Ancient Greece Gives Us “A World of Emotions”

The ancient Greeks were well acquainted with representing intense emotions . . . Love, hate, joy, sadness, fear, pity, confidence, jealousy, and hope are some of the emotions reflected in the pieces on display in “A World of Emotions: Ancient Greece, 700 B.C.–200 A.D.,” at the Onassis Cultural Center until June 24, 2017. . . . We do not really know how the ancient Greeks felt, but their literature, philosophy, and artifacts show us how they represented emotions. Each of the more than 130 pieces on display tells a story that helps us understand our own.

The ancient writers “understood that emotions necessarily involve judgments and beliefs. . . . In a word, emotions are profoundly rational,” said Angelos Chaniotis, cocurator of the exhibit and Professor in the School of Historical Studies, “To be angry you need to make a judgment about the motives of the other person; if you change your view about these, then the emotion changes as well. Emotions require thinking, and thinking of a very human kind. The ancient writers understood this very well.”