Sunday, January 26, 2014


When I was a child, I had a fascination with Greek mythology. Somehow I don't think I ever quite outgrew it.

The ROM features a number of artifacts from the ancient Greek world, including vases that depict scenes of myth. When my mother would bring me through the museum back then, she was surprised that I'd spend so much time looking at these artifacts. This one, if memory serves, is thought to depict Achilles and Hector.

This vase of course features the very recognizable Heracles (Hercules to the Romans).

While this bust is of Dionysus, the god of wine.

Finally, this scale model is of the Parthenon, the ancient temple in Athens where once it contained a massive statue of the goddess Athena. Having models of people down below on the floor gives the viewer a sense of the scale of the original statue.


  1. Can't you just imagine Athena in all her glory there atop the Acropolis, catching the late evening sun on the folds of her robe?

  2. When we visited the ROM, i recall being in a room with busts mounted on pedestals and shamlessly we posed next to them. We concluded that the bust figureheads were more attractively presented.

  3. Wow. What an incredible collection.

  4. I had the same fascination with Greek and Roman mythology. Now I find I favor Norse gods...I wonder why?

  5. it is really interesting isn't it? my boys became fascinated with it when the percy jackson books came out.

  6. Beautiful items and I especially like the model. My youthful attraction was Egyptian artifacts. I was always drawn to those and still am I guess.

  7. I always liked Greek mythology too! The ROM has some great pieces from that era.

  8. The statue must indeed have been absolutely huge! Ancient Greece is simply fascinating. Demos. Democracy...

  9. @Revrunner: it would have been something to behold!

    @Beatrice: that no doubt comes across the minds of many a visitor.

    @Stuart: it really is.

    @Norma: it could have to do with shirtless Norse thunder gods and smiling mischief makers.

    @Tanya: just as long as the Sam Worthington Clash of the Titans wasn't the reason!

    @Sharon: Egypt has always fascinated me. Some of that in tomorrow's blog.

    @Halcyon: whoever made a point of collecting these for the museum knew what they were doing.

    @RedPat: both of them!

    @MB: thank you.

    @Ciel: it would have awed any visitor coming into the Parthenon.

  10. I've been inside the full-size Parthenon copy in Nashville, TN. It was easy to understand, standing there below the massive statue, why ancient people revered their gods! I was in awe!

    1. I didn't know there was something like that there.

  11. I was in Greece last summer and had the chance to visit the Parthenon and to wander through museums with incredible artifacts like these. Amazing to think about such grand things created so long ago.

  12. Lovely. Isn't it a treat that museums seem to welcome non flash photography now? It didn't used to be that way.