4 Greco-Roman Myths about the Crucible of Art

For the Greeks and the Romans, creativity was inseparable from love, hope, and desire.

"The Invention of Painting," 1808, by Louis Ducis. Oil on canvas; 34 3/5 inches by 45 1/5 inches. France. Public Domain

The ancient Greeks left behind exciting historical treatises, heart-wrenching tragedies, and intricate, world-defining philosophical texts. They shaped the West with bold proposals about what it meant to uphold freedom of speech, think deeply and carefully, and be human. 

The same can be said of the Romans, who proudly borrowed from their predecessors. Together, the Greeks and the Romans articulated the aesthetic principles that for over two millennia defined Western art. Fond of storytelling, they also told fascinating myths about the arts like the four below, which placed love, hope, and desire at the heart of creativity.

Butades and the First Human Portrait

For most of their history, oral transmission was the ancient Greeks’ standard mode of storytelling. Most Greek myths were written down by Latin-speaking Roman authors like the poet Ovid (43 B.C.–circa A.D. 18) and the historian Pliny the Elder (circa A.D. 23–A.D. 79), who embodied the Romans’ genuine appreciation for their prolific forefathers.