Body Fat in Greco-Roman Antiquity (transcribed article)
A long time ago I made a post about the depictions of Dionysos/Dionysus/Bacchus as fat. You can read it here if you want - but that was just me going on about stuff taken left and right, nothing too serious, just thoughts.
I want to bring you today a serious article about the perception of the fat body in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. This article is actually a page hosted on "Google Arts and Culture", titled "In the Flesh: Body Fat in Ancient Art". It was created by the J. Paul Getty Museum, and you can read it all here. But the website has a really specific design that makes it hard for some people to read the page, so I thought why not help share it around by copying it below. Of course, nothing belongs to me, I am just transcribing it all (plus copying the images). All credits go to the J. Paul Getty Museum.
In the Flesh: Body Fat in Ancient Art
Ancient Greek and Roman writers criticized bodies of different sizes for a variety of reasons. But in works of art, body fat was often depicted in ways that defy our expectations.
A Different Ideal
Terms like "overweight" and "underweight" originate in modern medicine's concept of an ideal body weight. Calculated to minimize mortality risk, this medically desirable weight varies based on such factors as height, age, and fitness.
Ancient Greeks and Romans compared the appearance of their bodies with respect to a more abstract ideal.
For the ancient physician Galen, measurements for the ideal body were expressed centuries earlier in the Canon, a treatise on statue proportions by the 5th-century BC sculptor Polykleitos:
(Male torso, about A.D. 100, Unknown)
"[Neither the overweight nor the underweight body] is in due proportion. But the body which equals the Canon of Polykleitos reaches the summit of complete symmetry."
— Galen, Ars Medica K 343
For the ancient Greeks, precisely measured weight was less important than the perception of symmetry and balance.
They had a term for this desirable state of wellness: εὔσαρκος (eusarkos), meaning "well-fleshed" or "fleshy."
(Mosaic floor with combat between Dares and Entellus, A.D. 175-200, Unknown)
Because the Greeks prized moderation in all things, bodies or behaviors that stood out from this ideal were targets of criticism. Perhaps surprisingly, this criticism also applied to muscular athletes, such as wrestlers and boxers, who required constant high-calorie diets.
(Statuette of a boxer, unknown)
Big Bodies in Comedy
Mockery of those who ate more or less than necessary was one way to impose social compliance and maintain political order.
(Apulian red-figure bell krater, 370-360 BCE, Cotugno painter)
Many Greek and South Italian vases often depict comic actors wearing "fat suits" (as well as a mask and a phallus) to embody popular character types.
Actors used such props as comic gags, and vase painters often represented them with great care.
On this Apulian mixing bowl, lines extending across the actor's chest make clear that his large, sagging breasts are artificial. His belly is unnaturally circular and hangs too low — further evidence that he is wearing a costume.
It seems that the painter wanted to pointedly emphasize the exaggerated nature of such costumes.
Ample Satyrs
Not all depictions of larger bodies were mocking. Animal ears and the double flute identify this figure as a satyr, or a woodland deity. He reclines in a pose that would remind viewers of the satyrs' master, the wine god Dionsyos, who is often depicted reclining at a banquet.
Instead of on a fancy couch, the chubby old satyr rests on a full wineskin!
(Fragment of an Apulian squat Lekythos, 350-325 BC, Darius painter)
Under tufts of gray hair, lines accentuate the curving folds of the old satyr's body. Unlike the ridiculously artificial bodies of the padded actors, the satyr's big, hairy body is gentle and soft.
Like the plump pillow on which he rests, the satyr appears comfortable and at ease. This scene is meant to be lighthearted, and does not appear cruel or mocking.
(Fresco fragment depicting an old Silenos with kantharos and thyrsos, AD 1-79, Unknown)
Similar attention to detail can be seen in this Roman wall painting of the old satyr Silenus. The painter’s skillful use of red shadows and pink highlights builds up the volume of his chest and stomach, which appear both soft and sturdy at the same time.
These fleshly older satyrs were symbols of pleasure-seeking and leisure.
Fragile Bodies on the Margins
Skinny or underweight bodies were also criticized, in part because of the association between emaciation and illness. Thinness could also negatively reflect on one's character.
(Miniature skeleton, unknown)
Ancient authors often noted a person's skinny frame as a way of pointing out their intellectual or social irrelevance.
The association of thinness and powerlessness is sometimes exploited in representations of enslaved individuals, domestic servants, and those otherwise marginalized in society.
(Finial with a resting youth, unknown)
On this figurine of a resting youth, the individually shaped ribs might suggest that the figure is undernourished.
In depictions of older individuals, such as this statuette of an old woman, underweight features are often used to indicate frailty.
(Statuette of an old woman, 100-001 BCE)
Such subjects were popular in the Hellenistic period (c. 330-31 BC) —a time of unprecedented social inequality — and consciously aestheticized:
"When we see emaciated people we are distressed, but we look upon statues and paintings of them with pleasure, because imitation, as such, is attractive to the mind's nature."
- Plutarch, Quaestiones convivales 5.1.
Size and Gender
Body fat was also linked to gender, especially in the Roman Empire. While bodies of women were routinely criticized by Roman authors, fluctuation in weight did not render them less feminine. By contrast, both fat and skinny men were explicitly mocked as effeminate, lacking either physical strength or stamina.
Biographies of unpopular Roman emperors often weaponize their body size in this way. Of the emperor Galba, the biographer Suetonius writes, "it is said that he was a heavy eater," immediately before turning to rumors about his inclinations towards "unnatural desires."
Such fat-shaming seems not to have mattered to the emperors themselves. Their official portraits show little concern for concealing the fullness of their faces.
(Torso of a cuirassed statue, unknown)
The situation may have been different in military affairs. The anxieties Roman men felt about their bodies can be seen in their choice of armor. Their bronze breastplates were decorated with chiseled pectorals and washboard abs, creating the illusion of a skin-tight fit.
It is unlikely that such breastplates were meant to deceive, any more than the fat suits of comic actors. What they offered to their wearers was the illusion of inhabiting — for a moment — the ideal body of a Polykleitan statue.
Divine Softness
A closer look at ancient art reveals that the bodies of gods were sometimes less harshly judged than those of mortals.
Depictions of certain gods regularly focus on the softer parts of their bodies.
(Bowl with a medallion depicting Dionysos and Ariadne, unknown artist, -100)
The maker of this Hellenistic silver medallion went out of their way to show the curvy bodies of the wine god Dionysus and his wife Ariadne, engraving lines under their bellies to highlight the sensuality of their encounter.
Some popular representations of the love goddess Venus, such as the so-called "Crouching Venus" type, unquestionably emphasize the fleshiness of her body.
Statue of a Crouching Venus Statue of a Crouching Venus, Unknown, A.D. 100–150, Provenant de la collection : The J. Paul Getty Museum
Modern observers have highlighted the positive associations between fleshiness and fertility expressed by a variety of Greek and Roman authors, but there is more to the story.
The rolls of flesh on the goddess's belly also gave the ancient sculptor a means of creating a very intimate encounter between viewer and goddess.
To ancient viewers of all ages and genders, accustomed to seeing gods represented solemn and upright, the crouching pose allowed a glimpse into the goddess's private world.
The crouching goddess seemed more approachable to worshippers, in part because her body moved in ways they could recognize from their own lived experience. The softness of Venus’s body made the cold, hard marble come to life.
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My ED tips:
Fast overnight - you can‘t feel hungry while sleeping!
Only eat when you really have to, for example in front of your parents
Take very little bites
Drink a lot of water while eating - you‘ll feel fuller more quickly
Try to cut out sugar, the more you eat it, the more you crave it
Movement is key - try to walk everwhere you go
Look at th!nspo everday - you‘ll feel more motivated
Buy a shirt smaller than ur actual size in order to stay consistent (you‘ll be so happy when it finally fits)
Drag out your first meal of the day as long as you can
Sleep without a blanket - freezing burns calories
When you want to be extra skinny the next day, go to sleep hungry/without dinner
Track your burned calories with a fitness watch
Don‘t tell anyone about your weightloss - they‘ll be concerned and maybe tell ur parents
Try to avoid going the doctor‘s in case they make comments in front of your parents
Make your food intake at least 50% veg and fruits
If you crave chocolate - eat mango
Weight yourself every morning without clothes
Start an ED blog to stay motivated
Watch tv shows with skinny people
To 10min workouts every day
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Hi. I saw a post you wrote about looking for help gaining weight and I wanted to share some tips I've learned over the years. Now I don't know what your disabilities are or if you have any dietary restrictions so I don't know if they'll be applicable but they helped me. I'm not a nutritionist or anything. If you do have access to a nutritionist, that is ideal because they will tailor their advice to your situation and preferences.
1. Continual grazing. Meals are good to eat when you can, but don't let preparing food be a barrier to eating. Continual grazing means just eating whatever food you can as often as you can. Snack all day.
2. Add cheese. Because cheese has protein and also it's delicious. Add cheese to anything and everything you think could taste good with it, even if it already has cheese. For example, if I'm going to eat a bagel I will put cream cheese on and also top it with shredded cheese. Or if I'm making a microwave pizza, I'll add extra cheese.
3. All food is good food. Eat whatever sounds good to you. Don't listen to people who say certain foods "have no nutritional value." If it's food, eating it is better than not eating anything. If I know I need to eat because maybe I haven't eaten yet today, but the only thing that sounds good is ice cream - I'm eating ice cream. Any food is better than no food.
4. Make eating easier on yourself. Buy microwavable meals, snacks that require little or no preparation, meal replacement shakes, pre-prepared food, etc. For fruits and vegetables, get things (like apples, bananas, cucumbers, and carrots) that don't need to be prepared. If you do buy ingredients for meals and then don't have the energy to make the meal, you can often just eat the ingredients! Like if you have bread and lunch meat and cheese or whatever - you can just eat it, you don't have to make it into a sandwich. Or you can eat ramen noodles without cooking them.
5. Don't exercise. I thought this was pretty obvious, but looking at the internet maybe it's not. If you do physical therapy or go on mental health walks or something, that's fine. Stretching is good. But you don't want to burn calories unnecessarily.
6. Take vitamins. It's hard to get all the different vitamins your body needs from food, so make it easier by taking vitamins. If you don't like pills, or you just have too many damn pills to take already, look for gummy vitamins.
Hey, first of all thank you so much. I’ve had a few people send me weight gain guides, tips I could never get through a search engine.
Several people have suggested dairy, and I have been adding butter as an ingredient to most homemade meals.
“All food is good food” thank you so much for this. Sometimes I feel guilty for grazing off of junk food, but the goal is to gain by any means necessary.
I think this is a great 6 point guide.
I am now at 105 lbs up from a low of 96 lbs at 5’9. I will be okay if I keep improving therein, to all those worried about me; a little gay person on their phone.
Thank you!!
And thank everyone else sending me or tagging that post with tips as well.
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