Gigantomachy

Here we will examine Amazonomachies, Gigantomachies, and Centauromachies; the Trojan War will be discussed in Chapter 7.

You often see the Gigantomachy in the sculptural decoration of Archaic temples: the statement of the authority of the gods, made by the temple itself, is reinforced by the myth told upon it.

First, beginning in the 5th cent. BC, the line between religious and commemorative-political art became blurred as traditional subjects were blurred to convey political meanings (e.g. the Amazonomachy, the Gigantomachy; see AMAZONS, GIANTS).

Giant and dragon interchange as opponents of god or hero in folklore; in the gigantomachies we have evidence of their near-identity.

Beginning with the presentation of the giants in c.m. 53, supported by the Greek Gigantomachia and the recurring giant theme from the De Raptu Proserpinae, it is then possible to analyse the construction of the Visigothic leader Alaric to demonstrate the way in which he, in particular, is depicted as a monster figure and his assault on Roman land as a new gigantomachy.[…]To write a gigantomachy is to engage with a long tradition associated with the theme.