Janine Pearl G.

Villaflor 4B3

Let me begin my analyzation of the selection Pagan Beauty by the

question, What exactly do we mean by male beauty?
Nowadays, still, people believe in Greeks as epitome of masculinity.
These Greeks men especially, the Spartans, are hardened men. These ideas
were dispersed to people through books, movies, and these were thought to
students as part of their curriculum. Some examples are: the movie Troy and
the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. Just like in the movie Troy, Greek men
are portrayed there as very masculine, brave, strong, and undeniably
handsome. The Olympics Games is inspired by the ancient Olympic Games
which were held in Olympia Greece in honor for Zeus for the Greeks believed
the gods and goddesses are watching. These activity of the Greek men
exemplify their strength, speed, and endurance.
From the title itself pagan meaning a member of a religious, spiritual, or
cultural community based on the worship of nature or the earth. And
beauty, according to Wikipedia, a combination of qualities, such as shape,
color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. To my
understanding the selection is about the Greek men cult of beauty. Beauty
for them was sacred and ugliness is hateful. In the selection, the line,
Classic Athens find fatty body of female unbeautiful because it was not a
visible instrument of action, proves the idea. Homosexuality of Greek
culture is also discussed in the reading, Athenian turn away from women

towards men, this line gives me, an idea that because of their being
obsessed in beauty they became sexist and somehow narcissists for they
were attracted with their fellow men. They have their perception of The
Greek beautiful boy, that it is the one of the wests great sexual personae.
As the selection describe, the Greek beautiful boy is androgyne meaning
have a gender which is simultaneously feminine and masculine. His muscle
structure belongs to male but it portrays girlishness, according to the
reading. Every muscle of the Greek beautiful boy is shaped and contoured
well. For the small and thin penis was fashionable.
The Major Greek art portrays two kind of Greek men and a maiden:
Kouros, Kritios, and Kore. The Kouros depict a victorious athlete with a fist
clenched. He invites the viewers to admire him. Kritios is a real boy but his
buttocks are feminine. He invites you to focus on the buttocks more than his
face. The Kore is the maiden, if the two sculptures are nude, kore is clothed
and it portrays service and utilitarian.
During the Greek era, they have already the patriarchy, men were so in
love with their own self that they fell in love with their fellow men which
leads to homosexuality. They see women only being their servant and ugly.
The beautiful boy was desired and not desiring. They are very confident
with their body and beauty.