Greek Gods In The East: Hellenistic Iconographic Schemes In Central Asia Hellenistic Iconographic Schemes In Central Asia

In Greek Gods in the East, Ladislav Stanco explores the exportation of religious imagery and themes from the Hellenistic Mediterranean to Gandhara, in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Bactria, now Uzbekistan. As Stanco shows clearly and effectively, while Eastern cultures borrowed heavily from the iconography of Greek mythology, they also adapted and amended images and stories to reflect their own tastes and ideas over the centuries. This volume includes nearly four hundred images and presents an important comparative study for art historians and scholars of ancient history. Karolinum Contents 5 Acknowledgements 7 1 Introduction 9 1.1 Definition of the subject 9 1.2 Political continuity 12 1.3 A note on Kushan chronology 18 2 An iconographicanalysis of the Hellenisticsubjects in the artof Gandhara, Bactriaand the adjoining areasof the Kushan Empire 19 2.1 General remarks 19 2.2 Greek mythological figures in the east 21 2.2.1 Adonis 22 2.2.2 Aphrodite 23 2.2.3 Apollo 32 2.2.4 Ares 40 2.2.5 Artemis 41 2.2.6 Athena 45 2.2.7 Atlantes 62 2.2.8 Centaur 82 2.2.9 Cybele 83 2.2.10 Demeter 84 2.2.11 Dionysus 84 2.2.12 The Dioscuri 110 2.2.13 Eros/Cupids 114 2.2.14 Harpocrates 133 2.2.15 Helios 135 2.2.16 Heracles 137 2.2.17 Hermes 158 2.2.18 Nereids 160 2.2.19 Nike 176 2.2.20 Poseidon 185 2.2.21 River gods 188 2.2.22 Sarapis 189 2.2.23 Tyche / City goddess 192 2.2.24 Zeus 199 2.3 Other schemes of Greek origin 212 2.3.1 Various themes 212 2.3.2 Drinking, dancing and erotic scenes 217 2.4 Greek deities identified with Iranian or Indian ones 227 2.4.1 Tyche-Hariti-Ardokhsho-Lakshmi 227 2.4.2 Heracles-Vajrapani 232 2.4.3 Pharro / Panchika / Hermes 235 2.4.4 Shiva – Vesho – Veshparkar with attributes of Poseidon, Zeus and Heracles 235 3 Conclusions 236 4 Bibliography 254 This book focuses on the fate of the Greek mythological themes, divine and heroic figures, far in the East, primarily in the area of ancient Gandhara and Bactria (today in Uzbekistan). In alphabetic order, it covers primary iconographic schemes, which the art of these areas borrowed from the Hellenistic Mediterranean. We can compare how individual typical depictions of Greek deities changed and accommodated the taste and ideas of the local populace over the centuries. Aside from this, many of the originally Greek mythological characters, including their typical attributes, became, as this book clearly shows, the basis for images of various local Iranian, Indian and other deities. Annotation In "Greek Gods in the East," Ladislav Stanco explores the exportation of religious imagery and themes from the Hellenistic Mediterranean to Gandhara, today in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Bactria, present-day Uzbekistan. As Stanco shows clearly and effectively, while Eastern cultures borrowed heavily from the iconography of Greek mythology, they also adapted and amended images and stories to reflect their own tastes and ideas over the centuries. This volume includes over three hundred images and presents an important comparative study for art historians and scholars of ancient history Ladislav Stančo. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 254-261).