Talos, Pandora, and the Trojan Horse as Products of Technology in Ancient Literature and Art

Abstract

The bronze robot Talos and the artificial woman Pandora are the earliest automatons in Greek mythology, first described by Hesiod in about 700 BC. In some ancient sources, the Trojan Horse was depicted as an animated statue. All three artificial creations were illustrated in vase paintings and other art. Significantly, writers and artists visualized these self-moving entities, not as results of magic, but as marvelous artifacts fabricated with familiar materials and implements. This paper shows how the crafted natures of Talos, Pandora, and the Trojan Horse, emphasized in literary descriptions, were confirmed in artistic representations alluding to the use of technology and tools, in unexpected ways.