Ancient Japanese fighting arts riveted attention of enormous number of people worldwide still long since. The beauty, a height, an aesthetics, spirituality are peculiar to all ancient oriental combat sports. It they strikingly differ from other fighting arts, and it they are fine. Still for a long time Japanese together with force of a human body brought up also strength of mind, and to strength of mind paid special attention.
Strength of mind allows the person to carry out the full control over itself. «Behind a side permitted» to operate the body, and even the opponent. A single combat vivid example which wins the strongest and the cleverest is sumo. It is very ancient version of traditional Japanese struggle. Historians cannot answer a question with reliability: whether there was a struggle sumo in Japan or this ancient single combat was is brought from other continent.
The Japanese struggle sumo has no analogues in the world.
Japan — the recognised centre sumo and one in own way the country in which there are competitions on professional sumo. In other world compete only in amateur sumo.
The ritual component of the Japanese struggle sumo has long since remained. The scenario of preparation for a duel does not change centuries, and it helps to keep atmosphere of ancient Japanese struggle.
The British Museum will open a major exhibition presenting a history of Indigenous Australia, supported by BP. This exhibition will be the first in the UK devoted to the history and culture of Indigenous Australians: both Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Drawing on objects from the British Museum’s collection, accompanied by important loans from British and Australian collections, the show will present Indigenous Australia as a living culture, with a continuous history dating back over 60,000 years.
The objects displayed in this exhibition are immensely important. The British Museum’s collection contains some of the earliest objects collected from Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders through early naval voyages, colonists, and missionaries dating as far back as 1770. Many were collected at a time before museums were established in Australia and they represent tangible evidence of some of the earliest moments of contact between Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islanders and the British. Many of these encounters occurred in or near places that are now major Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. As a result of collecting made in the early 1800s, many objects originate from coastal locations rather than the arid inland areas that are often associated with Indigenous Australia in the popular imagination.
The exhibition will not only present Indigenous ways of understanding the land and sea but also the significant challenges faced by Indigenous Australians from the colonial period until to the present day. In 1770 Captain Cook landed on the east coast of Australia, a continent larger than Europe. In this land there were hundreds of different Aboriginal groups, each inhabiting a particular area, and each having its own languages, laws and traditions. This land became a part of the British Empire and remained so until the various colonies joined together in 1901 to become the nation of Australia we know today. In this respect, the social history of 19th century Australia and the place of Indigenous people within this is very much a British story. This history continues into the twenty first century. With changing policies towards Indigenous Australians and their struggle for recognition of civil rights, this exhibition shows why issues about Indigenous Australians are still often so highly debated in Australia today.
The exhibition brings together loans of special works from institutions in the United Kingdom, including the British Library, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. A number of works from the collection of the National Museum of Australia will be shown, including the masterpiece ‘Yumari’ by Uta Uta Tjangala. Tjangala was one of the artists who initiated the translation of traditions of sand sculptures and body painting onto canvas in 1971 at Papunya, a government settlement 240km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Tjangala was also an inspirational leader who developed a plan for the Pintupi community to return to their homelands after decades of living at Papunya. A design from ‘Yumari’ forms a watermark on current Australian passports.
This exhibition has been developed in consultation with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, Indigenous art and cultural centres across Australia, and has been organised with the National Museum of Australia. The broader project is a collaboration with the National Museum of Australia. It draws on a joint research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, undertaken by the British Museum, the National Museum of Australia and the Australian National University. Titled ‘Engaging Objects: Indigenous communities, museum collections and the representation of Indigenous histories’, the research project began in 2011 and involved staff from the National Museum of Australia and the British Museum visiting communities to discuss objects from the British Museum’s collections. The research undertaken revealed information about the circumstances of collecting and significance of the objects, many of which previously lacked good documentation. The project also brought contemporary Indigenous artists to London to view and respond to the Australian collections at the British Museum.
Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said, “The history of Australia and its people is an incredible, continuous story that spans over 60,000 years. This story is also an important part of more recent British history and so it is of great significance that audiences in London will see these unique and powerful objects exploring this narrative. Temporary exhibitions of this nature are only possible thanks to external support so I am hugely grateful to BP for their longstanding and on-going commitment to the British Museum. I would also like to express my gratitude to our logistics partner IAG Cargo and the Australian High Commission who are supporting the exhibition’s public programme.”
The lover of the nature from Chicago Nicole struggles with the squirrel which steals meal from the bird's feeding trough. In an arsenal at Nicole a protecting plafond and vaseline. Last means, it is necessary to tell, it is in this hard struggle.
A new global TV ad campaign for the board game Scrabble, "Letters and People" features Scrabble characters "P", "Q" and "Blank" who struggle with their worth as part of words. In one spot a Lonely Q tries to find letters he can be next to, while in another commercial, Blank is a self proclaimed man of the world with infinite possibilities, and in the "Meet P" ad, well...let's just say the letter P is bubbly peach. Credits:Advertising Agency: Pereira & O’Dell, San Francisco, USA
Barack Obama has promised to expiate fault of US authorities before the American Indians, informs USA Today. "I know, that it means, when you ignore and forget, that means to struggle from last forces so while I in the White House, you will not be forgotten", — has declared Obama at opening of conference of American Indian tribes.
Leaders of American Indian tribes in the White House
Representatives of 564 tribes recognised as the federal government, almost four hundred breeding heads have been invited to conference in the White House the invitation have accepted. The meeting, the first in own way since 1994, has taken place against proceeding lawsuits of many tribes with the government because of disputes on the rights to the earths.
"Very few people Washington so long isolated and ignored, as radical Americans", — the president has noted. According to the head of the state, Indians have all bases that with suspicion to concern the authorities: "To you said, that your earths, your religion, your culture, your languages — that all it does not belong to you".
Obama has declared, that the administration of the president has already taken measures for the help to Indians. So, in the 787-milliard plan of stimulation of economy of 100 million dollars have allocated for creation of workplaces in American Indian communities, 500 million — on development of American Indian public health services and still almost as much — on various educational programs.
The adviser of the president for affairs of Indians
Besides, Obama has underlined, that has executed a pre-election pledge, and Indians have received a powerful voice in new administration. In particular, the representative of American Indian tribe Kimberly Teehee became the adviser of the president for affairs of Indians, and the post of the deputy minister of internal affairs on American Indian affairs is registered for Larry EchoHawk.
Nando's celebrates 25 years in South Africa with the "25 Reason" ad campaign.
This commercial highlights Reason #9 — We Have Great Athletes, only these are athletes are nothing more than "Car Guards," an experience best described by a Cape Town Magazine this way: "You fumble with your keys as you struggle to open your car door, racing to get in before they can reach you. But deep down you know there's no escaping it—you resign yourself to your fate, and through the night rings out the all too familiar call: 'Baaaaaas, see your car fine, everything fine.' "
Leo Burnett launches a beautiful new ad campaign for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, "Togetherness Time". The advert features a mother and her son simply enjoying their time together.
The 30 second ad (entitled “Still”) depicts the relationship between a young boy and his mother and is based on the childhood truth that little boys never remain still.
The little boy speeds through the film, fueled by his genuine hunger and curiosity about the world. His Mum is never too far behind and it's a constant struggle between his desire to explore and her desire to just keep an eye on him. The only time he runs towards his Mum and they actually share a moment together, is when she pours milk onto the bowl of Rice Krispies, sparking the distinct sound of snap, crackle and pop — creating a window of togetherness for mum and her child. Then finally, briefly, he is still.
Credits: Project Name: Rice Krispies ‘Still’ Brief: To encourage Mum's who are not currently buying Rice Krispies to reappraise how they think and feel about the brand. Client: Kellogg Creative Agency: Leo Burnett London Creative Director: Don Bowen Art Director: Philip Meyler and Darren Keff Copywriter: Philip Meyler and Darren Keff Director: Joanna Bailey TV Producer: Annabel Crilley Production Company: Bare Films Post-production: MPC Grade: MPC Producer: Helen Hadfield
To promote its sponsorship of the UFC, Gillette Deodorant Brazil launched the "UFSweat: The League of Heavy Smells". The campaign, all made in 3D animation, created an alternative and fictional MMA League with renegade athletes who struggle against smelly armpits. The big prize is a Gillette Deodorant, which eliminates the bad smell and brings the winner back to the UFC.
UFCecê — A Liga dos Cheiros Pesados Antitranspirantes Gillette orgulhosamente elimina o UFCecê, a Liga dos Cheiros Pesados. Os lutadores mais fedidos da atualidade vão travar combates de perder o fôlego. O vencedor leva o Antitranspirante Gillette, que elimina o mau cheiro de verdade, não mascara.
Credits: Advertising Agency: Africa Agency, São Paulo, Brazil Creative Directors: Sergio Gordilho, Eco Moliterno, Alexandre Prado Art Directors: Alexandre Prado, Bruno Couto, Alvin Shiguefuzi, Fernando Drudi Copywriters: André Pinheiro, Eco Moliterno Illustrator: Techno Image Photographer: Techno Image / Meindbender Agency Producers: Rodrigo Ferrari, Patricia Gaglioni, Anderson Rocha Account Directors: Marcio Santoro, Cecilia Duarte Account Managers: Manuela Ramalho, Marina Damato Planners: Ana Paula Cortat, Marcia Neri Rosenberg, Marcos Blinder Media Managers: Luiz Fernando Vieira, Felipe Santos, Rodrigo Medeiros, Kaline Lessio, Thiago Aimi Production Company: Techno Image / Meindbender Direção: Pedro Conti, Tiago Hoisel, Derek Henriques Executive Production: Guilherme Proença, Michael Bengtsson Production Manager: Guilherme Proença Photographers: Pedro Conti, Tiago Hoisel Post-production: Tiago Hoisel, Pedro Conti Editors: Pedro Conti, Tiago Hoisel, Derek Henriques Music & Sound Production: Sustain
Google launches Ingress, a worldwide mobile reality game. Ingress is a project of former Google director of geo John Hanke and Niantic Labs, a start-up within Google. "This grew out of us thinking about notions of ubiquitous computing," Hanke said. "The device melts away."
This world around you is not what it seems. Our future is at stake, and you must choose a side. A mysterious energy has been unearthed by a team of scientists in Europe. The origin and purpose of this force is unknown, but some researchers believe it is influencing the way we think. We must control it or it will control us. "The Enlightened" seek to embrace the power that this energy may bestow upon us. "The Resistance" struggle to defend, and protect what's left of our humanity. Install Ingress and transform your world. www.ingress.com/
Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning prove they are the Queens Of Noise in a biopic about 70s all-girl rock band The Runaways. The career of The Runaways was short lived, spanning only five years, but the impact they had on the music industry was immense. The all-girl teenage rock band helmed six albums and several hit singles such as Cherry Bomb, Queens Of Noise and Born To Be Bad, and helped shape female rock icon Joan Jett. Yet it was a dirty, tumultuous ride as shown in The Runaways, the directorial debut from Floria Sigismondi.
Set in Southern California in the mid-70s, Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) is a shy and sulky glue-sniffer who dreams of becoming a rock star like Suzi Quatro. She takes that burning ambition to music promoter Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) and after pitching him the idea of starting an all-girl rock band, he starts to recruit teenage girls for The Runaways. He and Jett find their front woman in the stylish and dreamy Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) and the young women are soon subjected to a rigorous training regimen where Fowley teaches them how to handle rowdy crowds, deal with hecklers and howl, wail and strut in a passionate brand of macho feminism.
Despite their musical talent, they all play their own instruments and write their own songs, Fowler sees an opportunity and promotes The Runaways as a cocktail of empowerment and exploitation. Dressed in hot pants, heels, jumpsuits and lingerie, the teenage girls become both a fetish and a rebellious rock `n' roll band, and subsequently take off. From homegrown success to global domination, including a huge fan base in Japan, the girls begin to struggle with their meteoric rise to fame, the easy availability of drugs, predatory men, lack of supervision and group dynamics.
The focus of the film is the individual stories of Jett and Currie, who are key members of the group and share an intimate relationship as friends and sometime lovers (which cumulates in a pash between Stewart and Fanning). Coming from a background as a photographer and music video director, Sigismondi has an eye for visuals and her competency in creating this grungy 70s world is similar to Catehrine Harwicke's effort in The Lords Of Dogtown. Her direction of the music scenes, which are all sung and performed by the actors, really captures the electricity of the band and their music. However, that is also her downfall because The Runaways retains a glossy sheen that seems out of place given the events unfolding on screen. The story too has been trimmed and moulded from Currie's autobiography, so that it is just rebellious enough, while skipping over some of the more confronting and compelling issues.
But the crux of The Runaways is the performances, with Shannon delivering a suitably sociopathic turn as Fowley and Alia Shawkat makes the most of her small supporting role. Yet it is Stewart and Fanning who steal the show. In case you did not know already, they make this film their declaration that they are no longer child stars, but rather young-adult actresses who deliver tour de force performances. Fanning's David Bowie-esque Currie is as beautiful contradiction, a vulnerable and undecided teenager off stage and a fierey sex kitten on it. Besides her uncanny resemblance to Jett, Stewart ozzes the rock `n' roll mentality and her brooding, attitude-filled performance is reminiscent of a young James Dean.
Flashy and feisty, The Runaways is an entertaining piece of pop art, but it fails to delve deeper into the real story. For an accurate account see former bassist Victory Tischler-Blue's documentary Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways. Sure, from a technical perspective it may be one of the worst documentaries I’ve seen, but she captures the band’s truly amazing story in interviews and mind blowing revelations. Watch it. In other news, I interviewed her a few weeks ago and she describes Jett as a “fucking c#nt” so she deserves your props for that.
The Runaways: Queens of Noise, 9 out of 10 [based on 687 votes]
The University of Oklahoma wanted to position its new cancer center as the best in the region with a message of hope. Milwaukee agency BVK didn't want a maudlin ad full of hand holding, hugs, and worried children. "How do we do another spot about hope that feels fresh?" asks creative director Mike Holicek. They chose to focus on the hair loss that comes with chemotherapy—an often traumatic experience for women, who feel they are losing their femininity. Their 60-second spot flips that script: It opens with a woman at her lowest point, alone at dawn, head bald, a tear falling down her cheek. Then, as she goes about her morning routine, her hair grows back, little by little, scene by scene, until she has a full head of hair. The change is so gradual that there's a sudden moment of recognition when the viewer realizes what is happening—a spark of delight that hints at the longer glow of hope the client can provide.
COPYWRITING: The ad is understated and uncomplicated—ordinary domestic scenes with "little moments of real life that are not spectacular," says director Rafael Fernandez. The woman showers, dresses, and makes a sandwich for her daughter. "It's the mother's struggle, it's her moment," explains BVK executive creative director Rich Kohnke. The action takes place over several months, but it's shot as though it were a single morning—which makes the healing process feel quietly magical. At the end, a female voiceover says: "When you have every resource for beating cancer, you have every reason for hope. Pioneering research and treatments from the new cancer center at OU Medicine. Another level of medicine." On-screen copy adds: "Oklahoma's only comprehensive cancer center," followed by the OU Medicine logo and Web address.
ART DIRECTION: The woman's hair is the main visual motif. The agency considered using CGI to show the hair growing continuously. That felt over the top. Instead, Fernandez shot everything in camera. He filmed the scenes in reverse order, and had the actress cut her hair between each one—seven trims in all. The spot begins in gloomy dark blues, and then brightens—but not excessively. "We wanted to stay within the same universe and just come to the brighter version of that world," says Fernandez.
FILMING: The ad was shot in a single day in a house in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. The camerawork is subtle and elegant. "Most of the shots have just a little bit of floating to them," says Fernandez. "It has that feeling that you're witnessing these scenes as a person there."
TALENT: The actress, Heather Ann Smith, was able to transition from despair to measured hope with simple movements and gestures. For the first scene (the last one shot), Fernandez helped to get Smith in the mind-set by narrating a piece of text he had written about "what I thought would go through someone's mind who is faced with a situation where the hopes and dreams of their life may never come to fruition." Shaving one's head is a drastic move for an actress, but after shooting, Smith landed a role on Torchwood that called for short hair. She also had the support of her fiancé, even though their wedding was approaching.
SOUND: The composer, Bryan Mir, came up with a Spanish-flavored acousticguitar track that the creatives felt, against all odds, fit perfectly. The client hated it. They went with an acoustic guitar track that was more toned down.
MEDIA: Broadcast and cable across Oklahoma and into neighboring states, where there aren't other major medical centers.
Credits: Client: OU Medicine Agency: BVK, Milwaukee Executive Creative Director: Rich Kohnke Creative Directors: Mike Holicek/Mike Scalise Writer: Mike Holicek Art Director: Rich Kohnke Agency Producer: Allison Lockwood Account Supervisor: Tricia Lewis Account Executive: Ali Dawe Director: Rafael Fernandez, Green Dot Films Editor: Bryan Mir @ Blend Studios, Milwaukee Colorist: Mike Matusek @ Nolo Digital Film in Chicago Music: Bryan Mir @ Blend Studios, Milwaukee Sound Design/Audio Mix: Steve Kultgen @ Independent Studios in Milwaukee via: Tim Nudd | Adweek
The new Audi Quattro commercial campaign entitled "Ahab" is inspired by one of the all-time classics in American literature, "Moby Dick." Audi re-imagines Herman Melville's epic struggle between obsessed sea captain and elusive white whale to bring the legend of quattro® to life. The mighty tow truck driver, played by David Florek has hooked them all but one...The Audi Quattro. The ad was shot in Willow, Alaska.
Credits: Ad Agency: Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco Produced by: Epoch Films Director of photography: Jamin Conn Assistant director: DK Johnston Post production: The Mill, Los Angeles
Struggle against terrorism in the USA gets more and more menacing scales. narrated that at 19 airports of the country new devices of scanning have put. Now they not only "smell" the person and luggage, but also projects on the monitor of the security guard the image of a naked body of the person. Certainly, meanwhile, judging by the image, the sensuality is far from perfect, but it, so to say, the first step. Devices use technology of scanning on millimetric waves. At first it has been conceived to use this equipment on especially suspicious people but who knows who knows...
In time for National Missing Children’s Month, The Missing Children's Network is launching a grassroots movement that puts the faces of missing children where they have never been before – on postage stamps. Via a new website launching today — MissingKidsStamps.ca – the network is working to raise awareness – and drive action on behalf of – the children who go missing in Canada each year; and educating Canadians on how their order of these stamps can help in bringing attention to the cause, and hopefully, reuniting families.
“The concept really is ingenious, and inline with our mission. We’ve made a commitment to the families that we work with to use every channel available to us to help them find their loved ones,” said Pina Arcamone, Director General of The Missing Children’s Network. “The postage stamp is so universal, and passes through so many hands each day – it offers a way of paying homage to these children so they will never be forgotten. We were surprised no one had thought to use them in this way before, but more than happy to be the first to innovate in this way.”
MissingKidsStamps.ca, developed by Canadian ad agency Lowe Roche, uses stamp personalization technology to harness the good will of individual Canadians in the struggle to bring these children home. Canadians can now download and use specially tailored photographs of missing children to create individual postage stamps – allowing each visitor to the site the opportunity to send photographs of these missing children to homes, and offices, across Canada, and around the world; and hopefully, into the hands of someone who might recognize them. As well as helping to raise the visibility of missing children, the site also serves to honour their memory. While on the site, visitors can learn more about some of the children being featured; download an insert that they can add to their own mailings telling others about the program; or, because so much of today’s correspondence is electronic, get an ‘e-signature’, allowing visitors to add Missing Kids Stamps to their e-mails and other e-correspondence – making sure that everyone has the chance to participate. “When all is said and done, this initiative is about bringing home as many missing children as we can, and honouring those who are still missing,” said Monica Ruffo, CEO of Lowe Roche. “We bring our skills to bear for clients everyday on a variety of business issues; but here we really saw a place where we could potentially make a very tangible difference. It’s innovation for good, and something we’re so proud to be a part of.” People can start making Missing Kids Stamps starting May 1st by visiting MissingKidsStamps.ca. As well, pre-ordered books of stamps and information about the campaign will be available at Missing Children’s Network events happening throughout Missing Children’s Month in Quebec throughout the month of May.
Credits: Project: Missing Kids Stamps Client: Missing Children’s Network http://missingkidsstamps.ca Creative Agency: Lowe Roche, Toronto Executive Creative Director: Sean Ohlenkamp Group Creative Director: Mark Mason Group Creative Director: Jane Murray Account Supervisor: Linda Carrington Designer: Joel Derksen Illustrator: Jennifer Duong Producer: Neal Owusu Music & Sound Design: Keen Music Strategic Planner: Jonathan Daly
Even today, the world of the ancient Greek gods has lost none of its fascination. Accounts of the deeds of mighty Zeus, his jealous wife Hera, the twins Apollo and Artemis, beautiful Aph-rodite, and Dionysos the god of wine, are as enthralling as ever after more than 2000 years.
A mask of an old man is on display at the Roman-Germanic Museum in Cologne, Germany. The exhibition 'Return of the Gods' will run until 26 August 2012 [Credit: EPA/Oliver Berg]
Greek poets and artists conveyed a vivid picture of the world of these gods. Their work set creative precedents and were a source of inspiration; they also furnished models and a stim-ulus for new interpretations and original compositions by Roman writers and sculptors.
Over a period of more than three hundred years, the Brandenburg-Prussian Electors and Kings in Berlin collected antique works of art, which are now in the museums of the ‘Preußischer Kulturbesitz’ Foundation – the Pergamon Museum and the Collection of Antiqui-ties. For the first time in Cologne, in the exhibition The Return of the Gods, the Olympian world of the Greek gods is recreated with marble statues, stone reliefs, bronzes and luxurious vases from the Berlin collections – a cross section of outstanding European art from early Greek times to the imperial Roman period.
Zeus, Hades, Poseidon
Zeus, the Romans’ Jupiter, was the majestic ruler of the Olympian world. As the lord of the heavens, he carried a thunderbolt as his weapon. Zeus was the father of nu-merous gods and heroes; most of his offspring were not begotten with his wife Hera, but were the result of his many erotic liaisons.
Poseidon was the master of the sea, inland waters and storms. As the “shaker of the Earth”, who made the Earth tremble with his trident, he was held responsible for earthquakes and natural disasters. People also venerated him as the protector of their ships. The Romans called this god Neptune.
Brother of Zeus and Poseidon was Hades, the Romans’ Pluto. He became the lord of the underworld when the gods drew lots to divide the world between them.
All these “Father Gods” are represented as mature, dignified and mighty. Zeus the father of the gods, Hades the ruler of the underworld and Poseidon the god of the sea, are difficult to tell apart when not depicted with their characteristic attributes
Asclepius, the Healing God
Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing. He was the son of Apollo and a mortal woman, so merely a demigod. He was nevertheless worshipped as a god but not regarded as one of the Olympian gods.
Asclepius’ place was among the people. He is represented in the likeness of a Greek citizen: bearded, wearing a robe and leaning on a staff. A snake is coiled around his staff and the staff (or rod) of Asclepius is still the traditional symbol of medicine.
Asclepius had many sanctuaries that attracted throngs of worshippers, where the sick sought cures through healing sleep (incubation). A centre of his cult developed at Epidaurus and another was located on the island of Kos. The physicians of Kos achieved great fame in the 5th century BC. The best known was Hippocrates and, even today, doctors swear the “Hippocratic Oath”.
The cult of Asclepius reached the western part of the Roman Empire in 293 BC when the Epidaurus sanctuary established a shrine to the Latinised Aesculapius on Rome’s Tiber Island.
Hera and Demeter – the Mothers
Hera, the Romans’ Juno, was the sister and spouse of Zeus. As the queen of the gods she watched over marriage and legitimate offspring. She therefore pursued the amorous escapades of her husband with jealous severity.
Demeter, Ceres for the Romans, was the goddess of the fertile earth, of grain and agriculture. According to the “Homeric” hymn to Demeter, her daughter Kore was abducted by Hades and, as Persephone/Proserpina, became his wife in the under-world. Searching for her daughter, the desperate Demeter neglected her responsibilities as the goddess of agriculture, which led to a severe drought. Only after the return of her daughter for two-thirds of the year did she allow everything to grow and flourish again, but Kore-Persephone had to spend one third of each year with Hades in the underworld, during which time nature was also dead.
Demeter and Hera are usually depicted as motherly goddesses, often wearing a dia-dem and veil. When ears of wheat – a specific attribute of Demeter – are not shown, it is scarcely possible to distinguish between the two.
Aphrodite and Hermes
Aphrodite’s sphere of influence was love; her son Eros was the personified god of love. From the 5th century BC onwards, Aphrodite was depicted in ever more reveal-ing clothes: light and flimsy garments accentuated the beauty of the female body. Aphrodite first appeared completely naked in the 4th century BC, as a statue by Praxiteles, whose visualisation of the goddess was widely copied. Venus, the Roman equivalent of Aphrodite, was said to be the mother of Aeneas. Hence she became the mythical ancestress of the family of the Julii, to which both Caesar and Augustus belonged.
Hermes was the messenger of the gods, the god of roads, boundaries and herds-men, the patron of thieves. He guided the souls of the dead into the after-world.
Hermes wore the clothes of a traveller: a short cape, a broad-brimmed hat and boots or sandals. Speed was suggested by wings attached to his hat, shoes or heels. In addition, he carried a messenger’s staff with two snakes (Kerykeion). The Roman equivalent of Hermes was Mercury, the god of commerce and economic prosperity.
Athena – the Patroness of Great Works
Athena was the wise daughter of Zeus. Before his marriage to Hera, Zeus was the husband of Metis, the goddess of wisdom. Zeus then swallowed his consort when she was pregnant with Athena because it had been prophesied that she would bear him a child stronger than himself, who would ultimately depose him. Athena was born when Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, cleaved open her father’s skull.
Athena was the goddess of battle, depicted with a helmet, lance and shield. Another emblem was the “aegis”, a breastplate with the head of the Gorgon Medusa in the centre. Athena was the patroness of the crafts and all artistic activities. She is also said to have invented the flute. While playing it beside a stream, she saw a reflection of herself with her cheeks puffed out, and crossly cast the instrument aside. The satyr Marsyas retrieved the flute and later challenged Apollo to a musical contest.
Many cities invoked the protection of Athena, especially Athens, where she was worshipped on the Acropolis. Her Roman equivalent was Minerva.
Apollo and Artemis — divine twins
The twins Apollo and Artemis were the children of Zeus and Leto. Jealous Hera pur-sued her rival relentlessly until, finally, the island of Delos allowed Leto to give birth to her children there.
Apollo was the upholder of order in human society, slaying wrongdoers with his bow and sending pestilence as a punishment. He defended religious purity. His attribute was the laurel. He was also the god of oracles and divine prophesies, leader of the muses and a master of the lyre. He was depicted as an idealized youth with long hair.
Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and huntsmen, represented unspoiled nature. Known since ancient times as the “Mistress of the Animals” and the “unconquered virgin”, she nurtured and protected young animals, but was also a huntress who killed her prey. Since the late classical period, she has usually been depicted as a young girl in a hunting tunic with a bow and a quiver full of arrows, often accompanied by an animal. Just as her brother was both the god of healing and the god of pestilence, so Artemis was the goddess of childbirth and the bringer of death in childbirth.
The Sanctuary
In the Greek and Roman world, the sanctuary was the most important place for wor-shipping the gods. People would go there with votive offerings and gifts to praise or appease a deity and to ask for favours.
At larger ritual sites there were temples with a cult image of the god. However, the centre of the sanctuary was always the altar where sacrifices were offered. At public ceremonies, cattle were often sacrificed: the priests would burn the bones, fat and hide of the animal as an offering to the gods; the meat would then be consumed by the worshippers at a ritual feast. Individual citizens usually donated smaller animals, fruit or libations. The rites could be accompanied by processions, dancing and music.
An abundance of offerings of various types would accumulate at such sacred sites. Large objects like statues would be set up on display while smaller votive objects, such as miniature figurines or weapons captured from the enemy, were deposited somewhere. In large Greek sanctuaries, Olympia and Delphi for example, there were also treasuries where valuable offerings were stored.
Dionysus and the Theatre
Dionysus was the god of wine and delirious ecstasy. Those who gave themselves to this god had to risk becoming “possessed”. Dionysus was surrounded by a retinue (thiasos) of half-wild hybrid creatures, youthful satyrs, older sileni, and frenzied maenads who often danced to the music of flutes and drums.
Dionysus was depicted as child, as a seductive youth with a body that is sometimes rather feminine, and as an old man leaning on a satyr. His attributes were the ivy, either as a wreath to prevent intoxication or wound around a staff (thyrsos), and a drinking vessel (kantharos). He always symbolised a hedonistic way of life.
Greek theatre originated in the cult of Dionysus. In many places of worship, dramatic performances were part of his festivals. Starting in Athens in the 6th century BC, first tragedies, then “satyr” plays and – after 486 BC – comedies were performed during the Great Dionysia festival. All the roles in the plays, even female roles, were taken by three male actors wearing costumes and masks, accompanied by a choir.
The Pergamon Altar
In the conflicts to succeed Alexander the Great, Philhetairos was able to establish his rule in Asia Minor, at Pergamon. His grandson, Attalos I, took the title of King. The latter’s son, Eumenes II (197-159 BC), defeated the invading Celts and developed the fortress into a Hellenistic city with prestigious marble buildings.
The religious centre was the altar of Zeus, which was visible from afar. A flight of steps led up to a podium and the colonnaded area with the altar for burnt offerings. The podium was decorated on all sides by a frieze depicting the battle of the gods against the giants. The rear walls illustrated the history of the founding of Perga-mon. Acroteria with figures stood on the roof.
The gigantomachy on the Pergamon Altar marks the pinnacle of Hellenistic art. It is the most complete antique depiction of the struggle of the younger generation of Olympian gods, together with Hercules, against the giants, born out of chaos, who were trying to destroy the new world order. Zeus with his lightning bolts is shown fighting a snake-footed giant, an allusion to the victory over the Celts.
