Physiognomy In The Ancient Graeco-Roman World: Historical Origin, Perspective and Method

Abstract

The origin of physiognomy, which is considered as one of the occult sciences and is said to have been applied for the first time by Pythagoras of Samos in the 6th century BC in the Ancient Greek world, is based on the Babylonian Civilization. Thanks to the excavations many evidence of occult sciences originating from Mesopotamia have been found in Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Cyprus, suggesting that they were transferred to the classical world through a corridor stretching from Syria and Cyprus to Etruria. Pythagoras, who settled in Croton, a Greek colony in southern Italy, became aware of the physiognomic signs, probably owing to the flow of information coming through that corridor.The article aims to explain the origin of physiognomy and how physiognomy was handled in the Ancient Greek and Roman Period and give information about the subject.

Keywords

• Mesopotamia
• Alamdimmû
• Polemon
• physiognomy
• eyes.

Antik Yunan ve Roma Dünyasında Fizyonomi: Tarihsel Köken, Bakış Açısı ve Yöntem

Öz

Gizli ilimlerden biri olarak kabul edilen ve Antik Yunan’da İÖ 6. yüzyılda ilk kez Samoslu Pythagoras tarafından uygulandığı söylenen fizyonominin kökeni Babil Medeniyeti’ne dayanmaktadır. Arkeolojik kazılar sayesinde Anadolu, Suriye, Filistin ve Kıbrıs’ta Mezopotamya kökenli gizli ilimlere dair birçok kanıt bulunması, bunların Suriye ve Kıbrıs üzerinden Etruria’ya uzanan bir koridor aracılığıyla klasik dünyaya aktarıldığını düşündürmektedir. Mısır’dan döndüğünde İtalya’nın güneyinde bir Yunan kolonisi olan Kroton’a yerleşen Samoslu Pythagoras’ın fizyonomik alâmetlerden haberdar oluşu, olasılıkla bu koridor aracılığıyla gelen bilgi akışı sayesinde olmuştur. Bu makalenin amacı, söz konusu koridor aracılığıyla klasik dünyaya ulaşan fizyonomi bilgisinin kökenini, Antik Yunan ve Roma Dönemi’nde ele alınış şeklini incelemek ve konu ile ilgili bilgi vermektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mezopotamya
• Alamdimmu
• Polemon
• fizyonomi
• gözler

Kaynakça

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