The article discusses murals found in the House of Jason in Pompeii depicting moments before mythological Greek women's betrayals of their husbands. The murals show Medea before killing her children, Phaedra before her incestuous desire for her stepson, and Helen before eloping with Paris. While these images seem odd in modern homes, the author argues they were influenced by Greek poetry, the cult of Venus, and plays' popularity among Rome's elite. They may also reflect moral debates about women's behavior at the time. The murals thus reflect Greek mythology's importance in Roman art and society.
The article discusses murals found in the House of Jason in Pompeii depicting moments before mythological Greek women's betrayals of their husbands. The murals show Medea before killing her children, Phaedra before her incestuous desire for her stepson, and Helen before eloping with Paris. While these images seem odd in modern homes, the author argues they were influenced by Greek poetry, the cult of Venus, and plays' popularity among Rome's elite. They may also reflect moral debates about women's behavior at the time. The murals thus reflect Greek mythology's importance in Roman art and society.
The article discusses murals found in the House of Jason in Pompeii depicting moments before mythological Greek women's betrayals of their husbands. The murals show Medea before killing her children, Phaedra before her incestuous desire for her stepson, and Helen before eloping with Paris. While these images seem odd in modern homes, the author argues they were influenced by Greek poetry, the cult of Venus, and plays' popularity among Rome's elite. They may also reflect moral debates about women's behavior at the time. The murals thus reflect Greek mythology's importance in Roman art and society.
The article discusses murals found in the House of Jason in Pompeii depicting moments before mythological Greek women's betrayals of their husbands. The murals show Medea before killing her children, Phaedra before her incestuous desire for her stepson, and Helen before eloping with Paris. While these images seem odd in modern homes, the author argues they were influenced by Greek poetry, the cult of Venus, and plays' popularity among Rome's elite. They may also reflect moral debates about women's behavior at the time. The murals thus reflect Greek mythology's importance in Roman art and society.
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Arthist 337 Article Review by Cimone Trout
The Pregnant Moment: Tragic Wives in the Roman Interior
By Bettina Bergmann Article Summary In this article Bettina Bergmann mainly discuses Roman house in which she discusses is called The House of Jason or sometimes The House of the Fatal Loves which is a modest house found in the ruins of Pompeii. It is called the house of Jason after a large panel that was found in most likely the triclinium or the dining room of the house, but since its removal there are only two other rooms with third style murals. The one that Bergmann focuses on is situated to the left of triclinium and can only be access through an antechamber and as one passes through the antechamber the murals in the back room are dramatically revealed. The first image that is reveal as one moves closer to the room is that of Medea, to the left is the image of Phaedra, and then Helen with Paris. She states to these three images are pregnant moments because the three images on the walls of the room, [show] a wife consumed by her passion contemplating violence against men (Bergmann 199). Thus, the moments that are imagined, framed and suspended on these three walls are the moments right before these three notorious mythological Greek women betray their husbands and families. Their betrayals included infanticide which is committed by Medea, incest which is committed by Phaedra. Bergmann asserts that the inclusion of such dramatic moments before these tragic wives commit their betrayals seems odd to include in ones home from a Modern perspective, but it was not an uncommon mural motif that was influenced by several aspects of Roman culture.
Discussion Although she states that no one could really know the intent behind these murals in this room but provides evidence that could explain some theories that influenced the creation of these murals. On page 210, she lists more murals that depict some more images of these tragic women and also groups these women with other Greek mythological women and goddess as well. She explains that this pattern of grouping and listing figures was influenced by Greek poetry which often lists such mythological figures together to create motifs and comparisons. Another possible influence is that the main goddess of Pompeii was Venus and was celebrated as both mother and seductress. The dual nature of this goddess of love also reflects the roman perspective of love as dual natured and would potentially view these tragic women as passionate examples of the consuming power of love. Also these three stories were very popular plays and those who sat closest to the stage in Augustan theaters were often rich and powerful, and so this room would have been impressive because it created a fiction of elite status (212). Lastly, she states that these murals were painted in 10 C.E., a time period were there was much moral reform and those that were upper-class women were held more accountable for their actions then the middle and lower class women. This caused upper*All Greek Figures and Terms Referenced from the Oxford Classical Dictionary
Arthist 337 Article Review by Cimone Trout
class women to often disguise themselves as actresses and prostitutes in order to get away with actions not appropriate for an upper-class women to do. So Bergmann states that these murals could potentially, reflect the current preoccupation with the hypocritical behavior of private life (211). Overall, these paintings reflect the importance of Greek mythology, theatre, architectural drama on roman domestic murals.
Terms to Know Medea- Magical woman who falls in love with Jason and helps him retrieve the Golden Fleece. As told by Euripides, later Jason leaves her for another woman and she kills their children and his new lover in revenge. Euripides- A famous Greek writer that was thought to have been born in 480 B.C.E. He is best known for his plays and wrote about 90 plays including Medea. Phaedra- Daughter of King Minos and eventually betrayed wife of Theseus and some stories say she then falls in love with her stepsons and commits suicide. Triclinium- dining room in Roman home Antechamber- a room that leads to another room
Images of the House of Jason
Phaedra and Paris
Medea
Helen
Bibliography of References: Bergmann, B. (1996). The Pregnant Moment: Tragic wives in the Roman Interior. In N. Kampen (Ed.), Sexuality in Ancient Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. In Hornblower, S., In Spawforth, A., & In Eidinow, E. (2012). The Oxford classical dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. *All Greek Figures and Terms Referenced from the Oxford Classical Dictionary
Arthist 337 Article Review by Cimone Trout
Kleiner, F. (2010). A History of Roman Art Enhanced Edition. Victoria: Thomson/Wadsworth.
*All Greek Figures and Terms Referenced from the Oxford Classical Dictionary
