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Science in culture
Shaping up at Olympia
four horses at regularly increased
angles, more clearly visible in those on
the right than in their damaged mirror
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was
image on the left, serves to enhance
erected in around 450 BC, just a few
the sense of order, simplicity and
paces from the stadium that was home
enigmatic stillness of the scene. This
to the original Olympic Games. The temrotation is balanced by the kneeling
ple’s eastern pediment was adorned
poses of the two figures in front of the
with sculptures that tell of one of the
horses, placed in mirror symmetry;
main events of the competition: the
their legs are raised at angles that
chariot race.
would have pleasingly echoed the
According to legend, Oenomaus,
lines of the top of the pediment. There
king of Olympia, was told by an oracle
is another figure in a similar pose on the
that he would perish at the hands of
left. A young man sitting at the far right
whoever married his daughter, Hippo(not shown) — one of the best sculpdameia. So he decided to challenge
tures in the group — is a variation on
each of her numerous suitors to a
this theme, with his position turned by
chariot race: only if they won could they
90 degrees towards the observer.
marry his daughter. This was a shrewd
Piero used similar geometric operplan, because his horses were a gift
ations in his compositions. The posifrom the gods and hence were invincitions of his characters are often
ble. But Pelops, one of the suitors, was
obtained by translations and rotations
even shrewder: he bribed the king’s
at different angles of the same human
charioteer, Myrtilos, to replace the
figure — and the figures in turn are
screws holding the wheels with ones
generated from geometrical bodies.
made of wax. During the race, the
wax melted and the king was defeated Asense of balance: Piero della Francesca used symmetry in the Madonna As for mirror images, on one occasion
Piero used both sides of the same
and killed. Pelops then married Hippo- del Parto, in an echo of Greek sculptures from the Temple of Zeus (top).
preparatory drawing to draw the condameia, thus fulfilling the oracle’s
tours of two symmetrically placed angels.
prediction. The region where Olympia is located
These remarkable sculptures were created at
Of course, geometry by itself does not make
(the Peloponnese) was named after him.
a momentous time in the history of art: the early
The pediment (shown at the top) is now pre- Classical period. The cultural achievements of good art — but it can powerfully enhance a work’s
served in the Archaeological Museum at Olympia, this age have been eloquently termed “the Greek meaning if it springs from the same source as the
which re-opened in spring after renovation. The
miracle”. The stones seem to have a calm, serene work. In Piero’s world, geometry expressed the
pediment’s simple, sober composition shows the life such that, far from being paler copies of reality, divine order of God’s creations. In the Olympia
characters before the race. Zeus, appropriately
they communicate to us a heightened, fuller sense pediment, geometry contributes to the harmony
and serenity of the composition. These are the
placed at the centre, separates the self-assured of it. The majestic, frozen poses of the figures —
Oenomaus and his wife on the right from the bold who, apart from the seer, betray no emotion — are harmony and serenity of the Greek Classical world;
Pelops and his future wife Hippodameia, whose reminiscent of works by the Renaissance painter they have inspired many subsequent artists but
rigid pose is brought to life by the angle of her head.
and mathematician Piero della Francesca. In both have never been equalled.
Stefano Grillo is a physicist at the University of
Nobody knows how the race will turn out except for artistic styles, geometry plays an important role.
an old seer — in whom the dignity and venerability
The geometry of the pediment’s composition is Perpignan and PROMES/CNRS, Rambla de la
of old age are magnificently rendered — sitting
apparent both in its overall symmetry and in the Thermodynamique, Tecnosud, 66100 Perpignan,
France.
behind the horses on the right.
details. The gradual rotation of the heads of the
Stefano Grillo
NATURE | VOL 430 | 5 AUGUST 2004 | www.nature.com/nature
616
©2004 Nature Publishing Group
BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY
Geometry lies at the heart of sculptures from the Temple of Zeus.