The Abduction of Europa - Essay Example

? Abduction Of Europa The Abduction of Europa The Roman mosaic of the abduction of Europa is at the National Museum of Beiruit.It is thought that the mosaic was discovered at a Roman Villa in 1939. The abduction of Europa mosaic is tremendously popular and has widely spread in Italy and Africa. The mosaic was transferred, from its original location and the restored has lost tesserae. This has affected the overall sparkle and outcome of the beautiful piece of art. The focus on Europa and Zeus is still significant. This mosaic makes one wonder and is curious about a relationship between a bull and an attractive princess to a person of today (Apollodorus & Hard, 1999, p.59). Europa was a Phoenician princess, and her father was Agenor king of Tyre. Sister of Kadmos, and the mother of Minos and Rhadamanthys, judges of the afterlife in the underworld (Hard & Rose, 2004, p.175). The creation of the methodological story on the shores of Tyre is evidence that the Phoenician civilization was noted in the 9th Century B.C. The myth states that Zeus came to tempt Europa, the Phoenician princess and was in the form of a white bull. Zeus spied on her as she gathered flowers from a meadow by the sea. Europa was approached by the finest looking bull that she caressed and kissed. She climbed the bull’s back and carried off to Crete where he revealed his identity (Nock, 2007, p 256). “He moved among the cows, more beautiful than they or other bulls, he strolled spring grasses, white southern rains or footprint on at his neck and silvered dewlaps hanging, horns as white as if a sculptor’s hand had cut them out of pearl. No one feared his gaze; forehead and eyes were gracefully begun, Agneor’s daughter gazed at him in wonder” (Ovid). Zeus and Europa are surrounded by a frame. That was prepared with gold colored pieces of stone, in the shape of triangles, beige pieces that are the background color, headed to the outside and finally a thin edge of dark, gray black pieces. They stand out and placed higher up and towards the right thus an excellent standards and adding motion to the mosaic. A related but larger margin surrounds a large geometric structure of stones gathering circles close to each other. When observed one can observe that each circle was created of four petal. Shaped gray forms and within the circles are figures, engulfing smaller circular beige stones. Every four neighboring petals of two semi circles surround on a square slab of dark brown color. The complicated pattern is there to shed light on the truly on the amazing scene in the frame: the swiftness of the bull while carrying Europa, on his back was portrayed through the emblem within the mosaic. A high amount of energy was exposed as they seem to be flying or about to run off. Zeus has crescent shaped horns, front hoofs and tail in the air. Europa’s shawl is flowing in the wind thus forming the shape of a crescent because she is the moon goddess. There is marked features such as Zeus’ red eyes that stand out and seem to look straight, whereas Europa appears to be staring into space apathetic and relaxed. Europa, the Phoenician princess who is barefoot, wears a one shoulder flowing white robe, which covers her left shoulder. A golden tiara lies on her dark brown hair which flows loosely down her shoulder in two braids. Europa’s left hand holds a piece of garment that wraps around her thighs, and back then it flows backward into the air. The bull's neck is surrounding by a kind of white rope, and holds it by the mouth, which Europa is holding it in her right hand. The latter is the object that is perhaps keeping Europa from falling off the back of the bull. We see her face expressing sorrow and concern, at the same time accompanied by power and courage her sitting position depicts her being relaxed, but her expressions reveal her alertness. Zeus seems to be thrilled although his wide opened left eye filled by anger and cruelty. Europa is attentive to where they are headed, but the bull is not because his neck is turned to the left a bit yet captivated by his new territory. The bull’s forelegs may have being arched showing that he is leaping ahead or running, whereas part of his hind legs are not depicted in the mosaic. The bull seems to be realistically alive and in motion, but the hooves are somehow, excessively separated into two halves. The lower part of the mosaic in the frame is of light gray color which might represent the color of the sea where Europa was kidnapped by Zeus. The theme of power and desire are symbolized whereas Europa is seated slanting on the bull’s back holding on to a rope wrapped around her neck. Europa has one finger released and is somewhat without her dress is sliding off her shoulder, hence showing that she has limited control over Zeus. The earth colors used may signify the change in location of land as Europa moves towards Crete. The abduction of Europa mosaic is mostly images formed by small colored stone or tessera affixed to a hard, stable surface by pushing the tessera into a thin layer of lime mortar.  Dunbabin described mosaics as being among the most long-lasting forms of ornamental pieces of designs that have survived ancient times thus stressing the importance of expressing the abduction of Europa. The mosaic fashion and manner is a melting pot of diverse cultures influences, but, mosaics appeared first in the Greek world. The earliest in Greece belong to the late 5th century B.C.In the mosaic of the abduction of Europa we learn it is composed by tesserae which developed in the Hellenistic period between the 3rd and 2nd century B.C.Which was adopted in Rome and Italy, and spread throughout the Roman Empire the following centuries. From the 1st century B.C onwards, mosaics became widely popular in decoration of homes and growth as a popular art used throughout the Roman period called “opustessalltum”. Europa later changed her name to Europe which name of the continent of Europe. The abduction of Europa mosaic   was found as an interior architectural decoration in a Roman villa in Byblos. Byblos is thought to have being subjected to numerous contacts with the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. All these cultures contributed to the development of the mosaic, resulting in the myth of Europa depicted on a mosaic. Only the Greeks and Phoenician colonies along the Mediterranean coast would have the status of urban culture, the knowledge of traditions of interior decoration, required for the commissioning of mosaics. The Phoenician mosaic is a form of tesserae set in mortar which was prevalent in Sicily and Italy; it is significant because Greece, Italy and Sicily were influenced by pictorial mosaics of Hellenistic type. The Roman Empire adopted the mosaic style and influenced the Greek and Phoenicians. When they expanded through, Italy and Sicily during the 3rd century B.C, and destroyed Carthage, bringing them together into contact with a pictorial mosaic tradition, I originating from the Greek world but also with the traditional mortar pavements. It is in Modern Greek coins that are Cyprus 50 cents of 1994. Which depicts the abduction of Europa, from Phoenician, to Crete by Zeus, transfigured into a bull in scripted “King Timocharis” in cyprosyllabic? King Timocharis was a king in Cyprus the Kingdom of Marion around the 4th century BC. The text was used by Cyprus because it was believed that Europa and Zeus must have visited Cyprus because it is on the path between Phoenicia and Crete. Beirut was declared the enriching capital of the Middle East by France which commemorated a stamp that had the picture of the abduction of Europa. The past relationship between Europe and the Phoenicians were symbolized in the abduction of Europa. Poets like Ovid, Moschos and Homer whom wrote about Europa but slightly changed the slogan thus resulting to change of artistic depiction. The blending of the Greek, Phoenician and Roman, elements in the painting of the abduction of Europa is present. The Phoenician sellers and navigators, the Greek myth and the Roman Empires game and conquer of other cultures all played a role to different forms of expression of the abduction of Europa. Zeus as a bull can still be seen shinning in the Taurus gathering and is a recognized myth today, Europa` the Phoenician princess name as the name of the continent Europe far much later. Reference: Hard, R. & Rose, H. J. 2004. Handbook of Greek mythology. London: Routledge publishers. Hard, R & Apollodorus. 1999. The library of Greek mythology. New York: Oxford University Press. Hunt, P. 2006. The abduction of Europa. Journal of the Associates of the Stanford University Libraries, 14, 18 – 21. Nock, J. 2007. A Year Round Guide to Spells, Rituals, and Holiday Celebrations. Massachusetts: Adam media publisher. Johnston, D.E. 2002.Discovering Roman Britain. Oxford: Osprey publishers Association, B. A. 1999. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 144, 18-22. Read More