About the quote
“Mėtron áriston” (moderation is best) is attributed to Cleobulus. He lived in the 6th century BC (c. until 560 BC) in Lindos, a city on the Greek island of Rhodes.
He was a tyrant of his city but also a poet. He composed up to 3,000 verses in songs and riddles and is listed as one of the Seven Sages of Antiquity.
The maxim is one of the most famous ancient Greek sayings and, for some, it is the apex of the ancient Greek thought.
“mėtron” does not mean “average” but the fluid boundaries that prevent exaggeration. Aesthetically, it is a criterion of beauty. Morally, it dissuades from “hubris”. Inappropriate actions towards others, the law of Man and/or Nature are “insults”, namely violations of the Cosmic Order, which ultimately lead to fall and disaster.
“áriston” means “excellent”, “the best”.
About the design
The motif design brings out the wide meaning range of the concept of “mėtron”, enclosing the glyphs into a ring that adheres to the most appropriate mathematical ratio that expresses it: the Golden ratio.
Specifically, the area of the circle defined by the jewel compared to the area of the outer circle of the ring that encloses the writing have a golden ratio relation.
Additionally, the ratio of the diameter of the larger circle of the ring to the smaller one is the golden ratio… squared!
Therefore, it is: AM / AC = φ (1.618)
and C1 / C2 = φ² (2.618)
All Designs
