# Did Most ancient Greeks look Like Their Statues? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090 "2013-02-12T16:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jr.DNA\_test](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@Jr.DNA\_test](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jr.DNA_test)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/21 "2013-02-12T20:49:49Z")
That ain’t it. Plus, I’d like to see what pubic hair on a Greek or Roman statue would look like. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/22 "2013-02-12T20:56:06Z")
Carved curls. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/23 "2013-02-12T20:56:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I hope the Greeks penis weren’t that tiny in real life. I’ve heard that the Greeks had a different view of “ideal” for that item. To them large testicles were a sign of virility, while all a large penis could do is give pleasure to their women, so who cares? Certainly wouldn’t want one so large that it makes your balls look small. ---
**Author:** ![Jr.DNA\_test](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@Jr.DNA\_test](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jr.DNA_test)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/24 "2013-02-12T20:59:15Z")
They were quite good at rationalizing. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/25 "2013-02-12T21:38:28Z")
Well, each sculptor had to have seen at least one person, and probably several persons, with sufficiently-pleasant proportions for these ideal forms to appear. I doubt everybody looked like [my namesake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles), but _somebody_ had to, right? ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/26 "2013-02-12T22:07:18Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > Well, each sculptor had to have seen at least one person, and probably several persons, with sufficiently-pleasant proportions for these ideal forms to appear. I doubt everybody looked like [my namesake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles), but _somebody_ had to, right? I think you underestimate the power of imagination. Images of Heracles in particular seem to be “what if you took a regular guy and made his muscles really big?” rather than a realistic person. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/27 "2013-02-13T01:09:59Z")
Quote: Men were obliged to be ready and able up to age 59 to put on armor Is this correct? What was the average lifespan in 200 BC? 59 mst have been ancient! ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/28 "2013-02-13T01:43:16Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > Well, each sculptor had to have seen at least one person, and probably several persons, with sufficiently-pleasant proportions for these ideal forms to appear. I doubt everybody looked like [my namesake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles), but _somebody_ had to, right? > [@leahcim](#): > > I think you underestimate the power of imagination. Images of Heracles in particular seem to be “what if you took a regular guy and made his muscles really big?” rather than a realistic person. Several years back I saw an art history series on PBS called _[How Art Made the World](http://www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/human/greece/)_, and in one episode they showed how if you look at the evolution of Ancient Greek sculpture then the depiction of the human form become more and more realistic over time…and then continued on past realism with statues that had “better than life” proportions like longer legs and straighter spines. They were sort of like comic book superheroes rather than naturalistic depictions of real human beings. On the show they pointed out that these proportions are actually anatomically impossible and (IIRC) that a human who did have that body wouldn’t even be able to stand up. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/29 "2013-02-13T03:14:46Z")
Surely the men had larger penises. Bob ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/30 "2013-02-13T03:20:46Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Quote: > Men were obliged to be ready and able up to age 59 to put on armor > Is this correct? What was the average lifespan in 200 BC? 59 mst have been ancient! A common misconception. A lot of the lower life expectancy in ancient times is due to infant mortality and death during childbirth. A male who got past infancy could expect a reasonably long lifespan, but all the dead women and babies bring the average down. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/31 "2013-02-13T03:48:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I hope the Greeks penis weren’t that tiny in real life. > [@leahcim](#): > > I’ve heard that the Greeks had a different view of “ideal” for that item. To them large testicles were a sign of virility, while all a large penis could do is give pleasure to their women, so who cares? Certainly wouldn’t want one so large that it makes your balls look small. > [@urban1a](#): > > Surely the men had larger penises. Uncle Cecil actually did a column on this topic a few years back: [Why does so much ancient Greek art feature males with small genitalia?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2627/why-does-so-much-ancient-greek-art-feature-males-with-small-genitalia) Short version: The Greeks were not at all shy about depictions of the male member, and there actually was plenty of Greek art that portrayed well-endowed men – sometimes _very_ well-endowed. This tended to be low-brow stuff though, and seems mostly to have been intended to be funny and/or gross. For depictions of gods (fertility gods being a notable exception), heroes, and the like, a small penis was considered more tasteful and aesthetically pleasing. Cecil doesn’t mention this, but I could believe that one reason why the Greek statues of nude men with small genitals are far more famous now than other Greek art showing guys with huge schlongs is that modern Westerners also tend to feel that obvious genitals = comedy or porn, not fine art. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/32 "2013-02-13T03:48:51Z")
I always wondered about their faces. They all have the same idealized face, yet I’ve never seen anyone in real life who has a Greek statue face. On the other hand, [Dying Gaul](http://mandarb.net/virtual_gallery/media/sculptures/originals/gaul_head_original.jpg), sculpted to represent a non-Greek person, looks very realistic to me. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/33 "2013-02-13T03:56:14Z")
> [@Jr.DNA\_test](#): > > Who said I didn’t like the thread? My question was genuine. I don’t find the few statues of women from Greece and Rome I’ve seen anything to fall over. > > Give me a statue of a fit Katy Perry and then we’re talking. Although there are many options. Big breasts dispensable. > > And yes, Golden Rule thought of. I can dig this. Greek female depictions are bad. But the male forms are good, even by today’s standards. ---
**Author:** ![the\_apples\_fell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@the\_apples\_fell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_apples_fell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/34 "2013-02-13T14:37:43Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I always wondered about their faces. They all have the same idealized face, yet I’ve never seen anyone in real life who has a Greek statue face. Me. I have been told that I do. :lol: My nose, setting of the eyes, and my facial structure all look very classical Greek. I’m actually Sicilian though, not “Greek”. But my father’s hometown was settled by ancient Greeks. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/35 "2013-02-13T15:31:44Z")
> [@Jr.DNA\_test](#): > > That ain’t it. Plus, I’d like to see what pubic hair on a Greek or Roman statue would look like. Not that much different from the hair on their heads.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jr.DNA\_test](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@Jr.DNA\_test](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jr.DNA_test)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/36 "2013-02-13T15:35:54Z")
I have to agree with NitroPress on one thing. I don’t like dwelling on pubic hair. Have more growing up to do. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/37 "2013-02-13T15:50:22Z")
> [@Jr.DNA\_test](#): > > I have to agree with NitroPress on one thing. I don’t like dwelling on pubic hair. Have more growing up to do. It’s a cultural thing and goes by generation. It wouldn’t be any issue if it stemmed from a legitimate source. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/38 "2013-02-13T15:51:13Z")
> [@Jr.DNA\_test](#): > > Who said I didn’t like the thread? My question was genuine. I don’t find the few statues of women from Greece and Rome I’ve seen anything to fall over. > > Give me a statue of a fit Katy Perry and then we’re talking. Although there are many options. Big breasts dispensable. True, the Greeks and Romans did seem to like their women with a certain…thickness. Not to mention any woman likes fat when she’s 12 feet tall. I think there was also a practical matter that they were carving statues out of stone. I don’t think a statue with proportions like a Victoria Secret’s model would be able to support it’s own weight. I’m also guessing Katy Perry’s proportions are probably closer to some Greek or Italian statues than you might think when she isn’t wearing 6" heels and dressed like a candycane. ---
**Author:** ![Jr.DNA\_test](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@Jr.DNA\_test](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jr.DNA_test)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/39 "2013-02-13T16:00:16Z")
1. It stems from a source of evil. 2. It’s not the thickness I was referring to. 3. Many a Victoria’s Secret model I might have to feed first before rounding the bases. 4. I used “fit” when referring to Katy Perry for a reason. Sometimes she better hike twice as much. They should have an art-science course on this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090/40 "2013-02-13T16:12:03Z")
In answer to the OP - yes. [Here](http://www.roma-antica.co.uk/attachments/Image/Laocoon%20Group.jpg) for example is statuary depicting a typical family outing of the period. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-ancient-greeks-look-like-their-statues/650090.md?page=3)