Chimera of Arezzo, Etruscan (400 B.C.)

I. IDENTIFIERS

Artist/Attribution: Etruscan

Date: 400 B.C

Medium: Hollow-cast bronze via the lost-wax process

Location: National Archaeological Museum, Florence, Italy

Culture/Period: Classical Etruscan

II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Around 400 B.C., the Etruscan civilization  was transitioning from its past golden age full of wealth and military expansion, to a period of massive vulnerability due to the rising Roman empire. For centuries, the Etruscans dominated central Italy and had a loose confederacy of 12 wealthy city-states (including Arezzo). However, around 400 B.C., the lack of political unity caused these cities to be invaded.

The Southern part of their empire fell to the growing Roman empire. During this time, there was a 10-year siege of Veii which caused the city to fall and ultimately its full destruction. At the north of Etruria, the Celtic tribes (Gauls) were migrating to the south through the Alps, and invading the northern Etruscan territories, and especially the fertile Po Valley that was highly prized by the Etruscan league. Etruscan ports were actively attacked by the Greek city-state of Syracuse in Sicily which was damaging their maritime trade routes which caused Etruria’s wealth.

Even though Etruria was experiencing geopolitical and economic tensions, 400 B.C. represented a monumental peak for Etruscan craftsmanship and art. Especially the famed master metalsmiths who were renowned across the Mediterranean for their meticulous and realistic works.

III. SUBJECT MATTER

The subject matter of this work comes from a mythological narrative depicting Chimera, a legendary beast from ancient myths popularized by Homer and Hesiod that is from Lycia (modern-day-Turkey). The myth talks about how Chimera, devasted the countryside until the Greek hero Bellerophon destroyed it by riding Pegasus (a winged horse) and Bellerophon attacked the beast from the air, and ended up killing it by thrusting a lead spear into its fire-breathing throat.  This piece narrates the climax of the battle.

The beast has three distinct animals in which each of them shows a different emotional state. The lion is the core power and its body and head are massive showing strength. The ribs of the lion are visible and sharp, representing panicked breathing. The lion’s mouth is open in a thundering roar, its teeth are bare and its tongue is raised, showing pure fury and anguish. The second animal is the goat which extends directly out of the lion’s spine showing the neck and head of a goat. Contrastingly, the goat represents defeat, and it already has been struck by a weapon and blood pours from the goat. Its head sags to the side, and its eyes close as the goat dies.The third animal is the serpent which comes alive from the lion’s tail, and it represents a counterattack and not accepting a defeat. In its original 400 B.C. composition, the serpent lashed forward aggressively to the sky serving as the lion’s defense to snap at Bellerophon and Pegasus as they attacked the Chimera.

IV. ABOUT THE CULTURE

The Etruscan culture was highly progressive for the standards of its time. For example, women had tremendous amounts of freedom. Writers such as Aristotle and the historian Theopompus wrote with fascination about Etruscan women dining openly with men, owning property, sitting on banqueting couches, keeping their own surnames, and raising toasts.

Regarding stories and culture, the Etruscans deeply cherished and obsessed over Greek mythology. However, they changed and adapted Greek mythology to make it fit their own cultural perspective. For example, the Etruscans possessed an ancient, indigenous religion that came from nature spirits and lightning reading (haruspicy). The Etruscans, when exposed to Greek literature began linking their gods to their equivalent Greek Olympian ones. Tinia the Etruscan sky god was fused with Zeus, Uni the Etruscan mother goddess was fused with Hera and so on.

V. PERSONAL CONNECTION

Chimera of Arezzo captivated me from the first time I saw it while researching ancient metal and Bronze sculptures to include in Iliostacio’s curated catalogue. The theatricality of the face and the movement of the Chimera’s body fascinated me. After discovering the Greek myth and where the sculpture comes from, I realized something. The human experience is about moments where one wins and moments when one loses. Even though, in the myth and in the sculpture, the Chimera fails and dies, it gave everything it could to survive and win. That is what is valuable at the moment when we fight towards what we want, giving it all completely while pushing towards our ambitions knowing that if we fall at least we might be remembered such as the Chimera is: fighting fiercely from the beginning until the very end.