For many modern people, the beach is synonymous with relaxation, tranquility and serenity. The sound of the waves, the salty breeze, the warmth of the sand underfoot - all this creates the perfect atmosphere for relaxation and escape from everyday worries. No wonder that every year millions of people rush to the shores of the seas and oceans to enjoy the sun and water.
Studies confirm this phenomenon: being at the beach reduces
stress, improves mood and promotes deep relaxation. The sound of the surf immerses us in a light meditative state, the smell of the sea soothes us, and the even rhythm of the waves seems to lull us to sleep, allowing us to completely disconnect from the hustle and bustle.
However, this idyllic view of the beach is relatively new. Mass beach vacations, as many modern people know them, only became really popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, originating as a privilege of the wealthy classes in Western countries.
For their ancestors, especially the ancient Greeks, the beach was a very different place - a place of
fear, suffering and death. Although the Greeks were a maritime people and their lives were closely linked to the coast, they had a deep dread of the sea and believed that a land-based lifestyle was much safer and more dignified.
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"As a cultural historian and a specialist in Greek mythology, I find this change in attitudes toward the beach extraordinary. What accounts for such a dramatic transformation in perception?"," says Marie-Claire Beaulieu, associate professor of classical studies at Tufts University
The sensory experience of the beach: repulsive sensations of antiquity
In her 2016 book The Sea in the Greek Imagination, Marie-Claire Beaulieu explores in detail how Greek literature systematically ignored any positive aspects of the beach and the sea, instead focusing on unpleasant sensations. "The purpose of this approach was to emphasize the all-encompassing discomfort that the ancient Greeks felt towards the sea element. Take odors, for example," she says.
Modern man may enjoy the fresh sea breeze, but Greek literature emphasized the pungent odor of seaweed and sea salt.
In the legendary Odyssey, an eighth-century BC epic poem, much of the action of which takes place at sea, the hero King
Menelaus and his companions find themselves in trouble off the coast of Egypt. In order to catch the sea god Proteus and ask him for the way home, they have to hide under the skins of seals.
The disgusting smell of the seals, mixed with the acrid odor of sea salt, was so unbearable that their ambush almost failed. It was only through the magic ambrosia they placed under their noses that the stench was neutralized. This episode vividly demonstrates how unpleasant the sensory experience of the coast could be for the ancient Greeks.
Sounds of the sea: the rumble of battle instead of soothing surf
Similarly, while for modern people the measured sound of the waves on a calm day is a source of peace, for the ancient Greeks the violent storms of the sea were exceptionally disturbing. Ancient Greek literature focuses entirely on the terrifying power of the raging sea, often comparing its roar to the noise of battle.
In the Iliad, another great poem, the Trojan army's attack on the Greek fighting order is described through the metaphor of a sea storm: "They came like a deadly storm that ravages the earth, under the thunder of father Zeus, and uproars the sea with a menacing roar, leaving in their wake tumultuous waves above the echoing water, dense rows of huge waves white with foam."
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This comparison not only emphasizes the destructive power, but also conveys the sense of chaos and uncontrollable elements that the Greeks associated with the sea.
Exposure to the elements: from beauty to ugliness
Even a hero as noble as Odysseus undergoes physical changes when exposed to the sun and sea salt, becoming haggard and intimidating. In The Odyssey, this legendary wanderer spends ten years wandering the seas, returning home after the
Trojan War.
At the end of his torment, he is barely kept on the raft by a storm sent by the angry sea god
Poseidon. Eventually, he abandons the raft and swims to shore.
When he lands on a Theacian island called Scheria, his appearance so frightens the maids of Princess Nausikaia that they scatter. Odysseus is described as "all stained with salt water," his skin weathered and tanned, which to the ancient Greeks was a sign of disadvantage and savagery, as opposed to the valued pale, well-groomed appearance.
The barrenness of sand and sea
The sand of the beach and the sea itself were perceived by the ancient Greeks as barren, fundamentally different from the fertile fields that provided food and life. This is why in the Iliad and the Odyssey the sea is regularly referred to as "atrygetos", which translates as "unharvestable" or "barren".
This view of the sea as a lifeless desert seems paradoxical, given that the oceans provide a significant portion of the world's caloric and protein intake, and could provide much more.
The Greeks themselves consumed fish extensively, and many species were considered delicacies available only to the wealthy. However, their cultural perception of the sea as a source of life was limited, emphasizing its inability to produce plants and crops, which was a key aspect of a fertile land.
The beach as a place of death and grief
In ancient Greek literature, the beach was not only frightening, but also firmly associated with death. The shores of the seas often became places of mourning for deceased loved ones.
Graves, especially cenotaphs - empty tombstones erected in memory of those who died at sea and whose bodies were never found - were often located by the sea.
In the ancient world, the lack of a proper burial was considered a particularly cruel fate. Bodies that could not be buried were doomed to wander the Earth forever as restless ghosts, while those who received proper burial rituals could go to the afterlife.
The Greek underworld, though a dark and damp place, was still considered a worthy end to life. Thus, according to classical scholar Gabriela Kursarou, the beach was "a border space in Greek culture: a symbolic threshold between the world of the living and the world of the dead".
Revelation and transformation
However, despite all the negative associations, the beach was not an exceptionally sinister place for the Greeks. Because it served as a bridge between the sea and the land, the Greeks believed that it also connected the world of the living, the world of the dead, and the world of the gods. Thus, the beach could be a place of omens, divine revelations, and even apparitions of the gods.
For this reason, many oracles of the dead, where the living could get information from the dead, were located on beaches and coastal cliffs. The gods, too, often visited the beach. They listened to prayers and sometimes even appeared before their admirers by the sea.
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In the Iliad,
the god Apollo hears his priest Chryses complaining on the beach about how badly the Greeks are treating his daughter. The angry god immediately retaliates by inflicting a plague on the Greek army, a scourge that can only be stopped by returning the girl to her father. This demonstrates that the beach could not only be a place of despair, but also a point where divine intervention changed destinies.
The beach as a point of connection and a source of casual wealth
In addition to religious beliefs, the beach was also an important physical connection point between Greece and distant lands. Enemy fleets, merchants, and
pirates often landed on beaches or frequented the coasts, as ancient ships could not remain on the high seas for long.
Thus, the beach could have been quite a dangerous place, as military historian Jorit Wintjes argues, "presenting a potential threat of invasion or attack."
On the other hand, shipwrecks cast ashore could bring pleasant surprises, such as unexpected treasure, which became a turning point in many ancient Greek stories.
For example, in the ancient novel Daphnis and Chloe, the poor shepherd Daphnis finds a purse on the beach that allows him to marry Chloe and bring their love story to a happy ending. These stories show that despite all the dangers, the beach could also be a source of hope, sudden wealth, and a change of fortune.
Echoes of ancient beliefs in the modern world
Perhaps something of this ancient idea of the beach as a place of unexpected finds has survived to this day. Searching on the beach remains a popular hobby, and some people even use metal detectors in the hope of finding something of value.
In addition to the proven positive psychological effects, searching on the beach testifies to a person's eternal fascination with the sea and all its treasures, from beautiful shells and sea glass to perhaps long-lost ancient coins. As it did for the ancient Greeks, the beach can give the modern man a sense of being on the threshold of another world, a world of mystery and possibility.