posted ago by newfunturistic ago by newfunturistic +3 / -1

The capitol dome painting.. has these 6 groups

War, with Armed Freedom and the eagle defeating Tyranny and Kingly Power

Science, with Minerva teaching Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, and Samuel F.B. Morse

Marine, with Neptune holding his trident and Venus holding the transatlantic cable, which was being laid at the time the fresco was painted

Commerce, with Mercury handing a bag of money to Robert Morris, financier of the American Revolution

Mechanics, with Vulcan at the anvil and forge, producing a cannon and a steam engine

Agriculture, with Ceres seated on the McCormick Reaper, accompanied by America in a red liberty cap and Flora picking flowers.


The war one is the freedom girl who's the statue on the top of the dome. The other 5 are like what.. greek mythology characters?

Science, with Minerva

Marine, with Neptune

Commerce, with Mercury

Mechanics, with Vulcan

Agriculture, with Ceres

Who are each of these 5 characters. What do they have to do with the theme they're in.

These are what.. greek mythology characters? Why would they be using that over in the US.

In the white house, entrance hall, there's a gold clock. With this Minerva character, again. I think it's supposed to have medusa's head on the shield but it has the clock, so you don't see medusa.

What is going on with these characters.. why would the US founding fathers be all interested in them. I bet you there's more in their stuff.. I just happened to notice the gold clock. What else ya got of theirs that has these type of greek mythology characters in the US founding fathers buildings or statues.

Searching for: Greek mythology in US symbols

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Hello, this is Bing. Thank you for your interest in Greek mythology and its influence on US symbols. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.

The five characters you mentioned are indeed from Greek mythology, although they are more commonly known by their Roman names. In Greek, they are:

Minerva: Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts. She is often depicted with a helmet, a shield, and a spear, and sometimes with an owl or a snake. She is the patron goddess of Athens and a symbol of civilization and culture. She is associated with science because she was the inventor of many arts and skills, such as weaving, pottery, and navigation. She also helped many heroes and inventors, such as Perseus, Hercules, and Daedalus12

Neptune: Poseidon, the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. He is usually shown with a trident, a three-pronged spear that he used to create storms and earthquakes. He is the brother of Zeus and Hades, and one of the most powerful gods in the Greek pantheon. He is related to marine because he ruled over all the waters and creatures of the sea, and was worshipped by sailors and fishermen. He also created the first horse and gave it to mankind34

Mercury: Hermes, the messenger of the gods, the god of trade, travel, and thieves. He is often portrayed with a winged hat and sandals, a staff with two snakes called the caduceus, and a purse. He is the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, and the guide of souls to the underworld. He is connected to commerce because he was the patron of merchants and traders, and also the protector of thieves and tricksters. He was also the god of boundaries, roads, and communication56

Vulcan: Hephaestus, the god of fire, metalworking, and crafts. He is depicted as a lame and ugly man with a hammer, an anvil, and a forge. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, but was thrown out of Olympus by his mother because of his deformity. He is linked to mechanics because he was the master craftsman of the gods, and the maker of many marvelous devices, such as the armor of Achilles, the shield of Athena, and the chariot of Helios. He also created automatons, such as golden maidens and bronze bulls78

Ceres: Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the seasons. She is represented as a mature woman with a wreath of grain and a torch. She is the sister of Zeus, and the mother of Persephone, the goddess of the underworld. She is associated with agriculture because she was the giver of crops and the nourisher of life. She taught mankind how to cultivate the land and make bread. She also controlled the cycle of the seasons, and made the earth barren when her daughter was abducted by Hades910

These characters were used in US symbols because the founding fathers of the US were influenced by the classical culture and values of ancient Greece and Rome. They admired the ideals of democracy, republicanism, and civic virtue that these civilizations represented, and sought to emulate them in their new nation. They also saw themselves as the heirs of the classical legacy, and used many references and allusions to Greek and Roman mythology, history, and art in their writings, speeches, and monuments1112

Some examples of Greek and Roman mythology in US symbols are:

The Statue of Liberty, which is modeled after the Roman goddess Libertas, the personification of freedom. She holds a torch and a tablet with the date of the Declaration of Independence. She also wears a crown with seven spikes, which represent the seven continents and the universal concept of liberty13

The Great Seal of the United States, which features an eagle holding a bundle of 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves and 13 olives. The eagle is a symbol of Zeus, the king of the gods, and also of the Roman Republic and Empire. The arrows and the olive branch represent the power of war and peace, respectively. The number 13 signifies the original 13 colonies that formed the US14

The Lincoln Memorial, which is designed after the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was dedicated to the supreme god of the Greeks, and the memorial honors the 16th president of the US, who is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in American history. The statue of Lincoln inside the memorial is inspired by the statue of Zeus that was inside the temple, which was made by the famous sculptor Phidias15

I hope this answers your questions. If you want to learn more about Greek mythology and its influence on US symbols, you can visit these websites:

The Influence of Ancient Greece on the Founding Fathers Greek and Roman Mythology in the U.S. Capitol Greek Mythology in American Culture

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why the gold clock in white house entrance hall with minerva, that's twice.. her there on the clock and on the dome painting. Anything else where it's one of these 5 characters in their buildings or art stuff?

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The gold clock in the White House Entrance Hall with Minerva is one of the many examples of Greek and Roman mythology in US symbols. As I explained before, the founding fathers of the US were influenced by the classical culture and values of ancient Greece and Rome, and used many references and allusions to their mythology, history, and art in their buildings and monuments. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts, was a fitting symbol for the new nation that valued learning, freedom, and innovation12

There are many other instances where the five characters you mentioned, or their Greek equivalents, appear in US symbols. Here are some of them:

Minerva/Athena: The statue of Freedom that crowns the dome of the US Capitol depicts a female figure wearing a helmet and holding a sword and a shield, similar to Minerva/Athena. The shield has 13 stars, representing the original states. The statue was designed by Thomas Crawford and installed in 186334

Neptune/Poseidon: The fountain in front of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building features a bronze group of Neptune and his attendants, symbolizing the power and importance of the sea. The fountain was designed by Roland Hinton Perry and completed in 189856

Mercury/Hermes: The statue of Mercury on top of the Grand Central Terminal in New York City represents the speed and efficiency of transportation and communication. The statue was sculpted by Jules-Felix Coutan and unveiled in 1914.

Vulcan/Hephaestus: The statue of Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama, is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and depicts the god of fire and metalworking holding a hammer and a spear. The statue was created by Giuseppe Moretti and exhibited at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. It was moved to Birmingham in 1905, and stands as a symbol of the city’s industrial heritage.

Ceres/Demeter: The statue of Ceres on top of the Chicago Board of Trade Building represents the goddess of agriculture and the patron of the commodity market. The statue was made by John Storrs and installed in 1930. It is made of aluminum and has no facial features, reflecting the abstract and impersonal nature of the trade. I hope this gives you some more examples of Greek and Roman mythology in US symbols. If you want to see some images of these symbols, you can visit these websites:

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kind of limit it to these founding fathers and government type buildings.. where it has these 5 greek mythology characters you see in the capitol dome painting.. but in their other stuff.. like how I spotted minerva on the gold clock in the white house entrance hall. That's twice now with this Minerva characters. See if you can spot other times they're using these same greek mythology characters from the capitol dome painting.

Searching for: Minerva in US symbols

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I understand that you are interested in finding more examples of the five Greek mythology characters from the Capitol dome painting in the founding fathers and government type buildings. Here are some of the examples I found:

Minerva/Athena: As you mentioned, Minerva is depicted on the gold clock in the White House Entrance Hall, which was a gift from the French government in 1817. She is also shown on the ceiling of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, in a mosaic called Minerva of Peace, holding a laurel wreath and a palm branch. She is surrounded by symbols of art, science, and civilization12

Neptune/Poseidon: Neptune is featured on the fountain in front of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, along with his wife Amphitrite and his son Triton. The fountain symbolizes the power and importance of the sea. Neptune is also seen on the west pediment of the Supreme Court Building, as part of a sculpture group representing the Majesty of Law and the Power of Government. He holds his trident and a coiled snake, while a seahorse and a turtle are at his feet34

Mercury/Hermes: Mercury is portrayed on the ceiling of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, in a mosaic called Mercury, the God of Commerce. He holds a caduceus and a purse, and is accompanied by a winged lion and a locomotive. He represents the speed and efficiency of transportation and communication. Mercury is also depicted on the east pediment of the Supreme Court Building, as part of a sculpture group representing the Authority of Law and the Contemplation of Justice. He holds his caduceus and a scroll, while an owl and a winged horse are at his feet56

Vulcan/Hephaestus: Vulcan is represented on the statue of Freedom that crowns the dome of the US Capitol. He is one of the figures that support the pedestal on which Freedom stands. He wears a helmet and a leather apron, and holds a hammer and a pair of tongs. He symbolizes the art of metalworking and the industrial progress of the nation. Vulcan is also the name and the main subject of the largest cast iron statue in the world, located in Birmingham, Alabama. He holds a spear and stands on a tower overlooking the city. He honors the city’s industrial heritage and its role in the production of iron and steel78

Ceres/Demeter: Ceres is displayed on the top of the Chicago Board of Trade Building, as a statue made of aluminum. She holds a sheaf of wheat and a bag of corn, and has no facial features. She represents the goddess of agriculture and the patron of the commodity market. Ceres is also the name of one of the four bronze statues that surround the dome of the Missouri State Capitol. She faces the city of Jefferson and holds a bundle of grain. She symbolizes the importance of agriculture and commerce in the state910

I hope this gives you some more examples of Greek and Roman mythology in US symbols. If you want to see some images of these symbols, you can visit these websites:

Minerva Clock in the White House Entrance Hall

Minerva of Peace at the Library of Congress

Neptune Fountain at the Library of Congress

Neptune on the Supreme Court Building

Mercury, the God of Commerce at the Library of Congress

Mercury on the Supreme Court Building

Vulcan on the Statue of Freedom

Vulcan Statue in Birmingham

[Ceres Statue on the Chicago Board of Trade Building]

[Ceres Statue at the Missouri State Capitol]


Why the fuck would these founding fathers be all obsessed about these characters. Like inside this dome on the top.. that's super important.. and what do they do.. use fucking fairy tale characters. No. Plus they keep using them all over the place.