Atrian Culture

Building upon the great wealth of history and artistic endeavour left by the Republic, the Atrian League has created a cultural edifice which is both impressive and uniquely theirs. With an eye for detail which borders upon fanatacism, it is never a matter of an Atrian just 'doing something', for everything is done with beauty and grace. There are those, however, who consider some of the more...enlightened approaches crossing the line from artistry into perversity. Ah, but some can never appreciate true art, can they?

The veneration of beauty and nature, combined with the keen interest in using reason to discern the nature of the universe come together in the study of aesthetics which pervades the arts and culture of the Atrian League. Many texts have been written on the definition of beauty and how it may be quantified, defined and distilled into the very essence of the universe.

The core of these aesthetics can be defined as harmony, proportion, unity amoung the parts, symmetry and definiteness. These principles of aesthetics carry over into the visual arts as well as drama, music and architecture. Everything has measurements and relationships in the Atrian mindset and, by the understanding and appreciation of these measurements and relationships, one can create a harmonious balance and synergistic effects which are pleasing to the senses and, thus, to the inner being.

Of the various fine arts which the Atrians excel at, sculpture, pottery, frescoes and mosaics are what they are most famous for. There are several schools which are known for each, but the specific styles are things which flicker in and out of fashion much as the seasons and the tides. That said, the subjects of these arts remain rather consistent, being either natural scenes or the human form, both in a method which can be described as a naturalistic idealism. In regard to humanity and the human form, one of the most deeply held convictions is the adoration of youth. Both males and females are noted in this regard, when the first flush of adulthood emerges and the child shrugs off their childish ways. It is then that marriages are arranged and erastes cast about for an eromenos to court for patronage.

Cuisine
Atrian cuisine puts great emphasis on simple, almost austere foods created with a strong eye towards preparation methods and quality of ingredients. The central elements of Atrian cuisine is the use of grapes, olives and wheat. From this triad, one gets wine, oil and bread (amoung other things).

Clothing
Clothing in the Atrian League is, like a great many other things, a matter of personal style and taste being dictated principally by the wearer with a few common-sense rules.. Perhaps the two most important things to understand about Atrian clothing is that the garments are, of theselves, almost entirely asexual in nature and the wearing of these garments is considered to be entirely optional by many of the League.