More than 100 statues, vases, reliefs, bronzes and pieces of jewelry made between the sixth and first centuries BC illustrate the lives of Greek heroes in an exhibition at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville.
On display Jan. 29 through April 25, “Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece” explores the human need for heroes. Chronicled are the tasks, adversaries, challenges, failures and private moments of Greek heroes. Both mythological figures, among them Herakles, Achilles, Odysseus and Helen of Troy, as well as moral heroes such as Alexander the Great are depicted.
In contemporary society, the word hero means something quite different than it did in ancient times. To the Greeks, the lives and deaths of heroes could be quite different from one another, but all were believed to have supernatural powers they could use for good or evil after their deaths. These heroes continue to exist, even after death, and were worshiped through rituals and offerings.
“Heroes” is divided into three sections. The first, Mythological Heroes, explores the life cycle of Achilles, Herakles, Odysseus and Helen of Troy.
The second part, Worship of Heroes, includes installations and al large-scale photo mural of Messene, which allows visitors to experience the sites and monuments where mortals worshiped their heroes.
The final section, Emulation: Heroes as Role Models, examines the criteria necessary for a human to become a hero after his or her death.
The exhibition comes to Nashville from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Md.
The Frist, 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday; and 1-5:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for seniors, military and students; and free for visitors 18 and under. Call 244-3340.