Over the years, Leonardo was often depicted as an iconic bearded philosopher, which was probably based both on reality and on some myth making . A prime example of this is a Vatican fresco by Raphel, the Italian artist who was Leonardo’s young follower. His School of Athens, painted around the time that Leonardo was turning sixty. Depicts two dozen ancient philosophers standing in discourse. At the center is Plato, striding alongside Aristotle (fig.120). Raphael used his contemporaries as models for most of the philosophers and Plato looks to be a depiction of Leonardo. He wears a rose-coloured toga, matching the colorful tunics that Leonardo famously sported. As in the Melzi portrait and others of Leonardo, Plato is balding, with wisps of curly hair on top and curls flowing in waves from the side of his head to his shoulder. There is also the curly beard, coming down to the top of his chest. And he is making a gesture characteristic of Leonardo: his right index finger is pointing up to the heavens. - page 449
6
Fictions and Fantasies
New dangers awaited the gods on Olympus after the death of Socrates in 399 BC. Plato launched an all out attack against them, partly no doubt because traditional ideas about the gods had been instrumental in the death of his teacher. A few decades later, Palto’s own student Aristotle characterized the Olymians as fictions and fantasies. These two philosophers built on the work of the predecessors, including Xenophanes’s criticism of Homer and Hesiod in the sixth century BC. but went far beyond it – in terms of both the depth of their argument and influence of their legacies. . . . . Plato and Aristotle fundamentally shaped the subsequent history of the Olympian gods, although initially their arguments had little effect on how ordinary Greeks treat their deities. ~ Page 77
Loading
4 comments
Dinesh said:
6
Fictions and Fantasies
New dangers awaited the gods on Olympus after the death of Socrates in 399 BC. Plato launched an all out attack against them, partly no doubt because traditional ideas about the gods had been instrumental in the death of his teacher. A few decades later, Palto’s own student Aristotle characterized the Olymians as fictions and fantasies. These two philosophers built on the work of the predecessors, including Xenophanes’s criticism of Homer and Hesiod in the sixth century BC. but went far beyond it – in terms of both the depth of their argument and influence of their legacies. . . . . Plato and Aristotle fundamentally shaped the subsequent history of the Olympian gods, although initially their arguments had little effect on how ordinary Greeks treat their deities. ~ Page 77
LotharW said:
Ecobird said:
Have a good week
Rosalyn Hilborne said: