Tell me more ×
History Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for historians and history buffs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

I wonder why Church officials not only allowed but also endorsed and paid for depictions of pre-Christian gods.

Examples include Pietro Bracci's Oceanus, which was funded by the Pope,

enter image description here

and multiple others like this depiction of Venus and Mars. enter image description here

These works were created even at those times when for worshiping Jesus Christ somewhat different way you could be easily burned alive.

share|improve this question
"These works were created even at those times when for worshipping Jesus Christ somewhat different way you could be easily burned alive." Citation needed. Furthermore you got your timelines mixed up, Pietro Bracci was born two centuries after the middle ages, and technically also after the Renaissance. There's a good question in there, but you really need to research the subject a bit on your own, at least until you get some of the basic facts straight. – Yannis Rizos Nov 14 '12 at 3:41
@Yannis Rizos this depends on the definition of middle ages. Here it is traditionally defined as a time period up to French revolution (i.e., the Modern) – Anixx Nov 14 '12 at 3:49
Hm? Where's that definition coming from? – Yannis Rizos Nov 14 '12 at 3:50
@Yannis Rizos it is typical for Soviet and post-Soviet school. They usually assume Middle Ages to cover the time span of Feudalism and to end with the rise of Capitalism which is symbolized by the French revolution. – Anixx Nov 14 '12 at 3:58
If that's true, it's quite misguiding and unfortunate. How about you revise your question to follow the commonly accepted definition of middle ages, since this isn't really a Soviet or a post Soviet school. – Yannis Rizos Nov 14 '12 at 4:05
show 2 more comments

closed as not a real question by Yannis Rizos, Luke, Steven Drennon♦ Dec 14 '12 at 22:14

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.