La Civilizacion (page 1/2)

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Roman slaves carrying an amphora

Two men are walking, about to go up the steps and out of a cellar, one in front of the other; they have a wooden post over their shoulders from which a large amphora is suspended, reaching almost to their ankles. The men are barefoot. The foremost male is wearing breeches and is shirtless; the rear one has a simple tunic tied at the waist, but [...] [more...] [$]

Typographic ornament with horse’s head and harp strings

This tailpiece, or typographic ornament, was used at the end of a chapter. It includes a horse’s head perhaps in a stylized horseshoe, with an anvil or yoke behind it, a harp and other [...] [more...] [$]

Greek dances after a meal.

Canzas Griegas despues de la Comida. [more...] [$]

Helen and Paris

This is a scene from ancient Greece and the Trojan War. Paris, a young prince from the city-state of Troy, was given the beautiful Helen by the goddess Aphrodite to be his wife. Unfortunately Helen was already married to Menelaus, king of Sparta. Menelaus was unhappy about losing his beautiful wife, and a war broke out.

Whether any of this is remotely true we will never know. However, the picture shows Paris, wearing a scarlet cap and with cloth draped over his crotch, but barefoot and bare-chested, playing a harp. Helen, topless and barefoot, sits next to him, somewhat more modestly covered in a blue skirt. They are sitting on a stone bench (or sarcophagus!) next to a pond with a swan in it, symbolizing royalty. Beside them is a [more...] [$]

Xerxes orders the sea to be punished

King Xerxes of Persia is shown here just after a storm destroyed the beginnings of a bridge he’d ordered to be built in order to send his army to conquor Greece. The following extract is from [...] [more...] [$]