thersites. Journal for Transcultural Presences and Diachronic Identities from Antiquity to Date
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The different faces of the Lernaean Hydra in contemporary pop culture: from cinema to video games
Full text linkThe Lernaean Hydra is one of the most famous ancient mon-sters. As the opponent in second of the labours of Herakles, it has known a great success through reception since Antiquity. Through the centuries, the monster has known many evolutions: for example, it has grown horns and legs, some-times it even breathes fire! In this article, we will see how this mythological figure manifests itself in recent pop culture, es-pecially in the movies and video games, as well as why and how it has evolved
El uso de motivos clásicos en la publicidad durante el Franquismo en Cataluña (1939-1975): el semanario Destino
Full text linkAbstract: the aim of this paper is to analyse the classical reception in Catalonia during Francoist period by means of the analysis of the advertisements in the journal Destino. We have three main objectives: 1) to establish a link between publicity and the different economic periods of Franco’s regime, 2) to study the classical reception in modern times through the publicity and 3) to analyse this classical reception with the traditional values of Catalan bourgeoisie. Key words: reception, classicism, Francoism, Destin
Homeric Hipsters
Full text linkThis paper investigates the use of Ancient Greek imagery in the marketing of male grooming products. Based on a case study of the cosmetics brand HOMMER, the paper analyses how elements such as scent and product ingredients combined with a visual profile and storytelling, provide consumers with elements for an experientially based identity creation. Based on psychological and archaeological theory, the athour argues that the intersection between product, advertising and consumer constitutes a play with identity and the potential for multisensory "time travel." By identifying the elements of a product poster, the visual narrative of a single product, a beard wipe, is shown to contain all the elements of the dominant Modern Greek national narrative and more, tying Greek notions of ancient and modern history to anglo-saxon sailor symbolism and the Neo-hipster phenomenon
Advertising Antiquity. Introduction
Full text linkThis is the introduction to the issue Advertising Antiquity. The contribution offers an overview of theoretical and methodological approaches to advertising as an encoded system of communication that can be studied from multiple angles and fields. The text looks at the social and cultural impact of advertising on modern societies, as well as at its different uses of the past and, specifically, of Classical Antiquity in connection to modern values, aspirations and identities. The introduction also includes a comparative insight into ancient forms of political and commercial advertising and provides a summary of the content of the issue and of themes and trends drawn in the individual contributions
Battling the Gods: An Interview with the Creators of "Apotheon" (2015)
Full text linkIn 2015, Alientrap Games, a small, independent game studio based in Toronto, released the video game "Apotheo"n for Windows/PC, Mac OS X, Linux, and PlayStation 4. Apotheon is a visually striking side-scrolling action-adventure game, in which the player takes on the role of an ancient Greek hero fighting against Olympian deities. As Nikandreos, his mission is to wrest divine powers from the Gods, in the process becoming a deity himself. "Apotheon"’s striking individuality in visuals and narrative is the result of a close collaboration between the studio and independent agents. This interview with Creative Director Jesse McGibney, classical scholar and mythological consultant Maciej Paprocki, and composer Marios Aristopoulos offers a look behind the scenes of the 2015 sleeper hit.
On show and on the go: The advertising language of Athenian pottery
Full text linkIn this paper, I discuss the surfaces of a fragmentary kylix at the University of Reading to highlight how the Leafless Group (ca. 510 - 480 BCE) was distinct from the Haimon Group, another large-scale producer of black-figured ceramics. With its distinctiveness, the Leafless Group defined and defended its brand, as well as its place in the vase market. Although the kylix bears figural decoration, a satyr and the eye motif, which may both point to the realm of the wine god Dionysos, here I have not treated these either as components of a pictorial narrative or as semiotic units that served the pot’s symbolism. Instead, I have understood the two images, regardless of whether or not they inter-related, as integral aspects of the pot’s visual impact, and of potters’ and painters’ efforts to brand their product in such a way that it made references both to the workshop (and its business model) and to other earlier and contemporary Athenian figured wares
Der digitale Furor Teutonicus. Zur Rezeption von Germanenbildern im Videospiel am Beispiel von Total War Rome II.
Full text linkABSTRACT (English)
The paper deals with the reception of the ancient Teutons in the modern video games. Espe-cially using the example of Total War: Rome II, there will be shown which images, ideas and sources about Teutons found their echo in this medium. This is by no means confined to an investigation of historical accuracy. Rather, the functions and the effects of the ancient mind-set in the used virtual creation and simulation of antiquity will be determined. Thus, the article shows that the Teutons and other peoples associated with the barbarian issue are systematical-ly used to model the classical characteristics of the Romans and Hellenes. In this sense, they are used as a vehicle to authentically shape modern ideas about Greco-Roman antiquity in video games and to produce an affective historicity.
ABSTRACT (German)
Der Beitrag behandelt die Rezeption der antiken Germanen im modernen Videospiel. Vor allem am Beispiel des Titels Total War: Rome II wird herausgearbeitet, welche Bilder, Ideen und Quellen zu Germanen ihr Echo in diesem Medium finden. Keineswegs beschränkt sich dies auf eine Untersuchung der historischen Akkuratesse. Vielmehr werden die Funktionen und die Wirkung des verwendeten altertümlichen Gedankengutes bei der virtuellen Kreation und Simulation der Antike eruiert. So wird in dem Artikel aufgezeigt, dass die Germanen und andere dem Barbarensujet zugeordnete Völker systematisch genutzt werden, um klassische Charakteristika der Römer und Hellenen zu modellieren. In diesem Sinne werden sie als Vehi-kel verwendet, um moderne Vorstellungen über das griechisch-römische Altertum im Video-spiel authentisch zu gestalten und eine affektive Historizität zu produzieren
