Making Objects Speak » The Ancient World

The World of Augustus and Virgil

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 19:50:00 +0000

This audio tour through some of the Ancient Roman Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum emphasizes the imagery used by Augustus Caesar to consolidate his control over the new Roman Empire. So it works well with the political aspect of Virgil’s Aeneid: Aeneas’ destiny is to found Rome, and in Book 6 of the poem, he watches a veritable parade of illustrious future Romans, among whom is Augustus. Also, the moral qualities that Caesar espoused for citizens of Rome are epitomized in Aeneas, and Virgil imagines Augustus as the new Aeneas. In addition, Caesar’s emphasis on children and his own tragic loss of his grandsons also relate to the inherent sadness of the Aeneid, in which so many beautiful young people must die to make way for Aeneas’ destiny. This dual nature of the poem is thus well served by the tour experience.

The World of Homer, The Iliad

admin — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:55:23 +0000

This audio tour through the Ancient Greek Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum is keyed to study of The Iliad. By focusing on objects embodying or displaying ancient Greek values and cultural practices, the tour helps students better understand Homer’s poem. For example, elaborate funeral monuments show the Greek desire to honor the dead (Iliad 23) and ancient armor helps students imagine Greek battle scenes. On this tours students can also see objects that illustrate, exemplify, or embody the Greek gods, warfare, the mythical past, the importance of honor and fame, and the high value placed on poetry and song. Short, relevant passages from The Iliad are read aloud to make the connections to the poem even clearer.

The World of Homer, The Odyssey

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:49:23 +0000

This audio tour through the Ancient Greek Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum is keyed to study of The Odyssey. By focusing on objects embodying or displaying ancient Greek values and cultural practices, the tour helps students better understand Homer’s poem. For example, vase paintings of women getting married or weaving correlate with depictions of Nausicaa or Penelope in The Odyssey. On this tour students can also see objects that illustrate, exemplify, or embody the Greek gods, warfare, the mythical past, the importance of honor and fame, the nature of ancient armor, and the high value placed on poetry and song. Short, relevant passages from The Odyssey are read aloud to make the connections to the poems even clearer.