Both the shell and the apple are attributes of Aphrodite (or Venus) and, therefore, erotic symbols for the ancient Greeks and Romans (*). One possible motivation for this symbolism is the morphological similarity of the shell with the female genitals and breasts apple. Thus, in English America, "shell" is an obscene term, so the speaking Latinos are really shocked when they hear so often in Spain this term as a proper name of a woman, in the English of Spain, shell does not have obscene connotations, but "clam". For its part, is not very often that we call "blocks" the breasts of women in English: prefer, I'm not sure why, "pears." In this post we focus on the apple (malum Latin, Greek μῆλον ) as an erotic symbol.
In Latin and Greek, "throwing apples to someone" (usually a girl) is equivalent to declaring love. In Latin they say petere quandam Malis, and the expression would equivalent to our "throw a pass at someone" (the origin, by the way, I know). On the other hand, the apple as erotic symbol is quite important in some mythic episodes from classical mythology, in which I will not stop now: the Hippomenes and Atalanta, that of Aconcio and Cydippe, and the Judgement of Paris, where appears the famous apple of Discord (on the Judgement of Paris itself told something here, and in the Rubens apple can be seen in the hand of Mercury).
remember now I am interested in the use of the apple as a symbol of ephemeral beauty in the context of literary topic carpe diem. What I have evoked this topic is an interesting video viewing, "Rotting apple" ("apple rotting") circulating on the Internet and displays the ravages that the mere passage of time brings in a fresh and tasty apple
is not unreasonable to see in this video a parable of human life (and, specifically, female beauty) is a rather ephemeral, like the freshness of the apple. Well, I tracked if the block was documented in relation to the topic of carpe diem in classical literature. As you may recall, the reason for carpe diem enjoy urges youth and beauty, before it is prevented Over time, the arrival of old age and death. Usually the topic of carpe diem presented with images and parallel plant belonging to the field: thus, is often compared with the ephemeral beauty of flowers, roses, crops, vegetables. I found two epigrams (short poems written in elegiac couplets) in which the lyrical subject uses just the mention of the apple as a parallel of ephemeral beauty, in order to convince the addressee of the poem to reflect their love and take the bloom youth. Both epigrams belong to Book V of the Palatine Anthology , and are attributed (probably unfounded) to himself Plato, the philosopher
In Latin and Greek, "throwing apples to someone" (usually a girl) is equivalent to declaring love. In Latin they say petere quandam Malis, and the expression would equivalent to our "throw a pass at someone" (the origin, by the way, I know). On the other hand, the apple as erotic symbol is quite important in some mythic episodes from classical mythology, in which I will not stop now: the Hippomenes and Atalanta, that of Aconcio and Cydippe, and the Judgement of Paris, where appears the famous apple of Discord (on the Judgement of Paris itself told something here, and in the Rubens apple can be seen in the hand of Mercury).
remember now I am interested in the use of the apple as a symbol of ephemeral beauty in the context of literary topic carpe diem. What I have evoked this topic is an interesting video viewing, "Rotting apple" ("apple rotting") circulating on the Internet and displays the ravages that the mere passage of time brings in a fresh and tasty apple
is not unreasonable to see in this video a parable of human life (and, specifically, female beauty) is a rather ephemeral, like the freshness of the apple. Well, I tracked if the block was documented in relation to the topic of carpe diem in classical literature. As you may recall, the reason for carpe diem enjoy urges youth and beauty, before it is prevented Over time, the arrival of old age and death. Usually the topic of carpe diem presented with images and parallel plant belonging to the field: thus, is often compared with the ephemeral beauty of flowers, roses, crops, vegetables. I found two epigrams (short poems written in elegiac couplets) in which the lyrical subject uses just the mention of the apple as a parallel of ephemeral beauty, in order to convince the addressee of the poem to reflect their love and take the bloom youth. Both epigrams belong to Book V of the Palatine Anthology , and are attributed (probably unfounded) to himself Plato, the philosopher
AP V 79:
Τῷ μήλῳ βάλλω σε · σὺ δ 'εἰ μὲν ἑκοῦσα φιλεῖς με,
δεξαμένη τῆς σῆς παρθενίης μετάδος.
εἰ δ 'ἄρ' ὃ μὴ γίγνοιτο, νοεῖς, τοῦτ ' αὐτὸ λαβοῦσα
σκέψαι τὴν ὥρην ὡς ὀλιγοχρόνιος.
you throw an apple and you, if you agree to love, accept it and give me
return your virginity.
But if you think I wish I did not think, just take it
and reflects what is fleeting youth.
AP V 80:
Μῆλον ἐγώ βάλλει με φιλῶν · σέ τις. ἀλλ 'ἐπίνευσον,
Ξανθίππη · κἀγὼ καὶ σὺ μαραινόμεθα.
"I'm an apple who loves you release me. Then say yes,
Xanthippe: I, like you, we wilt."
I think the two epigrams are detailed comments on the meaning of the video. Or, put another way, the video is a graphic illustration, modern, two ancient poems. There are very few things I did not think the classics before us. Health and eat all apples ("an apple a day, Keeps the doctor away").
(*) can be viewed online , here, an excellent article on the subject: Antonio Ruiz de Elvira, "The shell of Venus and the apple of discord", Journal of Philology : Latino Studies 1 (2001), pp. 237-244.
Technorati tags: Classical Tradition , apple , Plato
(*) can be viewed online , here, an excellent article on the subject: Antonio Ruiz de Elvira, "The shell of Venus and the apple of discord", Journal of Philology : Latino Studies 1 (2001), pp. 237-244.
Technorati tags: Classical Tradition , apple , Plato
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