Green dream. Sogni vegetali nelle culture antiche

Mario Lentano

Abstract:

The theme of the mother who during pregnancy dreams of birthing a tree which then experiences prodigious growth, is widespread in Greek and Roman culture in reference to the birth of heroes or other outstanding figures. This contribution tracest the development of the motif in ancient texts and its reception in the Middle Ages and in the iconographic tradition of the early modern age and aims to highlight the reasons that justify the choice of trees in this type of dream narratives.