreciate the reliability and strength of home walls. “It is better at home, because it is dangerous outside the home,” said an ancient Greek proverb found in Hesiod, and in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. The forests and roads of Greece at that time were teeming with animals and bandits. So the English proverb: “My home is my castle” has a long history. No wonder that special meaning found from them the deities of the hearth and home.

Athenian women

Of great importance was the personal and private life, which among the Greeks from about the 4th century became more intense. Personal life began to occupy an increasingly prominent place, along with politics. The Greeks began to pay more attention to their clothes, food and leisure. The wealthiest people flaunted in purple cloaks or colorful chitons, decorated with gold little things. The rich, of course, dressed more brightly and brightly. At times, even the political preferences of a Greek could be determined by clothing.

Greek matron

A short coarse cloak among the Laconists meant the wearer's sympathy for the Spartan way of life, young aristocrats preferred to wear a chlamys, a cloak adorned with gold and purple. Some dandies, like Alcibiades, built various compositions on their heads. Greeks usually cut their hair, although not as short as the Romans. Men in fashion had beards of medium size. Ladies made all sorts of hairstyles, complementing them with ribbons, tiaras, scarves, nets. Wealthy ladies dressed more colorfully and beautifully, in colored chitons, adorning their hands and neck with jewels.

In caring for their appearance, men usually limited themselves to the fact that they had to wash themselves daily with cold or warm water and take care of their hair. Any excess of appearance was considered a sign of effeminacy and effeminateness. The best decoration of a free man was considered long hair and beard. True, over the years, fashion has changed in one way or another. So, the Argives began to cut their hair after being defeated by the Spartans, and the Spartans from that time on generally stopped cutting their hair. From the Macedonian time, beards began to be shaved, hair cut short or curled into small curls. It is clear that women paid special attention to their appearance. At their service there were all kinds of fabrics, jewelry, white, rouge, antimony. Getters especially abused all these accessories. They rubbed their skin and hair with fragrant oils and essences, painted their hands and bodies in order to only lure men into the network. Women went to all sorts of tricks to appear more beautiful, slimmer, more elegant. If today all kinds of massage parlors, shaping, beauty salons are at the service of rich ladies, then in ancient Greece this role was performed by procurers. One of the authors (Athen. XIII, 23) says that they “recruit new girls and in a short time remake them so that it is impossible to recognize. The one who is small in stature is lined with cork shoes, the one who is tall is given shoes with thin soles and forced to walk with her head down; it makes her seem shorter. If her hips are thin, the pillows fill the gap, and everyone, seeing her, admires the fullness of her hips. If her belly protrudes too much, they put fake breasts on her, such as actors wear, and the matter is fixed. Whoever has red eyebrows, soot turns them black, whoever has swarthy skin, white helps, and cinnabar helps those who are too pale. Particularly beautiful parts of the body are intentionally exposed, and if she has beautiful teeth, she must laugh appropriately and inappropriately so that people can admire her beautiful mouth. In addition to these tricks, various decorations(chains, bracelets, pins, necklaces, rings, rings, canes, etc., etc.). Men also wore rings (the Athenians - gold and silver, the Spartans - iron). Over the years, this fashion has gone. And in general, although luxury spread among the Greeks after the Peloponnesian War, the most intelligent and enlightened part of society preferred a strict and simple style. The people frankly laughed at the curled and perfumed dandies, who had several rings on their hands, and even pierced noses and ears, like monkeys or Papuans. It is clear that the poor walked in rags, as was the case in the time of Homer.

Bath. Bathhouse

Greek food was simple. They bought all their food from the market. Some delights were allowed only in the circle of friends and comrades, when a feast was organized. The feast (symposia) was one of the main entertainments of the Greeks. There were conversations, philosophical disputes, merry songs (often frivolous content) were sung, table rituals were born. A special kind of philosophical exposition arose, which found expression in the literature of symposiums, as well as in Plato's immortal "Feast". Over time, purely philosophical and scientific feasts acquired the character of reckless pastimes, where artists performed - magicians, dancers, flutists, cithara players, jugglers and acrobats. Sometimes at the tables, where supporters of various political parties gathered, there were real battles on political issues.

Young people from wealthy families spent their time in the palestras and baths. Rich offspring often arranged feasts and drinking parties in clubbing. They came to the feast, having washed themselves and anointed themselves with incense. After washing their hands and feet, they proceeded to the feast. The dishes were served by the slaves. Food was not taken with bare hands, but manneredly, with gloved fingers. Having decorated their heads and chests with wreaths of myrtle, violets, ivy, roses or other flowers, the young men began the main feast, called "symposia" (not to be confused with the current scientific symposium). Heters, dancers, flutists, etc. were often invited to these feasts, so that feasts often dragged on until morning. Women, after such feasts and disputes, consoled the heated men as best they could; sometimes lotions were applied to their heads after heavy libations.

Conversation is a feast of a special kind. These are not those wild saturnalia or drinking bouts that later became established among some barbarian peoples ... The Greeks loved such conversations, seeing in them the path to improvement and knowledge. On the other hand, companions were especially carefully selected. Chilo believed that no intelligent person would allow himself to meet with just anyone at the same table. The interlocutor - after all, this is much more serious than a mistress. The Egyptians even had a skeleton at feasts, which reminded everyone present that they had come here to enjoy eternal wisdom, and not to fill their stomachs. Many followed the method of teaching, which was told by Apuleius ... One sage, while talking at the table, uttered these words in praise of the feasts and friendly libations of the sages: ““The first cup belongs to thirst, the second to fun, the third to pleasure, the fourth to madness.” But the opposite should be said about the cups of the Muses: the more often they follow one another, the less water is mixed into the wine, the greater the benefit for the health of the spirit. The first - the bowl of a reading teacher - lays the foundations, the second - the bowl of a philologist - equips with knowledge, the third - the bowl of a rhetorician - equips with eloquence. Most do not go beyond these three cups. But I drank in Athens from other cups: from the cup of poetic fiction, from the bright cup of geometry, from the tart cup of dialectics, but especially from the cup of all-encompassing philosophy - this bottomless nectar cup. And indeed: Empedocles wrote poems, Plato - dialogues, Socrates - hymns, Epicharmus - music, Xenophon - historical works, Crates - satires, and your Apuleius tries his hand at all these forms and with equal zeal works in the field of each of the nine Muses, showing, of course, more zeal than skill. If the Athenians allowed themselves liberties during meals, then the meetings of the Spartans were simpler and stricter. 14-15 people gathered for meals (sissitia). They ate together, bringing food with them. Such meals were often attended by the children of the Spartans, since sessions were considered as a school for the education of youth. Here they were supposed to, listening to the conversations of adults, and gain their own mind. During conversations, the Spartans spoke briefly and clearly. They were generally famous for their manner of expressing thoughts simply and clearly (hence "laconicism, laconic"). Brevity is the soul of wit.

Athenian scenes

In general, no other topic, besides the topics of politics and war, occupied the Greeks so thoroughly as everything related to food ... It is no coincidence that Aristophanes' first comedy was The Eaters. The food of the Greeks was very modest. The "menu" included stew, meat, vegetables, bread. The poor were usually content with vegetables. Even in the time of Solon, bread was considered a great luxury (VI century BC). It was replaced by porridge or stew. Professional bakers appeared in Athens only in the 5th century BC. Bread was worth its weight in gold (Phoenician, Boeotian, Thessalian). The bread was baked by ourselves. As wealth grew and the number of Greek colonies increased, so did the table, becoming richer and more varied. The Spartans indulged themselves least of all, making do, as a rule, with stew. They were especially strict with wine. The Spartan Megillus said: “Our law banishes from the borders of the country that under the influence of which people most of all fall into the strongest pleasures, outrages and all kinds of recklessness. Neither in the villages, nor in the cities ... you will not see feasts anywhere ... and everyone who meets a drunken reveler immediately imposes on him the greatest punishment, which will not be removed under the pretext of the Dionysian festivities. And with you (in Athens) I once saw wagons with such revelers, and in Tarantum among our settlers I saw the whole city drunk during Dionysius. We don't have anything like that." Another hero strongly speaks out in favor of the Carthaginian law, which forbids the drinking of wine by soldiers in the camp, slaves and slaves, and also, above all and especially, rulers, judges and helmsmen during the performance of their professional duties. And I must say, the Spartans firmly adhered to the rules of sobriety ... All other Greeks drank plenty, day and night, with and without ladies, despite all the instructions and laws of Plato. In some ways, and in this area we have firmly inherited the Greek lessons.

feast

Given the modest nature of their daily meals, the Greeks liked to talk about delicious food. Stories about feasts are found in Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Epicurus, Plutarch, Athenaeus, Perseus of Kitia, Cleanthes. Although the list of authors who devoted works to the description of famous feasts, of course, is not exhausted by these names. Here it is worth adding Lucian's Feast, or Lapiths. There was also a kind of banquet genre, banquet letters. Although more famous, perhaps, not even Plato's "Feast", but fifteen books of "The Feast of the Wise Men" by Athenaeus, which is extremely interesting both in describing the life of the ancient Greeks and in the richest source study part, because it contains more than one and a half thousand quotations from 800 authors (O. Levinskaya ). Homer already clearly understood that the strongest need in people is their natural need for food and drink, as well as the resulting pleasure. Therefore, the creations of the Greeks are full of the most diverse pictures of how best to satisfy the needs of the stomach. The Greeks held festivities for any occasion - birth and death, victory in war and the Olympic Games, marriage or divorce, anniversary or celebration. They also gathered without any reason, just to entertain themselves and others with an interesting conversation.

Consequences of a feast. Kylik painting

How often some of our contemporaries find themselves after the same stormy libation in the position of the heroes of Lucian's feast... Lucian told how nicely the Greeks spent their time in various pleasures. At first, elevated conversation flowed peacefully, and then a quarrel could follow. The case sometimes came to a slaughter. You might have thought that you were seeing Lapiths, satyrs or centaurs in front of you: tables were overturned, blood was flowing, goblets were flying through the air. And one learned man (by the way, a philosopher) crushed the skull of another with a club, injured someone's jaw, while injuring several slaves. When Histiaeus, the grammarian, tried to separate the fighters, he himself received a noticeable kick in the teeth. In the confusion, someone knocked over the lamp. When the candles were brought in, everyone saw how another learned man, Alkidamant, who before, without being ashamed of women, had urinated in the middle of the room, here “was captured by the fact that, having undressed the flutist, he tried to forcibly combine with her.”

Feasts of aristocrats. Fresco from Pompeii

Another participant of the symposium decided in the confusion to steal the cup. Most of all, they behaved unbridledly, scolded, ate, fought, oddly enough, gentlemen scientists ... When they began to disperse, holding on to their sides (some from pain, some from laughter, some with tears, and some with laughter), in addition to those , who could no longer move, everyone decided that the feast was clearly a success. Lucian concludes that it is difficult to say how much similar meetings the benefit of science or wisdom, but one thing is clear: "I only realized one thing: that it is not safe for a person who has not been in such alterations to dine with such learned people." The last comment is very true...

Parasite in antiquity

Recently, we also had to take part in such a feast with titled learned men. At the same time, they themselves asked to be taken to the “feast”, promising to behave honestly, with dignity and decently. However, not only did they themselves not give anything to the common cauldron, without lifting a finger, they also dragged away the “provisions” brought by others. I recalled an excerpt from the "Feast", where Plato, through the mouth of Socrates, said that "to people worthy of a feast, a worthy one comes without a call." I also remembered the phrase of Hercules, which he said to King Keik: “Worthy people come to the unworthy feast without a call.” Nowadays, the opposite is true. Unworthy and unworthy, those who do not know how or do not want to work with full dedication of strength, envious people, strive to sit on the neck of a worker. Nowadays, even among a part of the scientific fraternity, it is considered in the order of things to deceive and, without blushing at all, deprive the worker of the fruits of his labor. Some of them could be said in the words of the brilliant poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi:

We have shown mercy to man

giving him free will.

Half became bees

half are snakes...

Some snakes heal, while others poison everything around. For some reason, the lines from the Mahabharata came to mind: “And meanwhile, the offspring of snakes multiplied. The custom was treachery among snakes. Alas, we have not learned to see in people, especially in scientists, parasites (or snakes), preferring the community of bees. Although we understand that all the calls for virtue that Homer wanted to instill in people from an early age for life, so that they spend their leisure time and zeal on good deeds, and not on meanness, will reach only decent, conscientious and virtuous people. However, one should never forget the advice of the wisest Khayyam, who knew well the ups and downs of a stormy life:

Don't be wrong in this world

Do not rely on those

who is around

Take a sober eye

to your closest friend

A friend might be

worst enemy.

Athenaeus, describing the feasts of the rich Roman Larencius, in his book describes the various pleasures of food and drink. At the same time, he believes, like Antifans, that in order to really enjoy the feast and the company, "we do not need brilliant feasts." Although, they say, there were gourmets like Pifill, nicknamed Gourmand. He allegedly even walked with his tongue wrapped and released it only before the very treat, and after eating he cleaned it with dry fish scales so that his tongue could distinguish the taste more sharply. Among the various kinds of food that the Greeks and Romans served at feasts, there were those that, according to Menander, "inflame lust." There was a special dish, its preparation required special efforts. It was called rather strangely - "a pot for libertines" (apparently, a dish with some special spices that inflamed desire). In the beginning, the Greeks sat at the meal. Heroes and philosophers at joint feasts never reclined, but sat decorously. In Macedonia, it was generally not allowed to lie down at the table while eating. When Alexander once hosted a reception in honor of his 6,000 officers, he seated them all on silver chairs and couches covered with purple cloaks.

Works of ancient potters

The movement of the Greeks on a wagon

Thus, as you can see, the Greeks led a rather active public and private life - they went to meetings, met with friends, visited theaters and stadiums. Plato wrote that theaters sometimes had up to 30,000 spectators. Each paid for a place in the theater two obols a day; the poor were allowed in at the expense of the state. The audience reacted vividly - applauded or hissed. Per best plays role performers (the actors were men) and poets-authors were awarded awards (a goat was given for a tragedy, an amphora of wine and a basket of figs for a comedy, then they began to award wreaths).

The most educated, enlightened part of Greek society spent their time reading or listening to books. Herodotus read parts of his "History" at the Olympic Games. Between the listeners was at that time another great historian, Thucydides. According to him, he shed tears of delight, which prompted him to study history.

The need for large-scale colonization made travelers out of the Greeks. However, being easy-going, the Greeks loved to travel. The city and the surrounding area usually traveled on foot. The rich used wagons or stretchers (which aroused envy among the poor, giving food to slander), or they went out accompanied by a servant carrying a folding chair ... Almost all men carried canes in their hands, women often walked with umbrellas. At night, the path was lit by a slave carrying a torch. If you were not accompanied by a few servants at night, you were in danger of being robbed. The Greeks traveled more by sea. Inside the country good roads there were very few, and almost all of them were laid somehow.

The almighty role of sensuality in the life of the Greeks The gods themselves, according to the ideas of the Homeric epic, are subject to desires for sensual pleasures. To help the Greeks in their desperate struggle, Hera decides to seduce her husband Zeus by charming him. She carefully dresses up and

Chapter VII Additions regarding the sexual life of the ancient Greeks 1. The attitude of the ancient Greeks to the genitals Under the name of Meleager, an epigram has come down to us (Ant. Pal., v, 192): up