Robert Garland, Professor of Classics at Colgate University, gave a lecture titled "From Media Tarts to Tabloid Queens: Attention-Seeking In Antiquity" as part of the Hamilton Department of Classics Winslow Lecture series on March 31. Garland discussed the phenomenon of celebrity in ancient Greece and Rome, arguing that a desire for fame has been a motivation for people throughout history.
Garland began by talking about the nature of celebrity status in today's culture, saying that today fame is attainable by anyone who has a little ingenuity or a sordid tale, though that fame may not last very long. The "15 minutes of fame" phenomenon Andy Warhol spoke of has come about because of the new nature of our media and technology. Never before has our desire to be celebrities and to observe celebrities been keener, Garland said.
Even in the ancient world however, said Garland, there was a desire for fame and what we might call "celebrity." The Homeric hero is consumed with the desire for immortal fame and glory, sometimes confusing these things with immortality itself. There were also many historical figures who created fame for themselves through "strategic self-presentation."
Socrates and other Greek intellectuals of his time were celebrities because of their visibility in Greek society, Garland said. Socrates is even caricatured in Aristophanes' comedy "The Clouds." His depiction in this play led to prejudice against him in his eventual trial, making him, as Garland said, the "first victim of celebrity." Athenian general and golden boy Alciabiades was also an ancient Greek
celebrity, and he played up his fame with campy apparel and constantly
changing alliances.
Alexander the Great consciously cultivated a public persona to make himself known to subjects across his empire, Garland explained. He had himself depicted as the reincarnation of Achilles in a widely disseminated portrait statue, and the public perception of Alexander, even today, is bound up in that image.
Military and political glory was also a road to stardom in ancient Rome. The cults of celebrity around Caesar and Pompeii contributed to the downfall of the republic, Garland said. In his reign, Julius Caesar learned the importance of mass appeal, holding circuses, paying attention to his public appearance, and minting his face on coins all over the empire. Garland called Caesar Augustus "the greatest super
star of the ancient world," noting that images of his face appeared hundreds of thousands of times around the world in sculptures and minted on coins. Gladiators and chariot racers in Rome had rabid fan bases and also enjoyed great fame and fortune.
There were few female celebrities in the ancient world, Garland said, with Cleopatra being the best example. Her fame (or infamy) is based not on her power and actions, but also on the propaganda of Octavian which portrayed her as a degenerate sex-kitten and capitalized on Roman prejudice towards Egyptians. Theodora, the wife of the Emperor Justinian, also gained fame by reinventing herself from a maligned actress to a regal wife in a rags-to-riches tale which Garland said would be perfect fodder for today's gossip magazines.
He also added that whereas ancient celebrities were enigmatic and rare, today's celebrities have lost that unattainable mystique. Garland concluded by saying that the topic of celebrity in the ancient world has "much to relish" in it, and also touches upon serious issues of the value systems, priorities and sense of self-hood of ancient Greeks and Romans.
-- by Caroline R. O'Shea '07
