The Cover Girl of Today and the Cover Boy of Ancient Greece
The Cover Girl of Today and the Cover Boy of Ancient Greece
In today’s world, if there is a “Cover Girl,” there was also a “Cover Man” in Ancient Greece. Ancient Greek vase painting is a vast subject. Not only is a story illustrated, but it also contains inscriptions, and these inscriptions vary greatly. Sometimes it could be a signature, sometimes it could be one painter making a comment on another painter's work.
These inscriptions are a topic in themselves and can even become the subject of an academic thesis. In my own thesis, I had three options, and one of them was these inscriptions; but in the end, I decided on “Theatrical Vases.”
The vase image shared here belongs to Douris and is related to the Trojan War. The Dawn Goddess Eos is depicted lifting her son Memnon’s (King of Aethiopia) body from the ground. This vase image is also considered the “Pietà of the Ancient World.”
On the left side of the vase, the inscription "Hermogenes Kalos" can be seen. A person named Hermogenes is referred to as "kalos" in this vase painting, which means he is raised to the rank of "kalos," or in a more profound sense, an ideal figure. In Ancient Greece, a man called “kalos” was someone who possessed the ideal male beauty of the time and was admired. However, kalos was not only about physical beauty; it also encompassed beauty of character and virtues. This reflects an aristocratic understanding of virtue in Ancient Greece. Kalos was an ideal, symbolizing the highest prestige both personally and socially. Young men were often considered kalos, and their names were immortalized by vase painters with inscriptions.
In Ancient Greek love, beyond physical attraction, there was a deeper search for virtue. In Plato’s Symposium, love is not merely a bodily desire; it is a tool to refine a person’s soul through beauty and virtue. Love begins with physical beauty and transforms into a quest for virtue and wisdom. This philosophical understanding of love reflects the spiritual and intellectual dimensions of kalos.
By writing the name of Hermogenes, who embodied the kalos ideal of his time, on the vase, Douris not only elevates the most beautiful man of his time but also immortalizes the philosophical and societal values of Ancient Greece.
These inscriptions are a topic in themselves and can even become the subject of an academic thesis. In my own thesis, I had three options, and one of them was these inscriptions; but in the end, I decided on “Theatrical Vases.”
The vase image shared here belongs to Douris and is related to the Trojan War. The Dawn Goddess Eos is depicted lifting her son Memnon’s (King of Aethiopia) body from the ground. This vase image is also considered the “Pietà of the Ancient World.”
On the left side of the vase, the inscription "Hermogenes Kalos" can be seen. A person named Hermogenes is referred to as "kalos" in this vase painting, which means he is raised to the rank of "kalos," or in a more profound sense, an ideal figure. In Ancient Greece, a man called “kalos” was someone who possessed the ideal male beauty of the time and was admired. However, kalos was not only about physical beauty; it also encompassed beauty of character and virtues. This reflects an aristocratic understanding of virtue in Ancient Greece. Kalos was an ideal, symbolizing the highest prestige both personally and socially. Young men were often considered kalos, and their names were immortalized by vase painters with inscriptions.
In Ancient Greek love, beyond physical attraction, there was a deeper search for virtue. In Plato’s Symposium, love is not merely a bodily desire; it is a tool to refine a person’s soul through beauty and virtue. Love begins with physical beauty and transforms into a quest for virtue and wisdom. This philosophical understanding of love reflects the spiritual and intellectual dimensions of kalos.
By writing the name of Hermogenes, who embodied the kalos ideal of his time, on the vase, Douris not only elevates the most beautiful man of his time but also immortalizes the philosophical and societal values of Ancient Greece.