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Ekphrasis in ancient literature

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Greek Literature

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The Iliad

The shield of Achilles is an incredibly famous portrayal of Ekphrastic poety and shows how the poet Homer portrays the multiple events that have occurred in the past and events that will occur in the future. It depicts events such as the Cosmos and the inevitable fate of the city of Troy. The shield of Achilles has nine events depicted on it.

  1. The Earth, Sea, Sky, Moon and the Cosmos (484–89).
  2. Two cities are depicted. One where a wedding and a trial are taking place and the other is considered to be Troy due to the battle that is occurring inside the city (509–40).
  3. A field that is being ploughed (541–49).
  4. The home of a King where the harvest is being reaped (550–60).
  5. A vineyard that is being harvested (561–72).
  6. A herd of cattle is being attacked by two lions and the Herdsman and his dogs are trying to scare the lions off of the prize bull (573–86).
  7. A sheep farm (587–89).
  8. A scene with young men and women dancing (590–606).
  9. The mighty Ocean as it encircles the shield (607–609).

The Odyssey

Although it is not written exactly in the descriptive style of Ekphrastic poetry from lines 609 - 614 the belt of Herakles is described as having "marvelous works" [1] such as animals with piercing eyes and hogs in a grove of trees. It also contained multiple battles and occurrences of manslaughter. There is also a scene where Odysseus disguised as a beggar must prove to Penelope his wife that he has proof that Odysseus is still alive. She asks him about the clothes that Odysseus was wearing when the beggar claims he hosted Odysseus. Homer uses this opportunity to use more Ekphrastic poetry by describing the brooch of Odysseus. It is a golden brooch that has a hound strangling a fawn that it captured.[1] While not as elaborate as the earlier examples of Ekphrasis it still clearly describes the scene that is on the brooch.

Roman Literature

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The Argonautika

The Cloak of Jason is another example of Ekphrastic poetry in the sense that it is modeled off of Homer's examples listed above. In The Argonautika [2] Jason's cloak is referenced to have seven events embroidered into it.

1. The forging of Zeus' thunderbolts by the Cyclops (730-734)

2. The building of Thebes by the sons of Antiope (735 - 741)

3. Aphrodite with the shield of Ares (742 - 745)

4. The battle between Teleboans and the Sons of Electryon (746 - 751)

5. Pelops winning Hippodameia (752 - 758)

6. Apollo punishing Tityos (759 - 762)

7. Phrixus and the Ram (763 - 765)

This description of the cloak provides many examples of Ekphrasis and not only is modeled off of Homer in general but alludes to several occurrences in Homer's epics the Iliad and the Odyssey. Jason's cloak can be used and examined in multiple ways. The way of describing the cloaks events are similar to the catalogue of Women that Odysseus encounters on his trip to the Underworld [3].

The Cloak and its events continue to provide for the story than a simple description but in true Ekphrasis fashion it not only compares Jason to future heroes such as Achilles and Odysseus, but it also allows for a type of foreshadowing to occur. Jason by donning the cloak can be seen as a figure who would rather resort to coercion than overall force can be seen as a parallel to Odysseus and his multiple schemes and lies he implements to continue his voyage back to Ithaca [4].

While this comparison is easily made to Odysseus there is also similarities to Achilles and by donning the cloak Jason is represented as an Achillean heroic figure by the comparisons his cloak makes to the shield of Achilles. He is also seen taking up a spear given to him by Atalanta not as an afterthought but due to his heroic nature and the comparison between himself and Achilles [5].

While Jason only wears the cloak while going to meet with Hypsipyle it foreshadows the changes that Jason will potentially undergo during his adventure. Through the telling of the scenes on the cloak the reader is able to understand that Apollonios is relating the scenes on the cloak as virtues and morals that should be upheld by the Roman people as well as what Jason should learn. Such as the piety represented by the Cyclops during the forging of Zeus' thunderbolts [6]. This scene itself is also reminiscent of the scene in the Iliad when Thetis goes to see Hephaestus and requisitions him to create a new set of armor for her son Achilles. Before he creates the shield and armor Hephaestus is creating 20 golden tripods for his own hall, and in the scene on Jason's cloak we see the Cyclops performing the last step of creating the thunderbolts for Zeus [7].

The Aeneid

The Aeneid is an epic that was written by Virgil during the reign of Augustus the first Emperor of Rome. While the epic itself mimics Homers works it also has many differences as one of its purposes for being written can be seen as propaganda for Augustus and the new Roman empire.[8] There is a scene in book eight from lines 629 - 719 that depicts the events on Aeneas shield.[9] This shield was given to him by his mother Venus after she asked her husband Vulcan to create it[9], this scene is almost identical to Thetis the mother of Achilles asking asking Hephaestus to create her son new weapons and armor for the battle of Troy.

The difference in the two shields description are very easily discernible, the shield of Achilles ranges upon many subjects in its descriptions whereas the shield made for Aeneas depicts the future that Rome will have and heavily contains propaganda in favor of the Emperor Augustus.[8] Much like other Ekphrastic poetry it has a clear catalogue of events that are depicted.

1. The She Wolf and suckling Romulus and Remus (629 - 634).

2. The Rape of the Sabine Women (635 - 639).

3. Mettius pulled apart by horses (640 - 645).

4. Invasion of Lars Parsona (646 - 651).

5. Manlius guarding the capitol (652 - 654).

6. Gauls invading Rome (655 - 665).

7. Tartarus with Cato and Catiline (666 - 670).

8. The Sea around the width of the shield (671 - 674).

9. The Battle of Actium (675 - 677).

10. Augustus and Agrippa (678 - 684).

11. Antony and Cleopatra (685 - 695).

12. Triumph (696 - 719).

There is speculation as to why Virgil selected certain events to be portrayed while completely avoiding other events such as Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul. Virgil clearly outlined the shield chronologically but scholars argue that the events on the shield are meant to reflect certain Roman values that would have been of high importance to the Roman people and to the Emperor.[10] Some of these values that Virgil is trying to portray in his poetry could be virtus, clementia, iustitia, and pietas which were the values inscribed on a shield given to Augustus by the Senate[11]. This instance of Ekphrasitc poetry could be Virgil trying to relate more of his work to Augustus.

Earlier in the Epic when Aeneas travels to Carthage he sees the temple of the city and on it are great works of art that are described by the poet using the Ekphrastic style. Like the other occurrences of Ekphrasis these have multiple events that are described together to fully detail the magnificent work of art. There are eight events that are described during the over all event that is the Trojan War.[9]

1. Agamemnon and Menelaus, Priam and Achilles are depicted (459).

2. Greeks run from Trojan soldiers (468).

3. The sacking of the tents of Rhesus and the Thracians and their deaths by Diomedes (468 - 472).

4. Troilus being thrown from his Chariot as he flees from Achilles (473 - 478).

5. The women of Troy in lamentation praying to the Gods to help them (479 - 482).

6. Achilles selling Hektor's body (483 - 487).

7. Priam begging for the return of his son with the Trojan commanders nearby (483 - 488).

8. Penthesilea the Amazon and her fighters (489 - 493).

The Metamorphoses

There are several examples of Ekphrasis in the Metamorphoses and one is when Phaeton journeys to the temple of the sun to meet his father Phoebus. When Phaeton gazes upon the temple of the sun he sees incredible carvings upon the temple. [12]

  1. The seas that circle the Earth, the surrounding lands, and the sky (8 - 9).
  2. The gods of the sea are depicted with the Nymphs (10 - 19).
  3. On land are scenes of men, beasts, and local gods (20 - 21).
  4. 12 figures of the Zodiac, 6 on each side of the door to the temple (22 - 23).
  1. ^ a b Lattimore, Richmond (1967). The Odyssey of Homer. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. pp. 609–614. ISBN 978-0-06-124418. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  2. ^ Rhodios, Apollonios. The Argonautika. pp. line 720 - 763. ISBN 978-052023933. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  3. ^ Bulloch, Anthony. "'Jason's Cloak'". www.academia.edu: 59. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  4. ^ Shapiro, H. A. (1 January 1980). "Jason's Cloak". Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-). 110: 263–286. doi:10.2307/284222.
  5. ^ Clauss, James (1993). The Best of the Argonauts. The University of California Press. p. 120. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  6. ^ Shapiro, H. A. (1 January 1980). "Jason's Cloak". Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-). 110: 265. doi:10.2307/284222.
  7. ^ Clauss, James. The Best of the Argonauts. p. 122.
  8. ^ a b Williams, R.D. (1981). "The Shield of Aeneas". Vergilius.
  9. ^ a b c Ahl, Frederick (2007). The Aeneid of Virgil. Great Britain: Oxford World's Classics. pp. lines 372 - 406. ISBN 9780199231959.
  10. ^ Penwill, John. "Reading Aeneas' Shield" (PDF).
  11. ^ Harrison, S.J. (November 1997). "The Survival and Supremacy of Rome: The Unity of the Shield of Aeneas". The Journal of Roman Studies. Retrieved 4/20/16. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  12. ^ Martin, Charles (2010). Metamorphoses. W. W. Norton and Company. pp. 1–23.
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