Legacy of Antiquity.
Throughout the centuries, water has been an essential source of life and has dictated the form that gardens took as their most vital element. In arid lands like Egypt, annual floods used to irrigate the banks of the Nile, turning enclosed gardens into lush shelters, stocking pools and nurturing pleasant shady trees. In addition to this miraculous annual rejuvenation, water was also drawn from the Nile along dikes and irrigation canals. These determined the shape and design of the gardens, generally arranged in a symmetrical grid. The swimming pool was the centerpiece of the ancient Egyptian garden and was usually the preserve of the high society who used them for pleasure, but also for storing fish and birds. The ancient Egyptian garden design was considered so important even in the afterlife that its design can be seen on the tombs of the pharaohs and nobility, to be used by the deceased. The Egyptians believed in deities like Nut (also the goddess of the sycamore tree) who met their needs both in life and in the afterlife. Many of these representations are loaded with pomegranates and figs so that the deceased can continue to receive food in the life that follows. An example of this can be seen in the Tomb of Nebamun in Thebes c. 1400 BC. An inscription on another tomb at Thebes says
‘Can I roam my pool every day forever? May my soul feel in the branches of the sepulchral garden that I have prepared for myself. May I refresh myself every day under my sycamore.
The characteristics of the water both inside and outside Egyptian gardens played a crucial role in the daily ritual of religious life. The larger gardens had several pools randomly placed to help cool the air.
Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire
The ancient Greeks were filled with awe when they first saw the magnificent gardens of the eastern Persian kings. The water features enhanced by the architectural setting probably originated in Greece when the springs were enclosed to preserve their purity and later decorated as sanctuaries.
Homer’s Odyssey has one of the first ancient writings on a garden and water, written between 750 and 650 BC. C. and mentions that the garden of King Alcinous depends on two things: water and divine intervention. Homer describes the garden of Alcinous, king of the Phaeaceans, rich in pears, apples, pomegranates, and sweet figs that grow throughout the year. In Book V, Homer also describes Calypso’s garden:
“And around the cave was a forest in bloom, alders and poplars and sweet-smelling cypress trees. And there slept long-winged birds, owls and hawks and chattering sea crows, who do their business in the waters. the hollow cave was crawling a climbing vine, all rich in clusters. And four orderly fountains ran with clear water, one against the other, each turning to its own course. And around soft meadows flowered with violets and parsley, yes, even an immortal god who came there might marvel at the sight and rejoice at heart.
In his book Phaedrus, written around 350 BC. C., Plato and his friend talk by a stream about the sanctified atmosphere of the place. Plato comments:
‘The spring that runs under the plane, how beautifully fresh is its water for the feet. ‘
As also seen earlier in ancient Egypt, the Greeks also believed in Deities such as nymphs that inhabited streams and grottoes. Nymphs are personifications of the creative who foster the activities of nature, often identified with the life-giving flow of springs. The association of nymphs and muses resulted in informal arrangements of figures in and around fountains and decoration with natural stones and shells.
The writings of the Roman poet Ovid in his Metamorphoses are some of the earliest descriptions of the way water fountains were decorated. He describes Diana’s Grotto as a cave that included a fountain stream that had pumice stone decorated walls beneath a moss-covered floor. In their grottoes and caves, the ancients used to apply a deliberately rough layer of pumice shavings that Ovid called “living pumice.” Green ocher, a natural pigment in the earth, was also used to imitate the living moss in a cave.
In Pompeii, Italy, there are many examples of trendy water features that were used in the seaside city, providing a welcome retreat from Rome’s sweltering summer heat. The lucky residents of the nearby villas were able to enjoy the renovated gardens animated by fountains and swimming pools. Marble sculptures, especially fountain figures in ancient Rome, often took their theme from mythology or something with special reference to the owner of the house. Bronze was a popular metal and was more durable than marble. Bronze wall fountains with animal heads on marble basins were very popular throughout the Roman Empire and were used individually or in groups around a water fountain. Typical examples of these are the Lion Wall Fountains and, in particular, the two dogs and a wild boar from the richly decorated home of the Citharist in Pompeii, which are now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Naples. Lion’s head peaks were one of the earliest forms of water features. This is because the lion has been an icon for humanity that appears in almost every culture in Europe, Asia and Africa. The lion has been a popular symbol of imperial majesty for thousands of years. He has also been positively represented in many cultures of bravery and strength, but being noble. This symbolism of the Lion has been used in garden water features from ancient times to the present day.
Ancient manuscripts on hydraulics were rediscovered during the Renaissance when designers revived lost art from fantastic sources for great Italian gardens.
