Silenus is the teacher and companion of Dionysus. The role of Silenus in painting and sculpture

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Greek mythology is multifaceted and interesting. Delving into the pages of legends and legends, you can find a lot of interesting things. Reading about the high Olympus, the power of the gods, about the beautiful temples erected in their honor, as well as rich holidays, a person is so carried away that he does not notice how quickly time flies. Dionysus deserves special attention, or rather the retinue that accompanies him and is a set of various creatures. Satyrs, nymphs, Silenus - this is most of the creatures that became the heroes of the bas-reliefs that adorn the temple of the god of winemaking.

Who are satyrs?

Satyr - in Greek mythology, a cheerful, dissolute god of the forest and fertility. The appearance of a satyr allows him to be described as a goat-legged man, with the outlines characteristic of a very strong athlete. In addition to goat legs and hooves, this deity has a tail and horns. The lower part of the body of the satyr is overgrown with wool.

Traditionally, satyrs were considered assistants of Dionysus, it was they who became the creatures who invented wine, which gave them the right to constantly participate infeasts arranged by the god of winemaking, and get drunk on them. Satyrs are too loving, in legends they brazenly pursue beautiful nymphs in order to indulge in love with them. Traditionally symbolize male power. They have a weakness for playing the flute, and they also love to dance, sing well, are lazy by nature, amorous and excessively dissolute. They have strength beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person, which allows them to be described as good warriors.

Satires in art

The ancient Greeks liked to display the plots of various legends in works of art, satires became the central figures of some paintings or statues. The mythology of antiquity paid special attention to them, which inspired sculptors and artists to use the image of a satyr in their creations.

Satyrs were portrayed both as young boys and as terrible, ugly monsters. For artists, the simple and cheerful disposition of these creatures has served as a source of inspiration for the creation of many paintings. Among the sculptors, the work of Praxiteles stands apart. It was he who sculpted the ideal statue of a satyr, whose type subsequently began to be found in almost all works of art. The Satyr, made by Praxiteles, was a bronze statue, so beloved by the Greeks that even in Athens itself it was called famous.

Strong. Mythology

Among the creatures included in the retinue of Dionysus, one demigod should be singled out separately. Silenus is the tutor of the god of fertility, a satyr, who is almost always intoxicated. Sometimesintoxication has a noble shade of an inspired seer who is about to tell people the secret of being, to open his eyes to the secrets of the origin of the Universe. In his songs, Silenus praised the earth, illuminated by the first rays of the heavenly body, clouds that reach the heavenly heights only to fall on their native land with heavy rain, forests with their untouched freshness and the tops of trees dancing to the beat of the wind, a few animals walking along forests and mountains, the beautiful and melodic song of the wild wind.

Strong in fine arts

Silen is not only a mythological character, but also an important part of the applied art of Ancient Greece. On various bas-reliefs belonging to the era of Antiquity, as well as on engraved stones, he was purposely given huge, rough forms in order to once again emphasize the elegance and beauty of Dionysus (in another way he is sometimes called Bacchus), as well as to highlight the lightness and elegance of the forms of the rest of the companions of the god of winemaking: nymphs and satyrs. The state of constant intoxication characteristic of a demigod requires the constant support of his retinue. In the paintings depicting the Bacchic festivities, you can see a heavy figure sitting astride a gray donkey, making every effort not to fall under the weight of the rider - this is Silenus. This once again emphasizes the image of a demigod. Beside him, satyrs invariably march, acting as a support and protecting from falling, surrounding the rather drunk Silenus from two sides.

Strong in sculpture

Manyancient sculptors believed that stone satyrs would be a worthy decoration for the garden. Mythology has many legends associated with them, but the demigod Silenus fell in love with the Greeks a little more. If in painting they liked to portray him as deliberately ugly, then another type of Silenus appears in sculpture. As an educator of the god of winemaking, he had to at least sometimes appear before the people in a decent form. The huge belly and fat folds disappear, intoxication dissipates, and its forms as a whole acquire harmony and nobility. An example is the excellent bronze statue found in Pompeii. It depicts Silenus in a beautiful guise, entertaining the still little Dionysus by playing brass cymbals.