The Moral Mirror of Roman Art

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Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2008-05-12
Publisher(s): Cambridge University Press
List Price: $127.00

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Summary

This interdisciplinary study explores the meanings of mirrors and reflections in Roman art and society. When used as metaphors in Roman visual and literary discourses, mirrors had a strongly moral force, reflecting not random reality but rather a carefully filtered imagery with a didactic message. Focusing on examples found in mythical narrative, religious devotion, social interaction, and gender relations, Rabun Taylor demonstrates that reflections served as powerful symbols of personal change. Thus, in both art and literature, a reflection may be present during moments of a protagonist's inner or outer transformation.

Table of Contents

List of Figuresp. ix
Acknowledgmentsp. xiii
Introductionp. 1
Queynte Miroursp. 1
Mirrors as Metaphor in Antiquityp. 6
Reflections in Real Lifep. 9
The Literaturep. 14
The Roman Viewerp. 17
The Teaching Mirrorp. 19
The Mirror and Masculinityp. 19
Minerva, Marsyas, and Gendered Standards of Performancep. 26
Active Passivity: The Performative Mirror of Womanp. 32
The Mirror of Venusp. 39
The Dove and the Partridgep. 47
Mirrors Mortal and Morbid: Narcissus and Hermaphroditusp. 56
Narcissus in Roman Literaturep. 56
Narcissus in Roman Artp. 56
Pathological Reflexivity 1: The Allure of the Feminine Reflectionp. 71
Pathological Reflexivity 2: Hermaphroditusp. 77
Involving the Viewer: Reflections on Actaeonp. 86
Conclusionp. 88
The Mirror of Dionysusp. 90
Amphibious Dionysusp. 94
The Orphic Zagreusp. 95
Mechanisms of Transformation 1: An Apulian Trendp. 99
Mechanisms of Transformation 2: Other Italian Evidencep. 108
Lamination: Pre-Roman Precedentsp. 121
The Mirror and the Maskp. 126
Conclusionp. 134
The Mirroring Shield of Achillesp. 137
The Shield of Lamachosp. 139
The Alexander Mosaicp. 140
Achilles on Skyrosp. 143
Thetisp. 152
Boscorealep. 158
"Look Behind You": The Relamination of the Shield-Mirrorp. 165
Conclusionp. 167
The Mirroring Shield of Perseusp. 169
Freudp. 172
Perseus, Andromeda, and the Mirrorp. 173
The Reflexive Evil Eye: Was Medusa a Victim of Her Own Gaze?p. 182
Two Kinds of Invisibilityp. 188
The Mask on the Shieldp. 193
Conclusionp. 197
Appendix: Medusa And The Evil Eyep. 203
Notesp. 207
Bibliographyp. 241
Indexp. 259
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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