Greek standards of beauty

[guy]

 

Standards of beauty have changed over the millennia.

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Hera is described [in Homer’s Iliad] as “cow-eyed,” an epithet that may seem insulting today, but was highly complimentary in antiquity. it referred to those large, round brown eyes with rows of thick eyelashes that are more common than a blue eye, yet were just as striking, in ancient Greece.

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Depictions of Aphrodite, goddess of love, with a distinct pouch of fat on her lower stomach and larger hips that were not totally rounded. Until very recently, having extra fat was considered extremely attractive on a woman, as it served as an indication of her class.

Helen of Troy (formerly of Sparta) was unusual in her appearance and beauty, however:

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Helen of Troy, considered the most beautiful woman in the world, was fair, with long, golden-red hair and blue eyes, according to the ancient Greek poets.Some scholars have posited that the descriptor of blondish-red or reddish-blonde hair may not refer to the strawberry blonde hue that we think of today. Rather, it may refer to a light-brown color that glimmers golden red in the Mediterranean sunlight.

The elite women prized long hair, often braided Into intricate styles. They would wear wigs if they lacked long hair. Long hair, however, may have also been a sign of class:

 

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“Slave women and women of the lower classes were not permitted to have long hair, and often had their hair cut very short”

 

https://greekreporter.com/2021/11/13/ancient-greek-beauty-standards-beautiful-greece/

Here is a previous thread on the subject:

 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by guy