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Vatican Museums

Laocoön and His Sons

Marble sculpture from the Hellenistic Period (323 BCE – 31 CE)

In Virgil, Laocoön was a priest of Poseidon who was killed with both his sons after attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse by striking it with a spear. In Sophocles, on the other hand, he was a priest of Apollo, who should have been celibate but had married. The serpents killed only the two sons, leaving Laocoön himself alive to suffer.[14] In other versions he was killed for having had sex with his wife in the temple of Poseidon, or simply making a sacrifice in the temple with his wife present.[15] In this second group of versions, the snakes were sent by Poseidon[16] and in the first by Poseidon and Athena, or Apollo, and the deaths were interpreted by the Trojans as proof that the horse was a sacred object. The two versions have rather different morals: Laocoön was either punished for doing wrong, or for being right

Neptune’s priest, Laocoön, chosen by lot for this honour,

Stood sacrificing a victim, a monstrous bull, at the altars.

Look! Across tranquil depths, out of Tenedos, writhing and coiling,

Big orbs swishing a course, twin serpents—I shudder, recalling—

Slither the sea’s face, stretch for the shore in their parallel lunges. 205

Now, amid surf, chests standing erect, crests mane-like, in aspect

Blood-red, up they surge on the swell, bodies skimming the water,

Spiralling measureless tails in whiplash whirls of propulsion.

Foaming brine crashes noise. In a trice they have reached the enclosure.

Flickering, viperous tongues lick mouths spitting sibilant hisses, 211

Eyes blaze, reddened with fire and with blood in a sanguine suffusion. 210

Anguished and pale at the sight, we scatter; they form into columns,

Seeking Laocoön. First, each serpent entwines his two children’s

Tiny bodies in coils of embrace and, poor little fellows,

Feasts upon limbs that its jaws just crunch and ingest at a single 215

Gulp. When he seizes his weapons and runs up to help them, the serpents

Pluck him away and constrict him in monstrous spirals; already

Two coils squeeze the man’s waist; and their scaly backs, interlacing,

Noose two more round his throat. Their necks, their heads, tower above him.

Struggling to push them away with his hands, and to rip their garrotting 220

Knots from his throat, he’s awash in their poisonous blood-blackened venom.

Constant, appalling screams he shrills and shrills to the starry

Sky, like the bellowing pain of the bull who’s escaped from his altar

Maimed, and who’s shaken the badly aimed axe from his neck where it struck him.

The School of Athens - Wikipedia

Raphael's 'The School of Athens'

The School of Athens by Raphael is a Renaissance masterpiece that represents the gathering of the greatest philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians from classical antiquity, all engaged in intellectual discourse within a grand architectural setting. Painted between 1509 and 1511, the fresco symbolizes the harmony between reason, knowledge, and the divine, which was central to Renaissance humanism. At the center, Plato and Aristotle walk side by side, embodying the contrasting philosophical ideals of metaphysical idealism and empirical realism. Surrounding them are iconic figures like Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, Heraclitus, and possibly Hypatia, each captured in dynamic, thoughtful poses. Raphael even includes himself among the thinkers.

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who taught that the goal of life is to achieve pleasure through the absence of pain and a tranquil mind, valuing simple living, friendship, and philosophical reflection. He is often misunderstood as promoting indulgence, but he actually advocated for moderation and inner peace as the path to happiness.

Socrates: A classical Greek philosopher known for his method of questioning to stimulate critical thinking, he stands engaging others in debate, representing the search for ethical truths. His presence symbolizes intellectual rigor and moral inquiry.

Plato: Pointing upward, he represents his Theory of Forms—ideal truths beyond the physical world. As Raphael modeled him after Leonardo da Vinci, Plato anchors the painting's focus on metaphysical philosophy.

Aristotle: With his hand extended horizontally, he emphasizes empirical observation and practical ethics. As Plato’s student, he represents grounded logic and science in contrast to Plato’s idealism.

Hypatia: A female philosopher and mathematician of ancient Alexandria, she symbolizes the rare but vital presence of women in classical scholarship. Though not historically accurate to the setting, Raphael includes her to honor her intellectual legacy.

Diogenes: Shown reclining alone on the steps, he embodies cynicism and a rejection of materialism. His posture and isolation highlight his disdain for societal norms and intellectual pretension.

Pythagoras: Focused on a book and tablet, he demonstrates mathematical harmony and the mystical significance of numbers. He symbolizes the deep connection between philosophy and mathematical order.

Raphael: He painted himself into the scene, looking directly at the viewer from the far right. This inclusion asserts the Renaissance artist's intellectual role alongside the great minds of antiquity.

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