Meander was the most important symbol in Ancient Greece, symbolizing infinity or the eternal flow of things. The motif is also known as Greek key or Greek fret. In ancient times, tau was used as a symbol for life or resurrection, whereas the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, theta, was considered the symbol of death. It symbolizes the creation of life and vitality. We find it in many Greek houses and it decorates architecturally most of the great public and private buildings and monuments. The Spiral is one of the oldest symbols and has been used since the Paleolithic period in Greece. The labeling of it as a meander results from its continuous back and forth progression, recalling the winding course of the Meander River in Asia Minor, now present-day Turkey. It has been called a Greek key because an individual section vaguely resembles a primitive key. Among some Italians, these patterns are known as Greek Lines.

Such a design is also called the Greek fret or Greek key design, although these are modern designations. What is the pattern of meander?Ī meander or meandros (Greek: Μαίανδρος) is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. The unbroken, interlocking pattern turned it into a symbol of both unity and infinity, whereupon it became one of the most important symbols in Ancient Greece. For the people of Ancient Greece, Meander (or Meandros) was thought to symbolize eternity and the undulating flow of human life through reproduction.

Meander symbol