{"product_id":"the-diver-of-paestum-tonio-holscher-9781509568130","title":"The Diver of Paestum: Youth, Eros, and the Sea in Ancient Greece","description":"Since its discovery in 1968, the painting of a diver on a tomb in Paestum, originally the Greek colony of Poseidonia in southern Italy, has left viewers spellbound. It depicts a beautiful and enigmatic scene: a young man dives headfirst into the water from a cliff or tower. The image is joined by others from the same tomb depicting a banquet of young people drinking wine, playing games and enjoying music. Understanding this painting is often seen as a key to unlocking some of the mysteries of ancient Greek culture - and therein lies the puzzle. What is the meaning of the diver? Is it, as many have argued, a metaphorical representation of the passage from life to a world beyond?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The eminent art historian Tonio Hölscher rejects this view, arguing that there is nothing symbolic or metaphorical about the painting: the scenes celebrate the real lives of the Greek colonists of the early 5th century BC. The painting captures a young man's spirited personality and pursuits during a life which may have been short, but was lived to the full. In a groundbreaking reversal of how the painting is typically interpreted, this book opens a window onto the world of Ancient Greece and its culture of athleticism, eroticism, love for nature and enjoyment of the sea. A joyful ode to youth, it is above all a unique portrait of the zest for life in Antiquity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Tonio Holscher\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1509568131\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781509568130\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Polity Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/18\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 136\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.80h x 5.60w x 0.67d","brand":"Tonio Holscher","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47759219785983,"sku":"9781509568130","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_2b187a76-6604-4e64-8746-f79b6f150b7a.jpg?v=1765512253","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-diver-of-paestum-tonio-holscher-9781509568130","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}