“A Tail in the Mouth”:- Ouroboros during the Greco-Roman Period

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Tourist Guidance Department, Sinai High Institute for Tourism and Hotels Managements

Abstract

One of the most famous ancient images is the Ouroboros, which portrays a serpent or mythical beast swallowing its tail, continually re-birthing itself and shaping a circle, representing eternity and the cyclical nature of things that start once again after they end. It is also the symbol of duality and dualising power. The standard ouroboros is used to refer to the ichnographically steady icon of a ring serpent with its tail at its mouth or inside it, associated with the cyclical time-eternity. It appeared during the New Kingdom and spread throughout the history of Egypt. From Egypt, and as an art motif and religious symbol, it may have spread to the Levant, and then around the world. This article is a performance of comparative material from the Greco-Roman period that sets the ouroboros imagery. It requires an examination of the link between the different kinds of monuments. The study also traces the development of the symbol, and compares monuments of this period with earlier antiques. The imagery of the ouroboros was inspired by a variety of monumental iconographic representations, including those found on tombs, coffins, magical materials, temples, and so on.

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