The Antithesis of Ύβρις and Humility in the Pursuit of Glory: A Christological Contour of Beauty

Ύβρις permeates ancient Greek literature and history. From epic to ancient kings, notions of self-exaltation are abundant. Men try to make themselves into gods and face the consequences. Comparatively, Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates humility, despite ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων (“being in the form of God”). The antithesis between Jesus and the civilization of ὕβρις before him is worthy of aesthetic consideration. In this thesis, I provide a theological aesthetic through which to see the beauty of Christ’s humility in the Carmen Christi (Philippians 2:6-11) against the ὕβρις identified through Greek history and literature. This takes place in three parts: 1) I establish a theological aesthetic by which to conduct my examination; 2) Through Homer, Solon, and ruler cults I examine the language of ὕβρις, its causes, and its consequences; 3) I elucidate the humility of Christ aesthetically in comparison to its Greek counterpart to contemplate its anthropological implications.