68 (HD): Hercules and Buddha Walk into a Bar
Ancient Art Podcast, Ancient Worlds
English - June 17, 2016 15:49 - 8 minutes - 66.3 MB Video - ★★★★ - 25 ratingsVisual Arts Arts Society & Culture myths legends ancient art history egypt egyptian greece greek rome Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Last time in episode 67 we learned all about a Buddhist relief carving in the Art Institute of Chicago. We met two Buddhas — one legendary and one historical — Dipankara and Shakyamuni. Now the promised bombshell. The reason you all came back. This muscular, shaggy-bearded, club-wielding brute next to Buddha. Why in the world in a Buddhist work of art does the legendary Greek hero Hercules make an appearance?
Image: Relief with Buddha Shakyamuni Meditating in the Indrashala Cave (top) and Buddha Dipankara (bottom), Gandharan region, Kushan period, 2nd/3rd century, Art Institute of Chicago, 2015.447.
For the transcript, image credits, and more, visit http://ancientartpodcast.org/68. Connect at http://facebook.com/ancientartpodcast and http://twitter.com/lucaslivingston.