There is an enduring romance about ancient Greek and Roman culture that has held sway over Western thought for more than five-hundred years. In Renaissance times, artists used original Greek sculptures (or else Roman copies of original Greek sculptures) as their driving inspiration. Later, architects and painters revived the “noble simplicity” of Greek aesthetics in Neoclassicism, providing the template for so many of the worlds most notable constructions, from Buckingham Palace in London to the White House in Washington DC. Meanwhile, young European aristocrats went on the “Grand Tour” of the classical sites of Rome and Athens as a means of deepening their education of worldly affairs.
What were the beauty standards in ancient Rome?
The male beauty ideal in Ancient Rome was dictated by Roman ideas about proper lifestyle. A young man was foremost a warrior, lean and…