In ancient Greece, the female body was evaluated according to parameters that were close to modern. Beauty was considered one of the highest manifestations of the generosity of the gods - beautiful people, both women and men, enjoyed no less reverence and popularity than a statesman or famous commander. There was a special layer in society, which was made up of the most beautiful people - they were respectable and respected inspirers of creative people and poets. Songs, poems were dedicated to them, sculptors created statues from them.
Mathematical beauty
The ancient Greeks had a special love for mathematics and geometry, which is why absolutely all the beauty parameters of Greek women (and not only them) were accurately expressed in terms of proportions. However, sculptors and artists developed their own modules and canons, which were used to create their creations.
Beauty and Ethics
It should be noted that in ancient Greece it was forbidden to depict a completely naked female body - it was believed that this degrades the dignity of a woman and looks obscene. That is why many sculptures were covered with design elements carved from stone (parts of clothing and imitation of fabric drapery, etc.) and were only partially exposed. Aphrodite Praxiteleus and Aphrodite of Milos remain very rare exceptions to the rule. The authors of these sculptures managed to escape the condemnation of society: so that these creations of art did not have a bad reputation, the sculptors depicted women during the preparation for bathing.
Women in Greek Mythology
The primacy and past greatness of the feminine can be judged by such images of Greek mythology as Summer, Athena, Hera and Aphrodite.
With the emergence of the cult of the goddess of love, a leap in the development of art takes place: in ancient Greece, attention is drawn to the image of a naked body in sculpture, frescoes and paintings. At the initial stage, the goddess Aphrodite differed from the other gods of the Greek pantheon in that she was depicted absolutely naked. She was a beautiful girl with long hair, like liquid gold, with delicate and delicate facial features and emerald-colored eyes. In addition, she had eternal youth and was graceful and graceful, like a doe.
Aphrodite
Since the period of Ancient Greece, there is one story of the creation of a sculpture of the goddess of love and beauty - Aphrodite. Praxiteles, one of the most talented creators of elegant statues of the human body, created it in the image of his beloved. For this, he was summoned to court and accused of sacrilege, since according to the laws of that time it was forbidden to depict gods from human images, and even more so - to carry out associations with the goddess through a mortal woman. It was believed that the gods could be angry with people for such oversights and in anger destroy everyone who lives in the city.
In his defense, Praxiteles brought Frina, his beloved, with him to court. Taking off her clothes in front of everyone present, the sculptor asked why they believed that her body was not divine and what were its flaws? Convinced of the beauty of the body of Fryna, the judges could not pick up the arguments and were forced to give the master freedom.
Beauty standards for men
The concept of attractiveness in men of ancient Greece was also clearly formulated. The fit, athletic body was held in high esteem because the Greeks were committed to a healthy lifestyle. The gods of Olympus were an example of imitation for them - they were initially considered an ideal that had to be achieved. It was customary for young people to wear long wavy hair, tied with a silk ribbon or hoop, and cleanly shave their face. As they matured, men were allowed to grow a beard, and their hairstyle became shorter.
The ideal of beauty for Greek women
As already mentioned, the ideal of attractiveness in the period of antiquity was a sports, absolutely proportional body. For a Greek woman, her large unfolded shoulders, growth, slightly widened pelvis, hornet waist, slim legs and a flat, taut belly were a big advantage. The combination of a high forehead, blue eyes and blond hair was considered very beautiful. The nose of Greek women was supposed to be straight with a small hump. Under this description is a statue of Aphrodite of Milos. She personified the highest natural perfection and was the ideal of beauty. The sculpture depicts a slender girl with a graceful posture. Her height is 164 cm, and the volumes of the hips, waist and chest, respectively, are 86, 69 and 93 cm.
Face beauty
The proportionality and symmetry of the face was given great importance. The perfect face could be conditionally divided into three identical parts along the lines of the eyebrows and the tip of the nose. As already mentioned, blue-eyed blondes with hair that climbed into a low-set but elegant bun were considered beautiful.
Greek profile
The Greek profile is a special interpretation of the profile of a person’s face, which is part of the canon of sculpture of Ancient Greece of the Hellenistic and Classical eras. It is also one of the most important characteristics of the attractiveness of that period.
A distinctive feature is the line of the nose, which directly passes into the forehead with almost no nose bridge. If a helmet is put on his head, then this line merges with it too. A relatively heavy chin is also noted.
It is extremely difficult in real life to meet people with a similar appearance, even among modern Greeks. General type: high compact nose, developed cheekbones, rectangular eye sockets, narrow tray under the nose, rectangular face. Using the expression “Greek profile” in spoken language to describe someone’s beauty is not true, because in fact people usually just want to express admiration for the clean lines of the profile of the person they describe. It is worth noting that the "Greek profile" is not synonymous with "long nose", to think so is a common mistake.
Analyzing the Greek profile, Hegel comes to the conclusion that the bestial features that are inherent in the head are smoothed out in it: cheekbones, chewing muscles, a mouth reminiscent of human physiology, and, conversely, emphasis is placed on traits that indicate mental activity, First of all, it’s a beautiful forehead. In such a person, the proportions of which are in perfect harmony, usually not a very high forehead gets an expression of a stubborn concentration of mind and firmness, testifying to the high virtues of a person.
As for the female face, according to the main canons that determine the idea of beauty, it was considered beautiful if the Greek woman had a straight nose and eyes wide open and large, the distance between them should not be less than the size of one eye. Big eyes were skillfully accentuated by rounded arches of eyebrows. All this had to be framed by straight lines of the chin, nose and a low forehead. The hair was not trimmed, but was laid in a neat haircut tied with silk ribbon on the back of the head.
Greek diet
Greek women appearance paid great attention. It is known that they have a special passion for food, so it is not surprising that they possessed magnificent figures. However, in order for the forms to be exactly seductive, similar in shape to an hourglass, Greek women try to monitor their diet. That is why Greek women in the photo look so harmonious. Among the national Greek dishes, you can notice many recipes from meat, fish and vegetables. No wonder Greek women are beautiful. Throughout the world, nutritionists have repeatedly paid attention to the fact that Greek cuisine is an example of separate nutrition: here, eggplant is baked with potatoes, cheese is eaten with tomatoes, and meat and fish are eaten separately from each other and without a side dish.
Greek character
The women of Greece (and not only they, by the way, men too) are bright individualists who have their own outlook on this life and are not afraid to oppose society to its opinion. They have a habit of upholding only their personal interests and, most often, they are neutral in their attitude to cultural, economic and political events that do not affect their personal world.
What certainly no Greek will tolerate is an attempt on the freedom of his country and his personal freedom. This is not surprising, since the worship of democracy is in the blood of modern residents of Hellas. If there is the slightest hint of infringement of his rights, the Greek population may turn into a formidable force, which is ready to rush to the enemy.
Another typical Greek trait is pronounced emotionality. To express their feelings, the Greeks do not see the need for half measures. If they cry, then sob, and if they laugh, then from the heart. Even the famous steadfastness and thoughtfulness of Greek fishermen is only a confirmation of this feature of their character, since only very emotional people can immerse themselves in their inner world with the same passion with which they indulge in fun and joy at the wedding of their own daughter.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the famous Greek hospitality, erected by the Greeks themselves to the rank of a national tradition revered with particular trepidation. Arriving in Greece, you will encounter this at almost every step. The waiters with great pleasure and pleasure will explain to you what dishes the chef especially managed to cook today, sellers will receive your order with a polite and kind smile in the store, and hotel staff will surround you with attention and real home care. If in Greece you have business partners or friends, and you need to come to visit them - get ready for a meeting, in comparison with which even the much-praised Russian hospitality will fade. It will not be just an ordinary dinner, but a real feast, where tables will be choked with delicious dishes, wine will flow like a river, and there will be no end to the songs and dances.
It is very funny that also in the Greek character two more completely opposite features are harmoniously combined with each other: the famous business acumen of the Greeks and the equally famous Greek piety.
Greek clothes
The ancient Greeks not only achieved great success in various fields of culture, but also succeeded in dressing well: it was they who first came to the idea that people in their splendor are like gods, and the human body is a mirror reflecting the ideals of the universe.
The main elements of the national costume in Ancient Greece were: the hematium, which is a cloak that was draped to emphasize the figure, and the tunic, which was underwear. Based on the moral requirements of that era, clothing for Greek women was longer than men's clothing and covered almost the entire body. It also consisted of hematium and tunic, but was much more colorful and brighter. However, the Greeks were not welcome to wear colorful clothes. To make the monochrome outfit more interesting, it was decorated with elaborate ornaments and embroidery.
Today, Greek-style clothing for women is not only part of the country's history, but also an inspiration for designers and fashion designers from around the world to create creations of modern fashionable art that attract fashionistas with their elegance and lightness.