Pagan Symbols in Ancient Greek Architecture (2/)
Garlands, Friezes and Sculptures
Most pagan symbols in ancient Greek architecture now carry only aesthetic and artistic meanings, I mentioned this in my previous article. These pagan symbols were originally made to attract abundance and prosperity, but over time (perhaps because they were truly aesthetically beautiful) they became a part of classical architecture.
Garlands and Friezes
In the frieze in this photo, the masks are combined with the garland and have a purely aesthetic meaning. Here, the garland figure is used only to increase its aesthetic value and add beauty to the structure.
In this mosaic, the garland figure most likely represents bay or olive leaves. Its round form symbolizes that life is in a continuous cycle and rebirth. Inside this garland, it says Health, Life, Joy, Peace, Happiness, and Joy in ancient Greek.
Sculptures
Cities are founded for mother goddesses and are often named after them. It is even believed that some dynasties are descendants of these mother goddesses. As most of us know, god statues are the leading role in Paganism. People worshiped these statues, made sacrifices to them, and gave money through priests.
Not only about gods and goddesses, but also sometimes mythological scenes were explained to people through statues, and a trust was provided to the public.
Sculptures of People
Of course, statues are not just for gods and goddesses. We can often see statues of emperors and rich people. It is not possible to see the statues of poor people, which reveals the class distinction in the ancient world.
In ancient times, the body of the statues was always made in the most aesthetic way possible, but the head part was made realistically according to the person who ordered it. The main idea here is to make good propaganda on behalf of an empire and the rich and deceive people by placing the statues in places where everyone can see them.
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