Sheila Vazir May 14, 2013 Ancient World Legacy Project The Origin of Eros The statue of Bronze

statue of Eros sleeping is a staple of Hellenistic art in Ancient Greek times. Eros was made in Europe from any time between 3rd and 2nd B.C.E during the Hellenistic period. During this time, Alexander was conquering numerous lands, including Greece. Because of Alexander and the rulers who followed, Hellenistic culture and art was encouraged and flourished throughout Ancient Greece. Sculptures of Gods were often made during the Hellenistic period such as Eros. There are numerous myths as to how Eros came to be and what he symbolizes. In ancient Greece during the Hellenistic Era, the statue of Bronze statue of Eros sleeping, god of desire in the Greek mythological world was created displaying the eternal truth of love and desire. The sculpture of Bronze statue of Eros sleeping displays Eros, god of love, who has been brought down to Earth; this figure of a plump baby in an easy, relaxed pose gives a sense of closeness and naturalistic detail only medium bronze could do. This piece took work before entering the museum, seeing as it had seven restorations. For example, the support Eros rests on is modern addition, but the work originally would have had a separate base, probably out of stone. This particular statue is one of few bronze statues to have survived from ancient times made between the years 300 and 101 B.C.E. during the Hellenistic Era; it was not only popular then, but during Roman times as well.1
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"The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Bronze statue of Eros sleeping." The

During the Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great was conquering lands around the world creating an empire from Greece to Asia Minor to Egypt and the Persian Empire to Near East to India.2 From the years 256 to 232 B.C.E. Alexander the Great was king of Macedonia who conquered the Persian Empire and annexed it to Macedonia. He also conquered the Achaemenid Empire. In the second half of his reign, he felt he had to find a new way to control newly conquered countries; he made Babylon his capital and introduced orient an oriental court ceremonial causing tension between Macedonian and Greek officers. To be successful in his reign, he had to first be recognized as his father, King Philip, successor. An officer named Antipater had an army greet Alexander as a king. Alexander also killed two people to make it seem like they killed his father instead of him. The next year, Alexander made Antipater the commander of the Macedonian forces in Europe. Alexanders next goal was to secure the help of the Parmenion who commanded military expeditions in Asia (Alexander viewed them as a potential Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-thecollections/130014998?img=2. (accessed May 19, 2013).
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Colette Hemingway, and Sen Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (accessed May 19, 2013).

enemy). Parmenion was loyal to Alexander, but we also see that relatives of Parmenion were in key positions. This leads us to believe Alexander may have had some agreement with Parmenion to ensure his loyalty. Alexander continued to gain land and attack tribes effecting Ancient Greece. In 335 Alexander attacked Thracian tribes in the north and the Illyrians who were to the west of Macedonia. He attacked these tribes to prove to Asia his kingdom was strong. He also attacked a kingdom in Bulgaria and Albania where he defeated his enemies. In Greece at the time, politicians were considering when the right moment was to throw off Macedonian oppression. An Athenian orator named Demosthenes told the Grecians that Alexander died during the Illyrian crusade. This provoked a rebellion in Greece. The Thebans of Greece overwhelmed Macedonian forts that Alexanders father, Phillip, had in their city. Alexander stormed to the city and attacked and destroyed Thebes. Six thousand inhabitants were killed and thirty thousand were sold as slaves. Despite Thebes being decimated, some Greek cities had survived like those in the Corinthian League; they were treated kindly because they ratified Alexanders acts against Thebes.3 The Hellenistic period especially spread once Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. Alexanders generals divided the empires into kingdoms of their own hence the Hellenistic dynasties emerged. Seleucids in the Near East, the Ptolemies in
3

Jona Lendering. "The ten-horned beast: Alexander the Great. (2) Restoring order in

Greece." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. http://www.livius.org/ajal/alexander/alexander02.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

Egypt, and Antigonids were in Macedonia. During the first half of third century B.C. smaller kingdoms broke off from the vast Seleucid kingdom and established their independence. Hellenistic kingship remained the main, political form in Greek East for almost three centuries after Alexander the Great died. Hellenistic kings became prominent patrons of art and commissioned public works of architecture and sculpture as well as private luxury items that showed their wealth and taste. This was significant because these Kings encouraged the Hellenistic Era, and made art an important part of their life styles. 4 During this time period of the culture of the Hellenistic Era numerous fields of arts and literature were transformed. For example, the Hellenistic era differed from the classical era in that it focused on the Real instead of the Ideal. We see this in Bronze statue of Eros sleeping as he is portrayed as a young, plump child instead of a muscular young adult (which was considered the ideal). Depictions of man in art and literature revolved around themes like daily life and the emotional world of Gods;5 Hellenistic artists copied and modified earlier styles and also made
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Colette Hemingway, and Sen Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (accessed May 19, 2013).

"History of Greece: Hellenistic." Ancient Greece. http://www.ancientgreece.org/history/helleninstic.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

innovations of their own through their representations of Greek gods. Art consumers were eager to enhance their homes and gardens with luxury goods like bronze statuettes and stone sculpture.6 During this time, architecture was also developed and classical styles were further reined and so new ideas, like Corinthian order, could be used. Along with the arts, philosophy and science were improved during the Hellenistic Era. Schools of thought like Stoics, Skeptics, and Epicureans became substantial. Also, the work of scientists and mathematicians, like Euclid and Archimedes invented elements and math that is still used today. However, the size of the empire was very big which caused the kingdom borders to be shifted.7 The end of the Hellenistic period is 31 B.C., the day of the battle of Actium. Emperor Augustus defeated Marc Antonys fleet and ended Ptolemaic rule. The Ptolemies were the last of the Hellenistic dynasty to fall to Rome.8
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Colette Hemingway, and Sen Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (accessed May 19, 2013).

"History of Greece: Hellenistic." Ancient Greece. http://www.ancientgreece.org/history/helleninstic.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

Colette Hemingway, and Sen Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home.

Popular pieces of Hellenistic art included the Greek Gods and mythology. In the statue of Bronze statue of Eros sleeping, Eros is the Greek god of love and desire. There are numerous myths of how he came to be. One is that he was responsible for the embraces of Uranus (the sky) and Gaia (earth). From the union of Uranus and Gaia many were born in offspring like the human race. Therefore, one myth is that Eros is one of the oldest Greek gods and essentially is responsible for the birth of the human race. This myth implies he is a cosmic spirit that was self-born at the beginning of time to kickoff reproduction. Another myth is that Eros was born from Erebus (the god of darkness) and Nyx (God of night). In theogony, he is said to be an attendant of Aphrodite, but not her son. It is also said that Eros is a modern version of the ancient god, Chaos. Another myth is that Eros and Himeros (the two gods of love and desire) accompanied Aphrodite at her birth from sea foam. However, The most popularly believed myth is that Eros is the son of Aphrodite As one can see, there are numerous myths as to how Eros came to be, but all recognize he is the God of love and desire.9 The predominant eternal truth the statue of Bronze statue of Eros sleeping displays is that of love and desire. Homer defines the literal translation of Eros in the Iliad as sexual desire. Eros is typically portrayed as a young boy with wings, as he is http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (accessed May 19, 2013).
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Ron Leadbetter. "Eros." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion.. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

in this statue. Although this statue represents the idea of Eros, it only gives us a brief moment of his life.10 In the statue, he is disarmed which is a conception considerably different from that of the powerful, often cruel and capricious being so often addressed in archaic poetry and Eross numerous myths. 11Eros is known to use his bows and arrows to shoot into hearts of gods or mortals who would make them desire someone. Eross arrows came in gold with dove feather, which made people fall in love, or they could come in lead with owl feathers that made people indifferent. The most popular myth of Eros is that he was one day at his mothers side helping her plan in her godly affairs. Aphrodite, Eross mother became jealous of the beauty a mortal woman named Psych. In her moment of jealousy, Aphrodite asked Eros to shoot his arrow into the heart of Psyche and make her fall in love with the ugliest man on Earth. He was going to do what he was told, but when he saw how beautiful she was he fell in love with her. He visited Psych in a cave, but each time he saw her he made himself invisible; he did so by asking her not to light a fire. Psyche also fell in love with Eros although she could not see him. One night, Psyche wanted
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Ron Leadbetter. "Eros." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

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"The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Bronze statue of Eros sleeping." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-thecollections/130014998?img=2. (accessed May 19, 2013).

to see him so she lit a lamp. Eros was infuriated and immediately left. Thereafter, Psyche travelled the world in search of him. Zeus, God of the Sky, took pity on Psyche and gave them consent to marry. From this myth alone we see how Eros caused chaos by disobeying Aphrodites commands, and by having a relation with a mortal. 12 Hellenistic times encouraged the creation of Bronze statue of Eros sleeping. In this statue, we see the mythological world where Eros, a notorious god known to create love and indifference, is portrayed as innocent. In Bronze statue of Eros sleeping, we see the eternal truths of love and desire shown through his numerous myths and reputation. The reason this statue was created was because of the rulers who supported Hellenistic art, such as Alexander the Great. During this time, Alexander was redefining not only the borders of Greece, but the culture as well. Without him, the Hellenistic era would not have spread as it did. Bronze statue of Eros sleeping gave us a brief moment of Ancient Greek history allowing us to see Greek mythology, the influence of culture, and geography at the time.13

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Ron Leadbetter. "Eros." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion.. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html (accessed May 19, 2013).

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"The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Bronze statue of Eros sleeping." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-thecollections/130014998?img=2. (accessed May 19, 2013).

Works Cited Hemingway, Colette, and Sen Hemingway. "Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haht/hd_haht.htm (accessed May 19, 2013). "History of Greece: Hellenistic." Ancient Greece. http://www.ancientgreece.org/history/helleninstic.html (accessed May 19, 2013). Leadbetter, Ron. "Eros." Encyclopedia Mythica: mythology, folklore, and religion.. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html (accessed May 19, 2013). Lendering, Jona. "The ten-horned beast: Alexander the Great. (2) Restoring order in Greece." Livius. Articles on Ancient History. http://www.livius.org/ajal/alexander/alexander02.html (accessed May 19, 2013). "The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Bronze statue of Eros sleeping." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-thecollections/130014998?img=2. (accessed May 19, 2013).