Adrienne Mayor | Stanford University (original) (raw)
Papers by Adrienne Mayor
Engelsberg Ideas, 1923
Talos, the giant bronze AI robot of ancient Greek myth, and Talus, the automaton Iron Knight of E... more Talos, the giant bronze AI robot of ancient Greek myth, and Talus, the automaton Iron Knight of Edmund Spenser's medieval allegory Faerie Queene caution against trusting AI and machine learning in our judicial system.
E-Phaistos (Institut d'histoire moderne et contemporaine), 2023
The Greek word automaton, "acting of one's own will," was first used by Homer (Iliad 5.749, 18.37... more The Greek word automaton, "acting of one's own will," was first used by Homer (Iliad 5.749, 18.376) to describe ingenious devices built by the blacksmith god of invention and technology, Hephaestus. Hephaestus crafted a fleet of self-moving tripods, a set of automated bellows, a chair that trapped the sitter, automatic gates, automaton guard dogs, and a staff of female android servants made of gold. Hephaestus also fabricated the bronze robot Talos and the artificial woman Pandora, first described by Homer’s contemporary, the poet Hesiod, 750-650 BC. Notably, in some ancient descriptions, the Trojan Horse was portrayed as an animated, realistic statue. The oldest artistic representations of Talos and Pandora appear on Greek vase paintings of the fifth century BC. The earliest artistic representation of the Trojan Horse is on an archaic vase of about 670 BC. This paper demonstrates how the technological, crafted nature of these artificial replicas of man, woman, and horse were underscored in ancient writings and in related artworks depicting artisans and tools. The record of this literary and artistic evidence from more than two millennia ago is a milestone in the ancient history of technology.
In myth, Amazons were archenemies of Greek heroes such as Heracles and Achilles, but Greek and Ro... more In myth, Amazons were archenemies of Greek heroes such as Heracles and Achilles, but Greek and Roman historians also described historical, legendary, and contemporary warrior women of Eurasia with lives and exploits like those of Amazons. Greeks were not the only ancient culture to tell stories about warlike women and thrill to accounts of legendary and historical female warriors. The ancient Medes and Persians fought Scythians from the north and Saka tribes on the eastern frontiers of their empires. Beyond the Greek-influenced world, one can find intrepid horsewomen-archers in oral traditions, art, and literature of Egypt, Arabia, Persia, the Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and India.
Imagination and Art: Explorations in Contemporary Theory, 2020
In artistic illustrations of Amazonomachies, a few suspenseful scenes un vase paintings show Amaz... more In artistic illustrations of Amazonomachies, a few suspenseful scenes un vase paintings show Amazons overcoming Greek male opponents, but for the most part it is wounded and dead Amazons that abound in classical Greek and Roman art. This pervasive theme of killing Amazons in classical myth, art, and literature has received extensive theoretical attention. But another category has not attracted much attention: the captive Amazon. The rarity of Amazons and warrior women as prisoners of war makes the examples we find in myths, historical sources, and artistic representations all the more striking and worth discussing.
Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2014
Ichnos, 2015
For centuries, dinosaur footprints have influenced popular legends and myths in the surroundings ... more For centuries, dinosaur footprints have influenced popular legends and myths in the surroundings of important tracksites. In many regions of China, track-bearing slabs were utilized as building materials and integrated in houses, yards, or cave dwellings, often serving as auspicious symbols or aesthetic decorations. Special birds such as the golden pheasant, widely distributed in China, may have inspired people to consider them as mythic trackmakers. The Zizhou area in northern Shaanxi, China, is famous for tracksites in the lower portion of the early Middle Jurassic Yan'an Formation. Sandstones with dinosaur tracks from these localities have been collected since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and are used by villagers as cellar covers, stalls, or millstones. Besides their historical importance, the slabs are a valuable resource for ichnological research. Well-preserved theropod, ornithopod, and stegosaur tracks such as Kayentapus, Eubrontes, Anomoepus and Deltapodus incorporated into manmade structures can be seen while simply walking through some small villages of this area.
History of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 2014
Abstract After his spectacular conquests from Persia to India in 334–24 BC, Alexander the Great d... more Abstract After his spectacular conquests from Persia to India in 334–24 BC, Alexander the Great died of mysterious causes after a heavy drinking party in Babylon (Iraq) in 323 BC, just before his 33rd birthday. Alexander’s untimely death aroused suspicions of poisoning among his closest companions; conspirators were accused of killing him with a mysterious toxin collected from the River Styx in southern Greece. Ancient historians were divided about the cause of death; some favored a plot, while others believed it was down to natural causes. Modern historians and toxicologists are also divided on whether Alexander died of disease or poison. Modern attempts to retrodiagnose Alexander’s fatal illness, by analyzing the detailed symptoms the king reportedly suffered in the 2 weeks before death, have resulted in many theories. Proposed natural causes include alcohol poisoning, malaria, typhoid fever, septicemia, and accidental physician error; deliberate murder theories focus on aconite, arsenic, fermented hellebore, and strychnine.
Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2014
Abstract: Folk explanations of notable geological features, including fossils, are found around t... more Abstract: Folk explanations of notable geological features, including fossils, are found around the world. Observations of fossil exposures (bones, footprints, etc.) led to place names for rivers, mountains, valleys, mounds, caves, springs, tracks, and other geological and palaeonto-logical sites. Some names describe prehistoric remains and/or refer to traditional interpretations of fossils. This paper presents case studies of fossil-related place names in ancient and modern Europe and China, and Native American examples in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Evidence for the earliest known fossil-related place names comes from ancient Greco-Roman and Chinese literature. The earliest documented fossil-related place name in the New World was preserved in a written text by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. In many instances, fossil geonames are purely descriptive; in others, however, the mythology about a specific fossil locality survives along with the name; in still other cas...
Oxford Handbook of Heracles, ed D. Ogden, pp 124-34 , 2021
Heracles’ ninth Labor, set by King Eurystheus and Princess Admete of Tiryns, was to obtain the wa... more Heracles’ ninth Labor, set by King Eurystheus and Princess Admete of Tiryns, was to obtain the war belt of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons dwelling in Pontus on the Black Sea. Artistic and literary evidence suggests that his mission began peacefully but turned violent thanks to Heracles’ nemesis, the goddess Hera. The encounter between Heracles and his companions against the Amazons was one of the most popular subjects in ancient Greek vase painting and sculpture, second only to the Nemean Lion, with the earliest depiction on a terracotta shield of about 700 BC, found at Tiryns. The artistic and literary depictions reveal that Hippolyte and the Amazons were considered the equals of Greek males in courage and combat skills, although they were ultimately defeated and the Amazon queen’s precious war belt was won by Heracles.
Antigone, 2021
The story of Camilla, the legendary warrior woman of Virgil's Aeneid, raises intriguing questions... more The story of Camilla, the legendary warrior woman of Virgil's Aeneid, raises intriguing questions. Why did Virgil include an Amazon-like woman in his epic poem about the founding of Rome? Was Camilla Virgil's invention? Or was her story based on a lost Italian legend?
Developments in Sedimentology, 2012
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10420940 2014 988788, 2015
Folklore, Dec 2, 2010
Abstract This article presents the English language collecting histories of seven legends of deat... more Abstract This article presents the English language collecting histories of seven legends of death by Poison Dress that were recorded in early modern India (set out in ª Killer Khilats, Part 1º ). The tales express fears of contamination, either symbolic or real, aroused by the ancient ...
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2000
ABSTRACT
Engelsberg Ideas, 1923
Talos, the giant bronze AI robot of ancient Greek myth, and Talus, the automaton Iron Knight of E... more Talos, the giant bronze AI robot of ancient Greek myth, and Talus, the automaton Iron Knight of Edmund Spenser's medieval allegory Faerie Queene caution against trusting AI and machine learning in our judicial system.
E-Phaistos (Institut d'histoire moderne et contemporaine), 2023
The Greek word automaton, "acting of one's own will," was first used by Homer (Iliad 5.749, 18.37... more The Greek word automaton, "acting of one's own will," was first used by Homer (Iliad 5.749, 18.376) to describe ingenious devices built by the blacksmith god of invention and technology, Hephaestus. Hephaestus crafted a fleet of self-moving tripods, a set of automated bellows, a chair that trapped the sitter, automatic gates, automaton guard dogs, and a staff of female android servants made of gold. Hephaestus also fabricated the bronze robot Talos and the artificial woman Pandora, first described by Homer’s contemporary, the poet Hesiod, 750-650 BC. Notably, in some ancient descriptions, the Trojan Horse was portrayed as an animated, realistic statue. The oldest artistic representations of Talos and Pandora appear on Greek vase paintings of the fifth century BC. The earliest artistic representation of the Trojan Horse is on an archaic vase of about 670 BC. This paper demonstrates how the technological, crafted nature of these artificial replicas of man, woman, and horse were underscored in ancient writings and in related artworks depicting artisans and tools. The record of this literary and artistic evidence from more than two millennia ago is a milestone in the ancient history of technology.
In myth, Amazons were archenemies of Greek heroes such as Heracles and Achilles, but Greek and Ro... more In myth, Amazons were archenemies of Greek heroes such as Heracles and Achilles, but Greek and Roman historians also described historical, legendary, and contemporary warrior women of Eurasia with lives and exploits like those of Amazons. Greeks were not the only ancient culture to tell stories about warlike women and thrill to accounts of legendary and historical female warriors. The ancient Medes and Persians fought Scythians from the north and Saka tribes on the eastern frontiers of their empires. Beyond the Greek-influenced world, one can find intrepid horsewomen-archers in oral traditions, art, and literature of Egypt, Arabia, Persia, the Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and India.
Imagination and Art: Explorations in Contemporary Theory, 2020
In artistic illustrations of Amazonomachies, a few suspenseful scenes un vase paintings show Amaz... more In artistic illustrations of Amazonomachies, a few suspenseful scenes un vase paintings show Amazons overcoming Greek male opponents, but for the most part it is wounded and dead Amazons that abound in classical Greek and Roman art. This pervasive theme of killing Amazons in classical myth, art, and literature has received extensive theoretical attention. But another category has not attracted much attention: the captive Amazon. The rarity of Amazons and warrior women as prisoners of war makes the examples we find in myths, historical sources, and artistic representations all the more striking and worth discussing.
Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2014
Ichnos, 2015
For centuries, dinosaur footprints have influenced popular legends and myths in the surroundings ... more For centuries, dinosaur footprints have influenced popular legends and myths in the surroundings of important tracksites. In many regions of China, track-bearing slabs were utilized as building materials and integrated in houses, yards, or cave dwellings, often serving as auspicious symbols or aesthetic decorations. Special birds such as the golden pheasant, widely distributed in China, may have inspired people to consider them as mythic trackmakers. The Zizhou area in northern Shaanxi, China, is famous for tracksites in the lower portion of the early Middle Jurassic Yan'an Formation. Sandstones with dinosaur tracks from these localities have been collected since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and are used by villagers as cellar covers, stalls, or millstones. Besides their historical importance, the slabs are a valuable resource for ichnological research. Well-preserved theropod, ornithopod, and stegosaur tracks such as Kayentapus, Eubrontes, Anomoepus and Deltapodus incorporated into manmade structures can be seen while simply walking through some small villages of this area.
History of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 2014
Abstract After his spectacular conquests from Persia to India in 334–24 BC, Alexander the Great d... more Abstract After his spectacular conquests from Persia to India in 334–24 BC, Alexander the Great died of mysterious causes after a heavy drinking party in Babylon (Iraq) in 323 BC, just before his 33rd birthday. Alexander’s untimely death aroused suspicions of poisoning among his closest companions; conspirators were accused of killing him with a mysterious toxin collected from the River Styx in southern Greece. Ancient historians were divided about the cause of death; some favored a plot, while others believed it was down to natural causes. Modern historians and toxicologists are also divided on whether Alexander died of disease or poison. Modern attempts to retrodiagnose Alexander’s fatal illness, by analyzing the detailed symptoms the king reportedly suffered in the 2 weeks before death, have resulted in many theories. Proposed natural causes include alcohol poisoning, malaria, typhoid fever, septicemia, and accidental physician error; deliberate murder theories focus on aconite, arsenic, fermented hellebore, and strychnine.
Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2014
Abstract: Folk explanations of notable geological features, including fossils, are found around t... more Abstract: Folk explanations of notable geological features, including fossils, are found around the world. Observations of fossil exposures (bones, footprints, etc.) led to place names for rivers, mountains, valleys, mounds, caves, springs, tracks, and other geological and palaeonto-logical sites. Some names describe prehistoric remains and/or refer to traditional interpretations of fossils. This paper presents case studies of fossil-related place names in ancient and modern Europe and China, and Native American examples in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Evidence for the earliest known fossil-related place names comes from ancient Greco-Roman and Chinese literature. The earliest documented fossil-related place name in the New World was preserved in a written text by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. In many instances, fossil geonames are purely descriptive; in others, however, the mythology about a specific fossil locality survives along with the name; in still other cas...
Oxford Handbook of Heracles, ed D. Ogden, pp 124-34 , 2021
Heracles’ ninth Labor, set by King Eurystheus and Princess Admete of Tiryns, was to obtain the wa... more Heracles’ ninth Labor, set by King Eurystheus and Princess Admete of Tiryns, was to obtain the war belt of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons dwelling in Pontus on the Black Sea. Artistic and literary evidence suggests that his mission began peacefully but turned violent thanks to Heracles’ nemesis, the goddess Hera. The encounter between Heracles and his companions against the Amazons was one of the most popular subjects in ancient Greek vase painting and sculpture, second only to the Nemean Lion, with the earliest depiction on a terracotta shield of about 700 BC, found at Tiryns. The artistic and literary depictions reveal that Hippolyte and the Amazons were considered the equals of Greek males in courage and combat skills, although they were ultimately defeated and the Amazon queen’s precious war belt was won by Heracles.
Antigone, 2021
The story of Camilla, the legendary warrior woman of Virgil's Aeneid, raises intriguing questions... more The story of Camilla, the legendary warrior woman of Virgil's Aeneid, raises intriguing questions. Why did Virgil include an Amazon-like woman in his epic poem about the founding of Rome? Was Camilla Virgil's invention? Or was her story based on a lost Italian legend?
Developments in Sedimentology, 2012
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10420940 2014 988788, 2015
Folklore, Dec 2, 2010
Abstract This article presents the English language collecting histories of seven legends of deat... more Abstract This article presents the English language collecting histories of seven legends of death by Poison Dress that were recorded in early modern India (set out in ª Killer Khilats, Part 1º ). The tales express fears of contamination, either symbolic or real, aroused by the ancient ...
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2000
ABSTRACT