Art History 2110
What is the Siq in Petra? Why is UNESCO involved in helping to preserve it?
The Siq is one of Petra's most endangered areas, in which natural environmental risks pose a major threat to the cultural heritage and the visitors. Thus, systematic identification and monitoring of its potentially unstable areas is needed
What is an Etruscan, or Tuscan, column? How do we know so much about Etruscan architecture?
Tuscan,' columns (doric columns with bases) an ancient Roman architect by the name of Vitruvius wrote about Etruscan temples in his book De architectura in the late first century B.C.E.
Was ancient Athenian democracy similar to democratic countries today? Why or why not?
extremely limited, you had to be a citizen meaning male and athenian (both parents had to be athenian) people could kick someone out of power if thought to obuse it
How did later Greeks view the Mycenean period?
viewed by the Greeks as the "age of heroes" and perhaps provides the historical background to many of the stories told in later Greek mythology, including Homer's epics.
Who was Schliemann? Why do experts speculate that he "over-restored" the mask of Agamemnon?
was a business man. Not experienced archiologist .
What was the Delian League?
was an association of Greek city-states, members numbering between 150, 173, to 330 under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea at the end of the Second Persian invasion of Greece. An alliance with other Greek city-states to fight against Perisa.
What was a Greek palaestra?
was an exercise facility originally connected with the training of wrestlers. These complexes were generally rectilinear in plan, with a colonnade framing a central, open space.
What is a Bouleuterion, and what did the Greeks use it for?
was an important civic building in a Greek city, as it was the meeting place of the boule (citizen council) of the city.
What was Grave Circle A?
Giant grave circle. Was orginalled outside the city. Comprised of large limestone rocks that where flat. Honored pasted loved ones
What were the artistic sources for the tomb facades in Petra? Do we know what was involved in their funeral rites?
Hellenistic in style.
Was Schliemann correct?
No
Why was stucco a popular medium during the 3rd to 5th centuries in Gandhara?
Stucco imagery, such as a head of a Buddha that is likely from Taxila (13.96.4), could be rapidly executed, molds could be employed, and the finished product was readily painted
Where was the Grave Stele of Hegeso found?
diplyon cemetery outside the city gates of athens
What is a stele?
upright slabs with relief scupltures
What was the basic ancient building system of the Greek temples, and why do Dr. Zucker and Dr. Harris use Stonehenge as an example in the video?
They are basically fancy cover ups and are really just like the stonehedge post and lintel architecture.
Approximately how many Cycladic Harp Players have been discovered?
10
What are some of the classical features seen in the monumental Gandharan torso of a Bodhissatva? What is a Bodhissatva?
A torso of a massive bodhisattva, which originally would have stood more than 10 feet tall, gives us a sense of the sophistication and quality of work being done in this late period. a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.
Who was Alexander the Great, and what was the extent of his empire?
Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Argead dynasty. his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River
How did the Greeks refer to non-Arab (all black according to the web site) Africans? How were these Africans depicted in art? What stereotypes did the Greeks have regarding non-Arab Africans?
All black Africans were known as Ethiopians to the ancient Greecks. The black glaze central to Athenian vase painting was ideally suited for representing black skin, a consistent feature used to describe Ethiopians in ancient Greek literature as well. Ethiopians were regularly featured in Greek vase painting, especially on the highly decorative red-figure vases. Depictions of Ethiopians as athletes and entertainers are suggestive of some of the occupations they held.
Name one modern European artist from the 20th century who was interested in the Cycladic figurines
Amedeo Modiglani
What did the Soldiers' tomb from Alexandria look like? Why was it called the Soldiers' tomb? Who is depicted on the painted monuments in the Soldiers' tomb?
A group of six painted limestone funerary monuments from Alexandria are exceptionally well preserved survivals of Greek painting from the fourth and third centuries. due to the preponderance of monuments commemorating foreign mercenaries in the service of the Ptolemaic kingdom. The subject is represented either in a private domestic setting in intimate relation to family members, or in a more public presentation against a generic background with the attributes of his civic role emphasized.
What is a cornice?
A ornamental molding around the boarder of a wall just below the ceiling. Under the frieze.
Discuss the history of ancient Greek colonization. When did it began? How was colonization related to trading stations?
Ancient Greek colonization began at an early date, during the so-called Geometric period of about 900 to 700 B.C. Trading stations played an important role as the furthest outposts of Greek culture. Here, Greek goods, such as pottery (2009.529), bronzes, silver and gold vessels, olive oil, wine, and textiles, were exchanged for luxury items and exotic raw materials that were in turn worked by Greek craftsmen. The Greeks established trading enclaves within existing local communities in the Levant
Was the approach to the Lion Gate of Mycenea easy or difficult? Why?
Difficult because it is located on top of a small mountain with a steep slope to get to the top
Why did the artists of Cypress not use stone?
As Cyprus lacks a local source of marble, most sculpture produced on the island is made of local limestone, or terracotta
What kind of lifestyle did the Hellenistic kings in the Greek east have?
As crown prince, he received the finest education in the Macedonian court under his celebrated tutor Aristotle.
Who are Athena and Zeus and where are they depicted on the Pergamon altar?
Athena is the goddesses of wisdom and is in the middle of the scuplture and is winning and fight. Zeus is the king of the gods and is in the same position.
What is the sculptural frieze on the Pergamon altar depicting? What does it symbolize?
Battle between giants and the gods and goddesses for the earth and universe. Fear and obitism of the unknown. Victory of greeck culture over the unknown.
Why is the Kritios boy considered transistional between the archaic and classical period?
Because of the way it stands
What was the Trojan war?
Between the trojan and the greeks. Subject of poem the illiad.
What was the religion of Gandhara? Was the region primarily Buddhist when it was conquered by Alexander the Great?
Gandhara is the ancient name of a region in northwest Pakistan bounded on the west by the Hindu Kush mountain range and to the north by the foothills of the Himalayas. When Alexander invaded Bactria and Gandhara, these areas may already have been under śramanic influence, likely Buddhist and Jain.
What is the story of the founding of Pergamon?
General saw a hill top as an important defense space and which became the kingdom of Pergamon
What was the most popular spectator sport in ancient Greece?
Chariot racing
What makes the column capitals from Petra so unique?
Column capitals at Petra are truly unique in part for their carvings of winged lions and elephants.
What are the ionic features of the Erechtheion? What was the building used for?
Columns are slender, decorative detail and fines with scrolls on the top of the columns. Housed statue of Athena and pre-existing shrines
What influence did the Minoans have on Mycenean culture?
Contact with Minoan Crete played a decisive role in the shaping and development of Mycenaean culture, especially in the arts. The evidence consists primarily of vases, but their contents (oil, wine, and other commodities) were probably the chief objects of trade.
What relationship did Corinth have with Greece, and what was it most famous for exporting?
Corinth dominated trade in the West. For the most part, it exported Corinthian vases (06.1021.18), which were often filled with olive oil, in return for grain.
Why was Aphrodite so important to the Cypriots?
Cyprus was the birthplace of Aphrodite
Who controlled the island of Cypress in the 5th c BCE, and to which two cultures was it related? On which side did Cypress fight during the Persian war against Greece?
Cyprus was under the control of the Persian empire, linking it with Phoenicia and Syria. against Greece
Which of the Greek architectural orders was considered "masculine?"
DORIC
What is the difference between the doric and ionic order?
Doric- occurs more frequently on the Greek mainland and at sites on the Italian peninsula. oldest column/order. Ionic- more popular among Greeks in Asia Minor and in the Greek islands
Where was the Doric order more popular? Where was the Ionic order more popular?
Doric- occurs more frequently on the Greek mainland and at sites on the Italian peninsula. oldest column/order. Ionic- more popular among Greeks in Asia Minor and in the Greek islands
Briefly discuss the relationship between Egypt and Greece from 7th century BCE to the time of Alexander the Great (332 BCE). How was the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt founded? How did the dynasty end?
Egyptian rulers encouraged a flourishing Mediterranean trade involving Greeks from many islands and city-states. when Alexander the Great of Macedon set out to dismantle the Persian empire, he took Egypt in 332 B.C., initiating the Macedonian dynasty of the Ptolemaic Period.
Why was Greek Art so popular with the Romans?
For the Romans, Greek culture symbolized a desirable way of life—of leisure, the arts, luxury and learning.
What else was buried with the Mask of Agamemnon?
Gold necklaces, cups, boxes, crowns, breast plates, swords, bracelets
What did a Greek house typically look like?
Greek houses of the Archaic and Classical periods were relatively simple in design. Houses usually were centered on a courtyard that would have been the scene for various ritual activities; the courtyard also provided natural light for the often small houses.
Where was the Temple of Aphaia originally located? How did Ludwig aquire the pediment sculptures?
Greek island of Aigina, which lies in the Saronic Gulf. got them from an auction
What kind of contact did the Etruscans have with the Greek Colonies in Italy? How did the Greeks influence Etruscan art during the Archaic period?
Greek potters and their works influenced the development of Etruscan fine painted wares, and, consequently, new types of Etruscan pottery were created during the Orientalizing period and subsequent Archaic period. The Etruscans particularly prized finely painted Greek vases, which they collected in great numbers
During the Hellenistic period (after the death of Alexander the Great), what territories were covered under the Greeks?
Greek power and culture extended across the Middle East and as far as the Indus Valley.
Name three ground plans for Greek temples and explain what they look like.
Greek temples are often categorized in terms of their ground plan and the way in which the columns are arranged. A prostyle temple is a temple that has columns only at the front, while an amphiprostyle temple has columns at the front and the rear. Temples with a peripteral arrangement (from the Greek πτερον (pteron) meaning "wing) have a single line of columns arranged all around the exterior of the temple building.
What is Aule Metele in the act of doing? How does his clothing indicate his status?
He is clearly a magistrate and his posture seems to be that of the orator who is in the process of addressing the crowd. He wears a tunic over which is draped a toga—the formal attire of the magistrate. The toga is wrapped around the body, leaving the right arm free. On his feet are the high boots that were commonly worn by Roman senators.
What role did Trading Stations play in the dissemination of Greek influence?
Here, Greek goods, such as pottery bronzes, silver and gold vessels, olive oil, wine, and textiles, were exchanged for luxury items and exotic raw materials that were in turn worked by Greek craftsmen
From what period does the Rosetta Stone date? What three kinds of script are inscribled on its surface?
Hieroglyphic writing died out in Egypt in the fourth century C.E. hieroglyphic, Greek, demotic
How can you tell that the kouros is not in contrapposto?
His weight is equally disturbed on both feet
What was the Siphnian Treasury used for?
House treasure that was decimated to apollo
What were some of the characteristics of the Minoan palaces?
In general, there were no defensive walls, although a network of watchtowers punctuating key roads on the island has been identified. The walls and floors of the palaces were often painted and colorful frescoes depicted rituals or scenes of nature. There were sanitary facilities as well as provisions for adequate lighting and ventilation. Living quarters of the palaces, like the better Minoan houses, were spacious.
What did Greek temples look like by the 4th century BCE?
In the eighth century B.C.E. Greek architecture begins to make the move from ephemeral materials (wood, mud brick, thatch) to permanent materials (namely, stone).
Which Greek architectural order or orders has a base at the bottom of the column?
Ionic and corithian
What was Aphrodite of Knidos, and who made it?
It is known to us by the best surviving copy now in the Vatican museum. by Praxiteles
Why was much of the art that is considered Hellenistic actually made by dynasties descended from the Achaemenid dynasty?
It was created during an age characterized by a strong sense of history. Hellenistic artists copied and adapted earlier styles, and also made great innovations.
Name at least two countries where the Greeks had colonies.
Italy and Sicily
Name three buildings that copied the Parthenon (from the video).
Jefferson memorial, National gallery of art, US supreme court
Who designed the Temple of Athena Nike?
Kallikrates
Which king is closely associated with Mycenae?
King Agamemnon
Name two gods or goddesses introduced to Cypress by the Phoenicians that correspond to Greek dieties.
Melqart closely resembles Herakles, and the war goddess Anat bears striking similarities to Athena
What was Memphis like under the Ptolemaic kings?
Memphis remained prominent, as did numerous Middle and Upper Egyptian towns. Memphis was the second city after Alexandria; its High Priests of Ptah had great influence with the Ptolemaic kings and among the country's priesthoods
What is a mosaic? Why does Dr. Harris say that we hope that the Alexander Mosaic was based on an ancient Greek painting?
Made out of tiny rocks and glass. almost nothing of ancient greek paintings have survived
What does the Kritios boy have in common with the earlier Kouros figures?
Marble, standing nude, relatively still
What is the Treasury of Atreus? Where was it located in ancient Mycenae?
Massive tomb in a hill
What contact did the Greeks have with Northern Africa?
They established settlements and trading posts along the Nile River and at Cyrene on the northern coast of Africa.
What happened around 1900 BCE in Minoan Crete?
Minoan civilization on Crete reached its apogee with the establishment of centers, called palaces, that concentrated political and economic power, as well as artistic activity,
Which Aegean culture was the first to have contact with Egypt? What early tomb painting depicted Nubians and Aegeans?
Minoans. paintings in the tomb of Rekhmire, dated to the fourteenth century B.C., depict African and Aegean peoples, most likely Nubians and Minoans.
who was Kanishka?
Most of the major Buddhist centers of Gandhara were founded during the second century A.D. under powerful kings like Kanishka
Give one example of how the sculptors from Cypress modified the Greek style to reflect eastern influences.
Standing figures are often depicted wearing typically East Greek costume with a close-fitting, finely pleated linen chiton and wool himation
Why is the Pergamon altar found in Berlin and not in Pergamon?
They wanted to be the equal of the french and british.
Where was the Nabataean kingdom located? What was the most important city in this kingdom? Why was its location significant? What is the name of the city?
Straddling the northern end of the caravan route from South Arabia to the Mediterranean, the city of Petra, was the center of the Nabataean kingdom, strategically situated at the crossroads of several caravan routes that linked the lands of China, India, and South Arabia with the Mediterranean world
Was a kouros figure generally depicted in contrapposto?
No
Does the Kritios Boy's contrapposto extend all the way up the body?
No only half way and in the head
Does Mycenean society actually correspond to the Epics of Homer?
No, they were earlier
Who was Perikles? How did he transform the Athenian Acropolis?
Pericles was a prminent and influential statesman, orator, and general of Athens in the city's Golden Age. (Specifically, between the persian and Peloponnesian wars)
Name some of the features of Petra that were typical of a wealthy Hellenistic city.
Petra was a well-developed city and contained many of the buildings and urban infrastructure that one would expect of a Hellenistic city
Who was Phillip II and Alexander the Great, and where did they come from?
Phillip- he had defeated most of Macedonia's neighboring enemies: the Illyrians and the Paionians to the west and northwest, and the Thracians to the north and northeast. Phillip II instituted far-reaching reforms at home and abroad. Alexander the Great- As crown prince, he received the finest education in the Macedonian court under his celebrated tutor Aristotle. At the age of twenty, already a charismatic and decisive leader, Alexander quickly harnessed the Macedonian forces that his father's reforms had made into the premier military power in the region.
What is contrapposto?
Pose a human body takes when standing and relaxed, weight on one leg.
What was the original name of Paestum? Who was it named after?
Poseidonia named after the god of the sea, Posedian
Why are pots and pottery so useful to archaeologists and art historians?
Pottery is virtually indestructible. Though it may break into smaller pieces (called sherds), these would have to be manually ground into dust in order to be removed from the archaeological record. As such, there is an abundance of material for study
How did the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius contribute to the survival of the Alexander Mosaic? Where was the mosaic originally found in Pompeii?
Preserved Pompeii and the mosaic. on the floor betweent two pairstills that is betweent wo open court yards surround by columns in the most decordant mansion in pompeii, "the house fo the fallen"
What did the ancient Greeks think was perfect? How the the Doryphorus exemplify perfection?
Proportions of the human body. The sculpted their soldiers in nude
What were the major Hellenistic dynasties?
Ptolemy controlled Egypt Seleucus created in the Near East a large empire, sometimes stretching as far as Iran and even India Macedon there ruled the Antigonid dynasty
How did the sculptors who designed the east and west pediments of the Temple of Aphaia address the odd shape of the pediment?
Reclining sculptures down the triangles sides
Why are there Roman ruins all around the temples of Hera I and Hera II at Paestum?
Romans conquered italy and pushed out the greeces.
Did the bronze sculptures of the Classical Greek style survive? How do we know what they looked like?
Since all but a few ancient bronze statues have been lost or were melted down to reuse the valuable metal, marble copies made during the Roman period provide our primary visual evidence of masterpieces by famous Greek sculptors.
What were altars, and how were they used in Greek culture?
Since blood sacrifice was a key component of Greek ritual practice, an altar was essential for these purposes. they could be and, in some cases, they assumed a monumental scale
Who was Sir Arthur Evans, and what site did he excavate?
Sir Arthur Evans, the British archaeologist ,excavated the ruins of the ancient city of Knossos in Crete and uncovered evidence of a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization
Why is it a problem when an object has not been recovered under controlled conditions?
Somebody has unearthed them to sell them leaving no information about the find. No details about how they were found, with what, where.
Where were the Cyclades located?
Southwestern Aegean
What city dominated Greek culture during the Hellenistic period? Why? What were the implications of this for Roman culture?
Syracuse dominated much of Sicily, and local artistic styles flourished. The Romans conquered Magna Graecia, and Sicily came under Roman rule when Syracuse fell to Rome in 212 B.C. As a result, the newly conquered western Greek colonies played an important role as the transmitters of Greek culture to the Romans and the rest of the Italian peninsula.
Name three Greek innovators of the Archaic period (7th and 6th c BCE) (science, math, poetry, philosophy) and what they are famous for having done.
Thales of Miletos, demonstrated the cycles of nature and successfully predicted a solar eclipse and the solstices Pythagoras of Samos, famous today for the theorem in geometry that bears his name, was an influential and forward-thinking mathematician. Poet, Solon, instituted groundbreaking reforms and established a written code of laws
Who was Shakyamuni? How was he represented in Gandharan art?
The Buddha, Buddha sits in a yogic posture and holds his hand in the abhayamudra (a gesture of approachability). Traces of gold in his robe and serrated radiating halo indicate that originally this figure would have had quite a different appearance, one that would have equated his enlightenment with light streaming out from these reflective gold surfaces.
What was the story of the Lapiths vs. the Centaurs?
The Centaurs were part-man and part-horse, thus having a civil and a savage side to their nature. The Lapiths, a neighboring Greek tribe, made the mistake of giving the Centaurs wine at the marriage feast of their king, Peirithoos. The Centaurs attempted to rape the women, with their leader Eurytion trying to carry off the bride. A general battle ensued, with the Lapiths finally victorious.
Who were the Etruscans and where were they located?
The Etruscans were an ancient Italic culture The Etruscans occupied the central region of Italy between the Arno and Tiber rivers, and eventually settled as far north as the Po River valley
Describe the Greek theater.
The Greek theater was a large, open-air structure used for dramatic performance. Theaters often took advantage of hillsides and naturally sloping terrain and, in general, utilized the panoramic landscape as the backdrop to the stage itself. The Greek theater is composed of the seating area (theatron), a circular space for the chorus to perform (orchestra), and the stage (skene). Tiered seats in the theatron provided space for spectators.
Why is the Rosetta Stone one of the most important objects in the British museum?
The Rosetta Stone is one of the most important objects in the British Museum as it holds the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs
Where did the Ancient Greeks live? What countries did they have close relations with?
The ancient Greeks lived in many lands around the Mediterranean Sea, from Turkey to the south of France. They had close contacts with other peoples such as the Egyptians, Syrians and Persians.The Greeks lived in separate city-states, but shared the same language and religious beliefs.
How did Greek Temples develop?
The earliest shrines were built to honor divinities and were made from materials such as a wood and mud brick—materials that typically don't survive very long.
What is the difference between a house in ancient Greece and a fountain house?
The fountain house is a public building that provides access to clean drinking water and at which water jars and containers could be filled
Why are the Olympic games called that? What was Olympia, and who was the deity honored by the games?
The games at Olympia continued with minor interruptions into early Christian times and were the inspiration for the modern Olympic Games, first staged in Athens in 1896. Olympia was the most important sanctuary of the god Zeus, and the Games were held in his honor.
What did the Ionic frieze of the Parthenon depict?
The horsemen have been moving at some speed, but are now reining back so as not to appear to ride off the edge of the frieze. The horseman in front twists around to look back at his companion, and raises a hand (now missing) to his head. This gesture, repeated elsewhere in the frieze, is perhaps a signal.
What did the Minoans export? What did they import?
exports consisted of timber, foodstuffs, cloth, and, most likely, olive oil, as well as finely crafted luxury goods imported tin, copper, gold, silver, emery, fine stones, ivory, and some manufactured objects.
Which phase of Early Cycladic Culture was responsible for producing the marble figures and vessels?
The majority of Cycladic marble vessels and sculptures were produced during the Grotta-Pelos and Keros-Syros periods
What sports were included in a Pentathlon in ancient Greece?
The pentathlon was made up of five events (discus, jumping, javelin, running and wrestling) which all took place in one afternoon.
Why was Athenian pottery widely exported in the 4th century BCE?
The presence, in particular, of pottery and precious goods such as gold, copper, and ivory, found far from their place of production, attests to the exchange network which existed between Egypt, Asia Minor, the Greek mainland, and islands such as Crete, Cyprus, and the Cyclades.
How were the Painted Funerary Monuments from the Soldiers' Tomb in Alexandria painted? What steps did the artist take? Don't forget to go to the top of the page and click on the link to see what these funerary monuments look like today.
The recessed picture panel of each was prepared with a lead white ground to create a flat, uniform, and brilliant white surface, a preparation technique undoubtedly transferred from contemporary wooden panel painting. An outline of the composition was incised in this ground layer and then delineated with extensive preparatory drawing using carbon black. The painting process involved building subtle color values and tones through overlapping applications of both pure colors and subtle mixtures of colors to maximum effect.
What battle does the Alexander Mosaic depict? Is this the original painting? How can you tell?
The ruler of perish fees from alexander. Perisan war.
How does L'Arringatore combine Roman and Etruscan elements?
The statue is an important example of bronze sculpture in later first millennium B.C.E. Italy and indicates the gradual Romanization of Etruscan art.
What kind of Greek sculpture is contemporaneous with the Etruscan Sarcophagus of the Spouses?
The terracotta plaque from Poggio Civitate, Murlo
Did the Greeks have anything other than a long jump? Why did they carry weights while making the jump?
There was only the long jump, not the high jump, in Greek athletics. You can see that the athlete in the picture is holding heavy lead or stone jumping weights called halteres. These were swung to increase the length of the jump.
When did Egyptian mummy portraits first appear? Where were they placed on the mummy?
This type of portrait appeared in Egypt in the first century C.E. egyptian mummy portraits were placed on the outside of the cartonnage coffin over the head of the individual or were carefully wrapped into the mummy bandages.
What factors contributed to the rise of Egyptian and and Near East (Mesopotamian) pictorial motifs, subjects, and techniques in Greek art?
Trading stations in the Levant and the Nile Delta, continuing Greek colonization in the east and west, as well as contact with eastern craftsmen, notably on Crete and Cyprus, inspired Greek artists to work in techniques as diverse as gem cutting, ivory carving, jewelry making, and metalworking.
Why was the conduct of Etruscan women shocking to the Greeks and Romans? How does the Sarcophagus of the Spouses suggest the role that women played in Etruscan society? What event was this married couple attending?
Unlike women in ancient Greece or Rome, upper class Etruscan women actively participated in public life—attending banquets, riding in carriages and being spectators at (and participants in) public events. Reflections of such freedoms are found throughout Etruscan art; images of women engaged in these activities appear frequently in painting and in sculpture. a funerary banquet for the dead. In contemporary Greece, the only women attending public banquets, or symposia, were courtesans, not wives! The affectionate gestures and tenderness between the Etruscan man and woman convey a strikingly different attitude about the status of women and their relative equality with their husbands.
What event caused the Hellenistic period to come to a close?
Upon the defeat of Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.E., the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt and, simultaneously, the Hellenistic Period came to a close.
What is a necropolis? Why did many explorers see Petra as a necropolis?
cemetery. Many of the tombs contain niches or small chambers for burials, cut into the stone walls. No human remains have ever been found in any of the tomb
Who is the Erechtheion named after, and how was he involved with deciding the patron deity of Athens?
the demi-god Erechtheus
What was the significance of the tripod?
Was what the oracle sat on
How many versions exist of the Sarcophagus of the Spouses? Where are they located?
We see multiple instances of mixed gender banquets across a wide chronological range, leading us to conclude that this was common practice in Etruria. Paris and Rome
Why did the surface of the Rosetta Stone accumulate a number of foreign materials after being discovered?
When the Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799, the carved characters that covered its surface were quickly copied. Once on display, the grease from many thousands of human hands eager to touch the Stone added to the problem.
Why was the Agora important for ancient Athenian democracy?
Where people could speak publicly. center of civic life in athens
What happened in 479 BCE in Athens?
Xerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.
What is the story, narrated by Dr. Beth Harris, about the beginning of the Corinthian order?
Young girl who died and her items where in a basket on top of her grave when a plant started to grow but the basket made the leaves grow out to the side.
What is the difference between "thin" and "heavy" Bucchero? How were the bucchero used to indicate socal rank?
a "heavy" type of the ceramic had replaced the thin-walled bucchero. A hydria (vessel used to carry water) in the British Museum (above) is another example of the "heavy" bucchero of the sixth century B.C.E. The elite display at the banqueting table helped to reinforce social rank and to allow elites to advertise the achievements and status of themselves and their families.
What was the process of bringing the stone to the site where the Greek temple was being erected?
a Greek civic or religious body engaged the architect, who participated in every aspect of construction. He usually chose the stone, oversaw its extraction, and supervised the craftsmen who roughly shaped each piece in the quarry. At the building site, expert carvers gave the blocks their final form, and workmen hoisted each one into place. The tight fit of the stones was enough to hold them in place without the use of mortar
What was Bucchero? What culture developed it? How was it made?
a distinctly black, burnished ceramic ware, is often considered the signature ceramic fabric of the Etruscans, an indigenous, pre-Roman people of the Italian peninsula. The pottery is fired in a reducing atmosphere, meaning the amount of oxygen in the kiln's firing chamber is restricted, resulting in the dark color. The oxygen-starved atmosphere of the kiln causes the iron oxide in the clay to give up its oxygen molecules, making the pottery darken in color. The fact that pottery was burnished (polished by rubbing) before firing creates the high, almost metallic, sheen.
What is a citadel?
a fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city
What was a stoa, and what was the most common order used for the stoa?
a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. Doric?
What is the Khazneh of Petra? Why is it so famous? In what movie did it appear? What elements does it include that make it a Hellenistic monument?
a monumental tomb,is one of the most elaborate temples in the ancient Arab Nabatean Kingdom city of Petra. As with most of the other buildings in this ancient town, including the Monastery, this structure was carved out of a sandstone rock face. Indian Jones lay at the intersection of rich trade routes. The great wealth that the Nabataeans amassed allowed them to create the spectacular architecture that so many admire in Petra today.
what is a volute?
a spiral scroll mold at the top of a column
What are caryatids? Where were they found on the Treasury of the Siphnians?
a stone carving of a draped female figure, used as a pillar to support the entablature of a Greek or Greek-style building
What does a Nike symbolize?
a symbol of victory and symbolises the sound of speed, movement, power and motivation.
What is Cyclopean Masonry?
a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture, built with massive limestone boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and no use of mortar.
What is the name of the temple plan of the Athena Nike?
amphiprostyle.
what is an Acroterian figure?
an architectural ornament placed on a flat base called the acroter or plinth, and mounted at the apex of the pediment of a building in the classical style.
What happened to the Parthenon during the 17th century?
during the Venetian siege of the Acropolis, the defending Turks were using the Parthenon as a store for gunpowder, which was ignited by the Venetian bombardment. The explosion blew out the heart of the building, destroying the roof and parts of the walls and the colonnade.
What was the Aplu or Apollo of Veii made from? Where was he originally placed, and what is the Greek myth behind the temple grouping of figures?
dynamic, striding masterpiece of large scale terracotta sculpture and likely a central figure in the rooftop narrative. His counterpart may have been the less well-preserved figure of Hercle (Hercules) with whom he struggled in an epic contest over the Golden Hind, an enormous deer sacred to Apollo's twin sister Artemis.
What is a frieze?
are alternating series of triglyphs (three bars) and metopes, stone slabs frequently decorated with relief sculpture.
What started to happen in 800 BCE in Greece that produced the Classical period?
around 800 B.C.E. the revival had begun as trade with the wider world increased, arts, crafts and writing re-emerged and city-states (poleis) developed.
To whom is the Parthenon dedicated? Where is it located? What is the architectural order (doric, ionic, corinthian) and how can you tell?
athena. Athens onto of a hill over looking the hill. doric because of the pillars
What was the Megaron?
audience hall for the king
Why are there almost no original Greek statues in bronze?
because bronze is valuable and can be melted down and reused, sculpture was often recast into weapons.
Why are there so many Roman copies of Greek statues in marble?
because bronze is valuable and can be melted down and reused, sculpture was often recast into weapons. This is why so few ancient Greek bronze originals survive, and why we often have to look at ancient Roman copies in marble
What is the difference between the Black figure technique and the Red figure technique in Greek vase painting?
black figure technique- dark-colored figures on a light background with incised detail red figure technique- red-figure painters watered down or thickened the slip in order to create different effects.
What did Alexander the Great conquer? How did he die?
conquering the Persian empire of western Asia and Egypt, and by continuing into Central Asia as far as the Indus Valley. In the end, he was defeated by his own army, which insisted on returning to Greece. On the way back, he died of fever in Babylon at the age of thirty-three.
How did Greek vase painters produce the red and black colors on the vase?
craftsmen used liquid clay as paint (termed "slip") and perfected a complicated three-stage firing process.
Who were the Siphnians? Where was it located?
delphi, greece
What political system appeared during the classical period in Greece?
demcoracy
Where was the Kritios boy found? What were the events that resulted in this figure being preserved?
found in athens, greece and was buried
What is a pronaos? Where was it found on a Greek temple?
front porch
Who was Nike? Why were her statues featured prominently at Olympia?
goddess Nike was a messenger of the gods and, more generally, the personification of victory.
Which two grave circles did Heinrich Schliemann excavate, and where?
grave circle A and grave circle B at Mycenae
Who was Agamemnon?
greek hero of Homer iliad (poem)
What are the Cyclades?
group of islands in the southwestern aegean, comprises some thirty small islands and numerous islets. greeks called them "kyklades"
Where did Mycenean merchants trade goods?
gulf of conrinth
How was the mask of Agamemnon made?
hammering of the gold so it becomes flat and thin then hammered against a wooden mold to get the face that we see
How does the Temple of Hera II at Paestum compare with the Temple of Hera I?
has great sense of being slender and vertical. Hera 2 has 6 columns and is symmetrical in the front with 14 columns on the sides.
Who was Heinrich Schliemann?
he brought to light objects whose opulence and antiquity seemed to correspond to Homer's description of Agamemnon's palace
What aspects of the artifacts of Mycenea have led archaeologists and art historians to conclude that the culture was "war-like?"
heavily fortified cities, lots of weapons found
How were Egyptian mummy portraits painted? Why is it difficult to know the identity of the person in the portrait?
hey were painted on a wooden board at a roughly lifelike scale. Most mummy portraits that have survived have unfortunately become separated from the mummies to which they were attached. Because of this we rarely know the identities of the subjects.
What were the two scripts employed by the Minoans?
hieroglyphic script whose source of inspiration was probably Egypt, and a linear script, Linear A, perhaps inspired by the cuneiform of the eastern Mediterranean
What was a hydria used for?
hydria was used for collecting, carrying, and pouring water
How does the ancient site of Lefkandi refute the belief that ancient Greece suffered through a dark age between 1100 and 800 A.D.?
immense apsidal structure (almost fifty meters long), a massive network of graves, and two heroic burials replete with gold objects and valuable horse sacrifices. Alluding to mythology and perhaps a particular story, this centaur embodies the cultural richness of this period.
Where were the female Cycladic figures discovered? Are they all approximately the same size?
in graves. no they have various sizes.
Where was the Doryphorus found?
in pompeii
What was happening in Italy in the 6th century when the Temple of Minerva (Athena) at Veii and the Apollo figure from the roof of that temple were constructed?
in the late 6th century B.C.E., an Etruscan artist by the name of Vulca was summoned from Veii to Rome to decorate the most important temple there
What is the difference between an Ionic frieze and a Doric frieze?
ionic frieze has relief sculptures while doric frieze has triglpyh
What distinguished the Corinthian order from the Ionic order?
ionic has scroll like shapes where corinthian has leaf like shapes at the capital
What is the difference between the ionic and corinthian order?
ionic has the scrolls at the top while corinthian has leaves and a more detailed design at the top of the column
What is entasis?
is the way that doric style columns are not equal width all the way down to the base to the top
What happened to the Temple of Athena Nike during the 17th century?
it was completely dismantled by the Ottoman Turks who needed its material to build fortifications.
What are the names of the three types of sculpture originally on the Parthenon? Where were they located?
the frieze, the metopes, and the pediments
What was a krater used for?
the krater was used to mix water and wine during a Greek symposion (an all-male drinking party)
What is a tholos or beehive tomb?
large tombs, one of two types of tombs
What was Korai?
maidens
How can you tell that the temple of Hera I at Paestum is from the Doric order?
massive heavy column with no feet and rise up with column that buldge at the middle.
Where was Nubia actually located and what major cities in Nubia developed during the Hellenistic period?
modern Sudan, apital cities of Napata and later Meroë.
Where does most of our information about the Etruscans come from? Why is that?
much of what we know about the Etruscans comes not from historical evidence, but from their art and the archaeological record because texts exist, most of these are very short.
What was the Minoan culture named after, and where was it located?
named after the legendary King Minos and was located on the island of Crete
In the video, is it still enclosed? (Megaron)
no
Do we know for certain that this was a palace?
no but we are pretty certain that it is
Was Petra the only Nabatean city?
no, but it is isolated from the Nabataean lands that stretched from the Sinai and Negev in the west, as far north as Damascus at one point, and as far south as Egra,
What were the three main centers of Greek art production and culture?
notably Sparta, Corinth, and Athens
What was the ancient statue of Athena in the Erechtheion made from?
olive wood
Why do we know so little of Mycenean culture?
only knowledge comes from architects but there are no writings (very little) at least
What was the Stoa and how was it used?
place to conduct politics or business. once a year a religous festival would walk through it to the parthenon.
Who was the Kushan Dynasty?
political instability as successive groups took control of the prosperous region, captured this area as well as much of northern India and northern Afghanistan
List the steps used to make Greek vases as explained in the video from the Getty center. You should include how the clay was prepared and refined.
potter mixed raw clay in water polls outside until the heavy impurites settled to the bottom the swtich to a separete pool and this was repeated and left to evaporte and then the potter folded the clay and compressed the clay to make it more handleable. The potter centers the clay on a wheel and they press their fingers in the center of the clay mound and performs it in pieces and used wet clay to connect the pieces before smoothing it out.
What gender were Cycladic figures for the most part? Were they as abstract as they are today? Why or why not?
predominantly female figures that range from simple modification of the stone to developed representations of the human form, some with natural proportions and some more idealized
Why did Heinrich Schliemann refer to the gold mask recovered from a grave as Agamemnon?
publicity stunt
How long was the race run in the Olympics? Where was it typically run?
race along the length of the stadium, distance of 600 Olympic feet
What are the stylistic features of the Gandharan Maitreya? Who is Maitreya?
readily identifiable by his northern Indian princely garb rendered in a classical style and by the water flask held in his left hand. Maitreya is an enlightened bodhisattva who resides in Tushita Heaven waiting for the next Buddhist age, when, like Shakyamuni, he will be reborn on earth to spread the dharma as the next Buddha.
What is a pinakes?
readily perishable whitened wooden panels
How did Jean Francois Champollion use the Rosetta Stone to translate the hieroglyphics? How did the Rosetta Stone become the property of the British Museum?
realized that hieroglyphs recorded the sound of the Egyptian language and laid the foundations of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and culture.
Why were Ptolomaic Queens important?
received special attention as guarantors of the inheritance of divine rulership
What is the subject/focus of the Painted Funerary Monuments from the Soldiers' Tomb in Alexandria? What types of scenes predominate?
reflect the highly developed technical sophistication of Greek painting methods of this period.
What natural resources did the Cyclades possess?
rich in minerals- iron ores, copper, lead ores, gold, silver, emery, obsidian, and marble (finest marble in Paros and Naxos in the world)
Who was the Oracle at Delphi? What did she do?
sat on the tripod channeling apollo
What is a poleis?
self-governing units called poleis or city-states,
What was depicted on the pediments?
showed the birth of goddess Athena from the head of her father Zeus.
How does the respresentation of Hegeso suggest the type of life that women led in ancient Greece?
sitting opening a box of jewerly given to her by a slave
What does the Lion Gate of Mycenae display? What do scholars believe is missing from this sculpture? What do art historians and archaeologists think the Lion Gate looked like right after it was constructed?
thought that the lion heads turned outward or that they were bird heads.
What is the porch of the maidens on the Erechtheion, and why is it called that?
south side of the building with columns of six women
What does Doryphorus mean?
spear-bearer
List at least two things that the Etruscans taught the Romans. Why was there such a close relationship between the two cultures?
spectacle of gladiatorial combat, to hydraulic engineering. Roman over took them and their culture merged with Roman culture
what is a metope?
square spaces for either painted or sculpted decoration
What was the difference between the Greek Stadium and the Greek gymnasium?
stadium- Long and narrow, with a horseshoe shape, the stadium occupied reasonably flat terrain. gymnasium- was a training center for athletes who participated in public games. This facility tended to include areas for both training and storage.
What did a kouros look like? What was their function?
statue of a male figure produced in marble, larger than life or less than life size. They all have a conventional pose, where the head and body can be divided equally by a central line, and the legs are parted with the weight placed equally front and back. The male figures, usually in the form of naked young men, acted both as grave markers and as votive offerings, the latter perhaps intended to be representations of the dedicator. The mouth is invariably fixed in a smile
Why did the architect of the Erechtheion swing the back colonnade around to the north?
to avoid walking off the cliff or into the foundation of the destroyed temple next to it.
What is a triglyph?
vertical plaques with three divisions
What is corbelling? What is a domical, vaulted space?
stones are cut so and placed so with each step up the stone moves slightly inward giving a triangle shape called as the relieveing triangle. domical- round chamber
What was the city of Alexandria like under the Ptolemaic Dynasty?
strong continuities in its traditions but also interactions with Greek art, whose forms and styles swept the world with Alexander's armies.
What is a lintel stone? What are the characteristics of the lintel stone in the Treasury of Atreus?
structural horizontal block that spans the space or opening between two vertical supports. Large stones that is hard to believe people could move. Over 100 tons
To what does the term Mycenean refer?
term applied to the art and culture of Greece from ca. 1600 to 1100 B.C.
Why is the Sarcophagus of the Spouses significant in terms of the material used and the construction of the sarcophagus? What were they possibly holding in their hands?
terracotta is a type of ceramic also called earthenware). the objects could have been vessels associated with drinking, perhaps wine cups, or representations of food.
Why do we look to the Etruscan burial practices in order to understand the world of the living?
the Etruscans cared very much about equipping their dead with everything necessary for the afterlife—from lively tomb paintings to sculpture to pottery that they could use in the next world.
List some of the characteristics of the Mycenean culture.
the Mycenaeans were fierce warriors and great engineers who designed and built remarkable bridges, fortification walls, and beehive-shaped tombs
Why were the Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic period characterized as Greek? How did the Ptolemaic rulers integrate with Egyptian culture and Egyptian deities?
the Ptolemaic rulers supported Egyptian cults and priesthoods. During the first three reigns of the Ptolemaic dynasty, temple building projects of Dynasty 30 were continued by the new kings and official classes, closely following Egyptian styles in the earliest years, they adopted the pharaonic style of Dynasty 30 to such an extent that it is often difficult to distinguish pieces from the two periods (38.10; 12.182.4a), while at the same time depicting themselves as Greek dynasts in Alexandria and for the Mediterranean world. In the second century B.C., the kings introduced images combining Greek hair and features with Egyptian attributes and overall pose (2008.454), and queens' statuary followed a similar course (89.2.660). Among the elite classes outside Alexandria, a marked change in costume and hairstyle appears to take place only from about 125 B.C., but then statues set up at temples might adopt curly Greek hair and a garment that, while still Egyptian, appears to be current rather than following age-old models (65.119)
What was their original form?
the basic form of the naos (the interior room that held the cult statue of the God or Gods) emerges as early as the tenth century B.C.E. as a simple, rectangular room with projecting walls that created a shallow porch. This basic form remained unchanged in its concept for centuries.
What was the Qasr el-Bint?
the most important temple in the city.
Why does Dr. Zucker (video) suggest that the Sarcophagus of the Spouses was cut in half?
the object was so big it wouldn't have fit in the kilm.
Why did Polykleitos call the Doryphorus "canon?
the sculpture was an idealized form that could be stuided
Why did the Myceneans choose the place where they constructed the Citadel of Mycenae?
the where on a mountain over looking a vast valley. view any enemies
Name two ways in which the Etruscan and Greek Temples were different.
the worship of the Gods and Goddesses did not take place in or around monumental temples as it did in early Greece or in the Ancient Near East, but rather, in nature. Early Etruscans created ritual spaces in groves and enclosures open to the sky with sacred boundaries carefully marked through ritual ceremony.
Why were the Nabateans so wealthy? What was their relationship with the Romans?
their architecture reflects the diverse and different cultures with which the Nabataeans traded, interacted, and even intermarried
What circumstances aided the Early Cycladic culture to develop a flourishing trade economy in the early Bronze age?
their islands were rich in iron ores and copper, and that they offered a favorable route across the Aegean.
What features of the figures from the frieze and pediment of the Treasury of the Siphnians make them archaic?
their stiffness and lack of profile
How does the Doryphorus epitomize the high classical period?
there was great artistic success: from the innovative structures on the Acropolis to Polykleitos' visual and cerebral manifestation of idealization in his sculpture of a young man holding a spear, the Doryphoros
Where was ancient Gandhara located? How was the area introduced to classical traditions in art?
this trade dramatically increased with the introduction of ocean routes employing monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea. These sea routes supplied an expanding overland trade network that passed through Gandhara and continued on to Central Asia and China
What does the Tomb of the Triclinium reveal about Etruscan Funeral rites? Please be specific and name at least 4 things.
were not somber but festive, with the aim of sharing a final meal with the deceased as the latter transitioned to the afterlife. This ritual feasting served several purposes in social terms. At its most basic level the funeral banquet marked the transition of the deceased from the world of the living to that of the dead; the banquet that accompanied the burial marked this transition and ritually included the spirit of the deceased, as a portion of the meal, along with the appropriate dishes and utensils for eating and drinking, would then be deposited in the tomb
Which pediment group at the Temple of Aphaia was sculpted first? Which was sculpted later? How can you tell, based on the style of the figures in the two pediments?
west pediment was first and east side was later. The west are in the arcaic traditions and east is starting to take on classical style
How did the burial practices of the Etruscans reflect the wealth from trading during the Orientalizing period (a category used for Greek art as well that predates the archaic and classical styles)?
when the Etruscans began to trade their natural resources with other Mediterranean cultures and became staggeringly wealthy as a result, their tombs became more and more opulent.
Does white figure have more in common with Black figure or Red figure? Why?
white-ground requires the craftsman to paint in the details of forms just like red-figure, rather than incise them
How were the Mycenean elite buried?
with gold and riches
What sports were included in the "heavy" events? What was involved with these sports?
wrestling, boxing, and the pankration, a type of all-in wrestling. Only biting and going for an opponent's eyes were illegal
What were kouroi?
youths
