The next day, Theophrastus took Alexander on a tour of the city of Athens and a trip to Lycipus to get to know the greatest sculptor of his time. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

This is Alexander's first time in Athens, and he is very curious about everything here, the main color of Athens is white, although it is not as colorful as those cities in the 21st century, but for people like Alexander, this style is more liked. Here, he finds a long period of tranquility in his mind, filled with stunning sculptures and Ionic architecture. European civilization originated in Greece and then spread to Rome, thus influencing the whole of Europe, and the architectural style was first imitated by Rome from Greece. These beautiful and harmonious scenes were forever engraved in Alexander's mind. However, Athens, as a model of democracy, has now become a tyrant political system due to the intervention of Cassander's forces, and Alexander cannot be too public, so as not to reveal his identity. Since it was far from Lucippus's residence, the two struck up a conversation.

"Alexander, do you know what created all this?"

"Even if I don't tell me, you'll tell me, won't you?"

"Hehe, boy, you'll already be able to figure out my mind so soon!" Théophrastol paused, and continued: "It is freedom that enables no one to express his thoughts, to invent and create, and to produce great works. You see, in an ideal country, all people would be able to give the orders morally in old age after being morally obedient in their youth. Thousands of citizens live as equals under the protection of the law, which gives honour to everyone who deserves it, regulates the exchange of goods and trade between citizens, punishes the wrongdoer, and corrects him in a timely manner. Such a collective is not maintained by blood, family, or tribe, as in Macedonia, but by the law, before which all citizens are equal. The law corrects the shortcomings and deficiencies of individuals, limits disputes and competition, rewards those who dare to do things and perform well, encourages the strong, and supports the weak. In such a society, there is no shame in being humble and poor, but shame on those who do not make efforts to improve their living conditions. ”

"No political system of mankind is perfect, and the Greek city-state system had a huge problem: war. There were many Greek cities, although they had internal democratic institutions, but they tried to outmaneuver the others in order to ensure that they had the richest markets, the richest lands, and the most advantageous allies. This led to a series of wars that drained their strength and profited the Persians, the enemies of the Greeks. So the threat from Persia always bothered the Greek city-states. ”

"You're right. A monarch like your father may act as an intermediary between these disputes and civil wars, and he can overcome the seeds of separation with a unified mind, and act as an arbiter and a bellwether over the various factions. Aristotle and I were both suspicious and disappointed in your father. However, in retrospect, he had good intentions, not only to spread Greek culture to the world, but also to make the Hellenistic Macedonians and locals live in harmony, and only to properly respect the local customs and culture, in fact, this could not avoid contradictions, but he had done a good job. ”

"My father has always been a good student of Aristotle, and he has never deviated from the right path taught by his teacher, but as an emperor, he has done things that many ordinary people cannot understand."

"Yes, Antipater's complete conquest of Greece as a vassal made me understand everything. Your father has always had a great deal of respect for Greek democracy and kept it independent and intact, and he made great profits for the Greek army on expeditions that no one else could do. And what struck me deeply yesterday was that you also have that heart of respect for the great Greek civilization. That's what I thought, and for this purpose I grant your request, otherwise no one would have enough money to buy Theophrastus, and your grandfather would not have been able to buy Aristotle. "In fact, Aristotle discovered the presence of two people in your father at the same time: one of them was a well-educated young man, who had an insatiable curiosity, who asked countless questions to his teacher, who could sing and paint, and who could recite the tragedy of Aeschylus; The other was a mad and savage warrior, a ruthless destroyer, and in hunting, running, and combat practice, Alexander's inclination was evident, and the uneasy shadow in the depths of his left eye was like the chaotic night at the beginning of the world. So Aristotle felt that there was still much to teach Alexander, and that his formidable energy had to be channeled to show him an end and a goal. He wanted to give this body, born in the midst of savage and murderous wars, a political ideology capable of making a plan and putting it into action. Only in this way will he be able to complete this work of his own, as Lysippus did. ”…,

Alexander and Theophrastus traveled to the residence of Lycipus in a cart drawn by two mules. The door to Lysippus' house was not closed, and he was engrossed in casting the model. Alexander saw the master making the prototype of a large sculpture complex out of clay, a scene of Alexander the Great fighting with his cavalry at the Battle of Granikos. Subsequently, he will cast the monument in a certain proportion. Night was approaching, and the lights were already lit in the workshop and dining room.

"Welcome, Theophrastus!" Lucippus said in greetings. "I'm sorry, I can't even shake your hand, I'm dirty. If you wait a little longer, I'll be with you. This little brother is—"

"He's—"

"I'm here to see you, master, but you're busy first, don't worry about me, I admire your superb skills very much, just here to admire."

"Okay, it'll be a while, wait."

Alexander approached the prototype of the sculpture: a group of twenty-six people, with a base about eight to ten paces long. The group of eagles was quite striking, with the swirling waves visible and the angry rhythmic hooves of the charging cavalry almost audible. In this scene, Alexander is dressed in armor, his hair fluttering in the wind, and he is galloping on a crazy war horse, Bukefalas, so it stands out.

Alexander was fascinated by this, and Lysippus washed his hands and came up and said, "What do you think?" ”

"It's awesome! Your work is not only colorful, but also detail-oriented, but what strikes you is the energy that comes from the depths of your soul that lies beneath the surface. ”

Lucippus stared at Alexander for a moment, not saying anything, but was obviously equally shocked that the child could be in this state.

"At the same time, you are bringing Alexander into the lore." Alexander quipped.

"People walk in this world, and in the end they will inevitably die, but some people live in obscurity, and some people live vigorously, and I think it's not in vain for their stories to become legends." Lysyppus was moved.

"Then I have to thank you for my father!"

"No thanks. Well? What did you say? ”

"I am Alexander the Great, the son of the Great. But apart from the aura of a king, I am first and foremost a human being, and like everyone else, I am very honored to meet the greatest sculptor of Greece, whose attainments have made you the first in your profession, and I am far from it. Alexander said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Lucippus was surprised at first, but he didn't feel depressed when he saw that the other party was just a child and didn't have any fight. Seeing that Alexander praised him too much, he said embarrassedly: "I am not as good as you say, compared with the three greatest sculptors of Greece in the classical era, what am I worth!" ”

"You're humble! It seems to me that you are not inferior to them at all, and the sculpture of the Greek classical period after Milon, Phidias, and Polycleitus has entered a more mature stage, and the style tends to be more elegant and beautiful. You have inherited and carried forward the sculpture skills of your predecessors, so that sculpture is no longer a sculpture, but a great work of art. But most of all you bring each piece to life, and I saw it as if I had witnessed the heroism of the Great at the Battle of Granikos. ”

Lucippus doesn't know what to say, as the saying goes: you can't wear a thousand sycophants, not to mention that Alexander's sycophants do get to the point. His words made the master infinitely joyful, and he felt that he had found a soulmate, and that Theophrastus had not praised his work so much.

"Dinner is almost ready, let's have a meal together." Lucippus took off her leather skirt and hung it on a nail

"That's great, who else?"

"My assistant Caredes." The sculptor said and pointed to a middle-aged man with thin body and sparse hair. At this time, he was standing in a corner, holding a semicircular chisel in his hand, busy working on a wooden model, and he nodded in greetings like Alexander and Theophrastus.

"By the way, what about your other apprentice?"

"You said Arkelaos, he has already left the school."

"Oh, yes, we're all young, I think he was already a big boy when he was in Mieza." …,

"Yes! It's been almost 30 years in the blink of an eye, and what a change in these 30 years! ”

The two old men chatted about the past while drinking wine, and at first Alexander listened attentively, but after a while he was bored and ran to Caredes to watch him do the carpentry. Caredes worked without sleep or food, and his dedication to art infected Alexander, who had a wide range of interests, and he sat beside him and observed it.

"What do you think of this kid?" Theophrastus asked.

"His gaze and silhouette are like that of a god."

"I heard Aristotle say that you used to describe his father in the same way."

"Yes, I said so."

"Is he really as good as his father?"

"You know, as a sculptor, I have a very good grasp of people's expressions and hearts. His father was heroic and domineering, while he was very gentle, but they both had the momentum and the demeanor of a king, the former was heroic and invincible, and the latter was sharp-eyed and very calm, as if everything was under his control. There is no doubt that they are all emperors that are rare in a thousand years. ”

"But they are all in this era at the same time." Theophrastus said as he looked at Lycippus. Lucippus looked up, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

Concentrate:

1 Myron (active c. 480~440 BC), Greek sculptor. Born in Eleuthera, he was active in Athens for a long time, and was the founder of the classical period, the golden age of Greek art. He is good at making bronze statues, and his works break through the rigid forms of carving in the ancient period, and push the art of Greek sculpture to a new peak. He is good at grasping the precise structure of the human body and its changing relationship in movement, and achieving a balance and harmony between the spirit and the body. The representative work is "The Discus Thrower".

2 Phedias (Phidias or pheidias, Greek: Φeiδ?a?, c. 480 BC–430 BC) was an ancient Greek sculptor, painter, and architect, and is considered the greatest classical sculptor. He is famous for his works such as the Colossus of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the Colossus of Athena in the Parthenon. At the same time, he was a close friend and artistic advisor to the politician Pericles, and was the most famous artist of his time. During the Greco-Persian Wars, Athens was badly damaged, and Phidias made a significant contribution to the reconstruction of Athens.

3Polyclitus (date of birth and death unknown) was a famous Greek sculptor born in the Peloponnese Argos, whose main activity was in the second half of the fifth century BC. At that time, he was a master sculptor on a par with Phidias. His main contribution lies in his in-depth exploration of the structure of the human body, and he wrote the book "The Law" on the proportions of the human body, proposing that the standard ratio of length to head is 7:1, and creating many works based on this principle. The masterpieces "The Spear Bearer" and "The Wounded Amazon" were made in this proportion. From the perspective of mechanics, he further solved the relationship between the center of gravity of the human body and various dynamics, so the treatment of the human body structure and movement in his works is very accurate, showing a kind of beauty of strength. Although Polycleitos' work lacks nobility and inner beauty compared to Phidias, his exploration of human proportions and compositional balance is of great significance for the development of Greek sculpture.