The depiction of the lady Salome in the picture is an infamous character from Greek mythology. She was and is severely criticized for her voluptuous dance against her own step-father Herod Antipas. The incident is notorious among the artist through-out the years and many depiction has been produced on the same theme with weightage giving at variety of points in the story. In the story, when Salome’s step father Herod pleases by her Dance of the seven Veils, he overwhelmingly gives her boon to demand anything as a prize. She runs to her mother to get guidance about what to ask. He vicious mother Herodias tells her to ask for the head of John The Baptist. Having reluctance to fulfill her demand, the king was […]
Greek Archive
In painting titled Dido Receiving Aeneas and Cupid Disguised as Ascanius, Dido, the queen of Carthage, appears in the story of Trojan Wars more as a victim than having any deliberate role in the Trojan War or in any consequences. When Aeneas, first of the Trojan War Heroes, fled from Troy seeking shelter in different lands, islands and cities, he didn’t found a permanent place before he built city of his own called Rome. Though, before building Rome, he travelled in Mediterranean Sea for years and resided in a dozen places. Dido’s Carthage was one of them. She lived there being the ruling queen has her husband was killed by her brother. On the coming of Aeneas and his comrades, she received them well enough. […]
The Royal Hunt Of Dido and Aeneas by Francesco Solimena represents a moment from mythological story of Aeneas. The significant part of the story, the sequence of Aeneas and Dido is given much importance in Aeneid by Virgil as the whole love-affair led to some of the significant consequences in Italian history and Greek mythology. They both had a tragic love-story which from the start to end was a conspiracy set by gods. In a way, their love was the outcome of the enmity between goddesses, Venus and Juno. When Aeneas – a Trojan War Hero – fled Troy with his comrades he wandered in Mediterranean Sea for years to find the right place to rest. Finally, he approached Carthage for the shelter which was […]