Ulysses and the Sirens
Figurative and Thematic Comparisons in Early Christian Art among Sculpture, Painting, Mosaics and Minor Arts
Abstract
The theme of Ulysses and the Sirens has been thoroughly studied, especially in the case of particular finds. The aim of this paper is to give a global view on the revival of this episode in different contexts, especially during the third century: the funerary one with the example of the sarcophagi, with the ordinary use objects as the oil lamps, and with the residential architecture. So, during this period the Homeric iconography which was much developed in the last centuries is resumed, also giving a different, esoteric mean, if read from a Christian perspective.