What is Athena statue face?
Athena statue face is a term to describe the horror-sick reaction people have when confronted with a human face that lines up with the Amazons in Zeus and Athena: The Titanomachy by Antonio Canova.
The painting was commissioned for Napoleon’s Louvre Museum and features three key war figures. At its completion in 1834, it shocked viewers looking at it from the French Revolution’s perspective. “Napoleon” is in the middle of this scene, but literally on his back looking up. He has an ashen expression of disbelief upon his face as he looks down on Zeus and Athena who are getting ready to utter their infamous words: “Man can never be master over Man.”
The painting also features Hercules, who is on his knees as he stands in a heroic pose. He’s being beaten down by the Guelph and Ghibelline factions of the Italian War of Independence. He’s glaring at the figures on each side, with great sorrow and pain in his eyes. You can see that most of the anguish is due to their victory over Hercules, even though they claim victory over him. Napoleon’s depiction of Zeus and Athena are not only a serious insult to their culture and country but also a reflection that any conqueror is better than them when it comes to power and control.
What is the use of the athena statue face?
According to Greek mythology, Sisyphus (SISY-fus) was punished for his hubris by the Gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. As punishment, he was forced to endlessly repeat a single task: pushing a boulder up a hill to the top, only to have it roll back down again.
The Romans thought that they could take advantage of this punishment and turned it into an allegory of their own rule of power and control over others rather than a punishment of hubris in humankind. They called this punishment “Athena statue face”. There’s no doubt that the Roman rulers saw themselves as heroes who were more powerful and heroic than others around them. The idea that they could control and defeat anyone who dared oppose their rule was the foundation of their confident attitude. The Roman poet Horace, who lived in the period between 65 and 8 BC, used the term “Athena statue face” to describe how a Roman ruler would react to anyone who opposed his rule.
Always remember that there is nothing more dreadful than to be feared and hated by everyone, for then everyone will hate you; you will be cursed by all nations. It is better to be feared than loved when one of the two is necessary.
What are the advantages?
Having the ability to control people is a great power. If you have an army and weapons, your long reach can be very dangerous. With a few words and gestures, you can gain trust and obedience from those who belong to your nation. However, having the ability to control people has many disadvantages as well. If you want to grow up in a family where your decisions are obeyed and people don’t disagree with your decisions, you must start out with considerable power first.
Having power over other people is also very demanding psychologically as well as physically. If you have to deal with subordinates and they don’t agree with your decisions, it takes a lot of threats and punishment to keep them in line. It becomes very hard to trust anyone because their actions may not be in line with your expectations, and if you are in a position of power, you need to constantly be on the watch for any signs of disobedience or disrespect.
After this happens one too many times, it can become very difficult psychologically. This is how despots become so obsessed with their own power that they lose sight of reality. They begin to believe that they are doing the right thing without ever questioning themselves or what they want or believe in.
Are there any disadvantages?
There are several disadvantages to being in a position of power. The main disadvantage is that it is very difficult to fail because you know all the answers and there are no questions that you cannot answer. If you want to test your powers, you will be able to do so under any circumstance and the results will be pretty much known by you. The problems only become apparent if others try to stand up against them or defy them.
This means that if your subjects behave in an uncooperative way, or try to stand up for their rights, you must deal with them in a harsh way. Letting people know that you cannot be opposed without serious consequences destroys the trust and fear that your subjects may have towards you.
Being in a position of power can be a depleting experience. It can lead to being too sure of yourself and not being humble enough to listen to those who disagree with your decisions or actions. If your actions lead to negative results, the ones who oppose you or stand up for their rights must pay a heavy price, usually by death. Once again, this can become very taxing on those who are in power and it has been said that they need to be in control of their emotions if they are going to stay there for long periods of time.
