ABSTRACT
The property of brightness is central to the formation of the divine persona in ancient Greek religious thought. Brightness draws the dividing line between the modest limits of human existence and the infinitely superior nature of its anthropomorphic divine counterparts. Divine images representing concepts in human form may also contain brightness of diverse types, and in connection with different aspects of their persona and functions. Personified images of celestial light uniquely combine elements which at first glance may seem contradictory, namely the aniconic and abstract with the specific and anthropomorphic. Personified images of stars appear in Attic and South Italian vase painting from the second half of the fifth century, a remarkably later date compared to representations of the sun-god. Following early literary images in Homer and tragic drama, they take the form of naked youths as they dive into the Ocean to give way to the bright light of day.
