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Distributed for Karolinum Press, Charles University

Greek Gods in the East

Hellenistic Iconographic Schemes in Central Asia

 
In Greek Gods in the East, Ladislav Stanco explores the exportation of religious imagery and themes from the Hellenistic Mediterranean to Gandhara, today in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Bactria, present-day Uzbekistan. As Stanco shows clearly and effectively, while Eastern cultures borrowed heavily from the iconography of Greek mythology, they also adapted and amended images and stories to reflect their own tastes and ideas over the centuries. This volume includes over three hundred images and presents an important comparative study for art historians and scholars of ancient history.  

383 line drawings, 9 graphs | © 2012

Ancient Studies


Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction
    1.1 Definition of the subject
    1.2 Political continuity
    1.3 A note on Kushan chronology
2. An iconographic analysis of the Hellenistic subjects in the art of Gandhara, Bactria and the adjoining areas of the Kushan Empire
    2.1 General remarks
    2.2 Greek mythological figures in the east
          Adonis
          Aphrodite
          Apollo
          Ares
          Artemis
          Athena
          Atlantes
          Centaur
          Cybele
          Demeter
          Dionysus
          Dioscuri
          Eros/Cupids
          Harpocrates
          Helios
          Heracles
          Hermes
          Nereids
          Nike
          Poseidon
          River gods
          Sarapis
          Tyche/City goddess
          Zeus
    2.3 Other schemes of Greek origin
           Various themes
          Drinking, dancing and erotic scenes
    2.4 Greek deities identified with Iranian or Indian ones
          Tyche-Hariti-Ardokhsho-Lakshmi
          Heracles-Vajrapani
          Pharro/Panchika/Hermes
          Shiva–Vesho–Veshparkar with attributes of Poseidon, Zeus and Heracles
3.Conclusions
4. Bibliography

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