The Fate of Alexander
By: Charz
Tags: Afghanistan, Aristotle, Assassin, Boreas, Buddhism, Ernest F. Fenollosa, Fate/zero, Fuyuki City, Gandhara, Gordius Wheel, Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, Hellenism, Herakles, Holy Grail, Hōryūji, India, Indo-Greeks, Iskander, Kakuzō Okakura, Katsumi Tanabe, King of Kings, Lafcadio Hearn, Libya, Menander, Nichiren, Pakistan, Shukongoshin, Silk Road, Siwah, Urobochi Gen, Vajrapani, War of the Holy Grail, Yaichi Aizu, Zen, Zeus Ammon
Rider by saber_01
Stepping on the ground
Over the moon’s shadow
Reflecting the round columns
Of the great temple,
Absorbed in thoughts.
Yaichi Aizu
in A history of modern Japanese aesthetics, Michael F. Marra, 2001, p142
Greco-Buddhism refers to the cultural syncretism between Hellenistic culture and Buddhism, which developed between the 4th century BCE and the 5th century CE in the area covered by the Indian sub-continent, and modern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western border regions of modern India. It was a cultural consequence of a long chain of interactions begun by Greek forays into India from the time of Alexander the Great, carried further by the establishment of Indo-Greek rule in the area for some centuries, and extended during flourishing of the Hellenized empire of the Kushans. Greco-Buddhism influenced the artistic, and perhaps the spiritual development of Buddhism, particularly Mahayana Buddhism.
(wiki)
The arts of China, Korea and Japan adopted Greco-Buddhist artistic influences, but tended to add many local elements as well. What remains most readily identifiable from Greco-Buddhist art are:
- The general idealistic realism of the figures reminiscent of Greek art.
- Clothing elements with elaborate Greek-style folds.
- The curly hairstyle characteristic of the Mediterranean.
- In some Buddhist representations, hovering winged figures holding a wreath.
- Greek sculptural elements such as vines and floral scrolls.
In Japan, Buddhist art started to develop as the country converted to Buddhism in 548 CE. Many elements of Greco-Buddhist art remain to this day, such as the Hercules inspiration behind the Nio guardian deities in front of Japanese Buddhist temples, or representations of the Buddha reminiscent of Greek art such as the Buddha in Kamakura.
Various other Greco-Buddhist artistic influences can be found in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, the most striking of which being that of the Japanese wind god Fujin. In consistency with Greek iconography for the wind god Boreas, the Japanese wind god holds above his head with his two hands a draping or “wind bag” in the same general attitude. The abundance of hair have been kept in the Japanese rendering, as well as exaggerated facial features.
Another Buddhist deity, named Shukongoshin, one of the wrath-filled protector deities of Buddhist temples in Japan, is also an interesting case of transmission of the image of the famous Greek god Herakles to the Far-East along the Silk Road. Herakles was used in Greco-Buddhist art to represent Vajrapani, the protector of the Buddha, and his representation was then used in China and Japan to depict the protector gods of Buddhist temples.
(wiki)
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