Week 6
What is the porch of the maidens on the Erechtheion, and why is it called that?
6 caryatids, 6 female figures holding up porch, columns correspond to the verticality of the human body
What is the name of the temple plan of the Athena Nike?
Amphiprostyle
To whom is the Parthenon dedicated? Where is it located? What is the architectural order (doric, ionic, corinthian) and how can you tell?
Athena, city of Athens, Doric(massive columns, broad flutes, columns go straight down, capitals are very simple, triglyphs and metopes above), ionic elements
What was the Stoa and how was it used?
Building in Agora, Conducted business and political discussions here
What political system appeared during the classical period in Greece?
By around 500 B.C.E. "rule by the people," or democracy, had emerged in the city of Athens.
What is a cornice? A frieze? A volute?
Cornice is an ornamental molding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling, frieze(top part of entablature), volutes (scroll-like ornaments)
Which of the Greek architectural orders was considered "masculine?"
Doric
Name three ground plans for Greek temples and explain what they look like. You can draw a picture if you wish.
Doric- (oldest, most severe, associated with masculine form) pediment, frieze, entablature, capital, shaft, fluting, no base; (Ionic)- scroll like shapes (Corinthian order) most decorative, leaf like capital, has base, taller, highly decorated
How does the Doryphorus epitomize the high classical period?
During the "High Classical Period" (450-400 B.C.E.), 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 or "Canon"
What is a pronaos? Where was it found on a Greek temple?
Front porch, front exterior of temple
What is entasis?
Shafts swell toward center, called entasis, emphasises verticality of shafts
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.
Does the Kritios Boy's contrapposto extend all the way up the body?
Yes
How does the Temple of Hera II at Paestum compare with the Temple of Hera I?
Greater sense of verticality and more slender, better preserved and we can see the frieze, part of pediment remains, much closer to what we expect from a doric temple, symmetrical in front, side has 14 columns
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.
What did the ancient Greeks think was perfect? How the the Doryphorus exemplify perfection?
The human body, mathematical proportions of the body, Doryphorus had the perfect body proportions, ideal body
What is the difference between the doric and ionic order? You can also look at the video in the Greek Architectural Order-
(Doric) No decorative foot at bottom of shaft, oldest, most severe, associated with masculine form, columns not parallel on either sides, swell towards center, thinking about how we see, (Ionic) more feminine, taller and thinner, top distinguishing feature scroll like shapes (volutes), different fluting and we see base
What is the difference between an Ionic frieze and a Doric frieze?
(Doric) top part of entablature, three lines, decorated specifically (Ionic) Capital has scroll like shapes, base, different type of fluting
What were kouroi and korai?
were statues of youths (kouroi) and maidens (korai)
What is a stele?
upright slabs decorated with relief carving (grave stones)
What are the ionic features of the Erechtheion? What was the building used for?
Columns slender, decorative detail, scroll shapes; Athena Polias, athena as the protector goddess of the city of athens, held ancient statue of athena
What distinguished the Corinthian order from the Ionic order?
(Ionic)- scroll like shapes (Corinthian order) most decorative, leaf like capital, has base, taller, highly decorated
What is the difference between the ionic and corinthian order?
(Ionic)- scroll like shapes (Corinthian order) most decorative, leaf like capital, has base, taller, highly decorated
Discuss the history of ancient Greek colonization. When did it begin? 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. (74.51.965), The Greek alphabet, inspired by the writing of the Phoenician sea traders, was developed and spread at this time.
What is the difference between the Black figure technique and the Red figure technique in Greek vase painting? Does white figure have more in common with Black figure or Red figure? Why?
Around 625-600 B.C.E., Athens adopted the black-figure technique (i.e., dark-colored figures on a light background with incised detail). Originating in Corinth almost a century earlier, black-figure uses the silhouette manner in conjunction with added color and incision. Incision involves the removal of slip with a sharp instrument, The red-figure technique was invented in Athens around 525-520 BCE and is the inverse of black-figure. Here light-colored figures are set against a dark background. Using added color and a brush to paint in details, red-figure painters watered down or thickened the slip in order to create different effects. Surprisingly similar to red-figure is the white-ground technique.
What was the most popular spectator sport in ancient Greece?
Chariot racing
Was ancient Athenian democracy similar to democratic countries today? Why or why not?
Different, democracy today is all about electing officials
Where was the Grave Stele of Hegeso found?
Dipylon Cemetery, Kerameikos, Athens
Why did the architect of the Erechtheion swing the back colonnade around to the north?
Earth drops down, instead of having 6 columns on east and west, swung back colonnade around to front
Who is the Erechtheion named after, and how was he involved with deciding the patron deity of Athens?
Earthic/mythic figure Erechtheion, had Athena and Poseidon both offer a gift
Why are the Olympic games called that? What was Olympia, and who was the deity honored by the games?
Every fourth year between 776 B.C.E. and 395 C.E., the Olympic Games, held in honor of the god Zeus, the supreme god of Greek mythology, attracted people from across Greece. Crowds watched sports such as running, discus-throwing and the long-jump. Held in Olympia.
List the periods that Greek Art was divided into beginning with the Geometric period, and give a short explanation of the characteristics of each period.
Geometric Period (c. 800-700 B.C.E.)- geometric patterning and silhouetted human forms, Orientalizing Period (700-600 B.C.E.), alongside Near Eastern motifs and animal processions, craftsmen produced more nuanced figural forms and intelligible illustrations. , The Archaic Period (c. 600-480/479 B.C.E.) -Greek artisans continued to develop their individual crafts, storytelling ability, and more realistic portrayals of human figures throughout the Archaic Period; Visually, the period is known for large-scale marble kouros (male youth) and kore (female youth) sculptures, The Classical Period (480/479-323 B.C.E.)- Though experimentation in realistic movement began before the end of the Archaic Period, it was not until the Classical Period that two- and three-dimensional forms achieved proportions and postures that were naturalistic. The "Early Classical Period" (480/479 - 450 B.C.E.) was a period of transition when some sculptural work displayed archaizing holdovers alongside the so-called "Severe Style." As can be seen in the Kritios Boy, c. 480 B.C.E., the "Severe Style" features realistic anatomy, serious expressions, pouty lips, and thick eyelids. For painters, the development of perspective and multiple ground lines enriched compositions, as can be seen on the Niobid Painter's vase in the Louvre, During the "High Classical Period" (450-400 B.C.E.), 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 or "Canon", The Hellenistic Period and Beyond (323 B.C.E. - 31 B.C.E.)- Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E., the Greeks and their influence stretched as far east as modern India. While some pieces intentionally mimicked the Classical style of the previous period such as Eutychides' Tyche of Antioche (Louvre), other artists were more interested in capturing motion and emotion
Why was Greek Art so popular with the Romans? Why are there so many Roman copies of Greek statues in marble? Why are there almost no original Greek statues in bronze?
Greek art became the rage when Roman generals began conquering Greek cities (beginning in 211 B.C.E.), and returned triumphantly to Rome not with the usual booty of gold and silver coins, but with works of art. This work so impressed the Roman elite that studios were set up to meet the growing demand for copies destined for the villas of wealthy Romans. For the most part, the Greeks created their free-standing sculpture in bronze, but 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 (of varying quality) to try to understand what the Greeks achieved. To make matter worse, Roman marble sculptures were buried for centuries, and very often we recover only fragments of a sculpture that have to be reassembled. This is the reason you will often see that sculptures in museums include an arm or hand that are modern recreations, or that ancient sculptures are simply displayed incomplete.
What did a Greek house typically look like? You can draw a picture.
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. The ground floor rooms would have included kitchen and storage rooms, perhaps an animal pen and a latrine; the chief room was the andron—site of the male-dominated drinking party (symposion). The quarters for women and children (gynaikeion) could be located on the second level (if present) and were, in any case, segregated from the mens' area. It was not uncommon for houses to be attached to workshops or shops. The houses excavated in the southwest part of the Athenian Agora had walls of mud brick that rested on stone socles and tiled roofs, with floors of beaten clay.
What did the athletic male youth represent for the Greeks?
Greek ideal of the athletic male youth, represented peak of human achievement and also the qualities of the divine
How can you tell that the temple of Hera I at Paestum is from the Doric order?
Has all of the elements we would expect to see in a Doric temple, heavy columns with no feet, shallow broad fluting, simple capital, exaggerated entasis, front has 9 columns across (unusual that it's odd), 18 on side
Why did Polykleitos call the Doryphorus "canon?"
Idealized form that could be studied and replicated, ideas that can be followed
Who was Nike? Why were her statues featured prominently at Olympia?
In Greek mythology, the goddess Nike was a messenger of the gods and, more generally, the personification of victory. She was also closely associated with Zeus, god of the Olympic Games, and is often shown in flight, bearing a wreath or a victory ribbon, to crown victorious athletes. The athlete holds a small branch, also symbolic of victory
What happened to the Temple of Athena Nike during the 17th century?
In the 17th century it was completely dismantled by the Ottoman Turks who needed its material to build fortifications
Which Greek architectural order or orders has a base at the bottom of the column?
Ionic and Corinthian
Who designed the Temple of Athena Nike? What does a Nike symbolize?
Kallikrates (the same architect who was responsible for the construction of the Parthenon), the temple housed the statue of Athena Nike, a symbol of victory. It probably had a connection to the victory of the Greeks against the Persians around half a century earlier. Nike usually had wings, but in this case we know that the statue had no wings, hence it was called Athena Apteros (without wings). The ancient Greek writer Pausanias later explained that the statue of Athena had no wings, so that she could never leave Athens.
What did a kouros look like? What was their function?
Kouros (the singular form) is a term used to describe a type of statue of a male figure produced in marble during the Archaic period of Greek art. Such statues can be colossal (that is 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 female figures served similar functions, but differed from their male counterparts in that they were elaborately draped. The kouros was not intended as a realistic portrait of the deceased, but an idealized representation of values and virtues to which the dead laid claim: youthful beauty, athleticism, and aristocratic bearing, among others.
What was a krater used for? What was a hydria used for?
Krater- used to mix water and wine during a Greek symposion (an all-male drinking party), hydria- 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.?
Lefkandi has yielded an immense apsidal structure (almost fifty meters long), a massive network of graves, and two heroic burials replete with gold objects and valuable horse sacrifices. One of the most interesting artifacts, ritually buried in two separate graves, is a centaur figurine. At fourteen inches high, the terracotta creature is composed of a equine (horse) torso made on a potter's wheel and hand-formed human limbs and features. Alluding to mythology and perhaps a particular story, this centaur embodies the cultural richness of this period.
What does the Kritios boy have in common with the earlier Kouros figures?
Marble, standing nude, relatively still although potential for movement
What are the names of the three types of sculpture originally on the Parthenon? Where were they located? What happened to the Parthenon during the 17th century?
Metopes, pediments, ionic frieze; Above entrance was pediment with Athena and Poseidon fighting, on frieze inside they saw themselves, greeks battling enemies on metopes; 17th century- Athens invaded and Acropolis sacked by Persians
Where was the Temple of Aphaia originally located? How did Ludwig aquire the pediment sculptures?
Off the coast of greece, visible from athens very close to the mainland, german architects surveyed ruins of temple and found sculptures, were put up for auction and bought by Ludwig
What was the ancient statue of Athena in the Erechtheion made from?
Olivewood
Did the Greeks have anything other than a long jump? Why did they carry weights while making the jump?
Only long jump not high jump, swung to increase the length of the jump
Why was the Agora important for ancient Athenian democracy?
Participated directly in democracy, anyone could become powerful, offices held by rotation not election, few positions elected
What was the original name of Paestum? Who was it named after?
Poseidonia, named after God of the sea Poseidon
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?
Post and lintel, used on a large scale at stonehenge
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, and this is exceptionally useful for modern scholars. In addition to being an excellent tool for dating, pottery enables researchers to locate ancient sites, reconstruct the nature of a site, and point to evidence of trade between groups of people. Moreover, individual pots and their painted decoration can be studied in detail to answer questions about religion, daily life, and society.
Where was the Kritios boy found? What were the events that resulted in this figure being preserved?
Probably broken when the persians invaded athens and sacked the Acropolis, huge blow to greeks, buried sculptures
How did the sculptors who designed the east and west pediments of the Temple of Aphaia address the odd shape of the pediment?
Reclining figures, center figure standing (Athena) holding shaft, soldiers facing out with shields, kneeling archers outside, striding figure behind him, wounded figure on far left
Why are there Roman ruins all around the temples of Hera I and Hera II at Paestum?
Romans conquered area and pushed out greeks, roman houses apartments and amphitheatres built all around
Who was the Oracle at Delphi? What did she do? What was the significance of the tripod?
Sat on the tripod and made pronouncements channeling Apollo, associated with oracle
Why is the Kritios boy considered transitional between the archaic and classical period?
Severe style, in between archaic Kouros and realistic figures we find on the parthenon
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. While altars did not necessarily need to be architecturalized, they could be and, in some cases, they assumed a monumental scale.
What was the Siphnian Treasury used for? Who were the Siphnians? Where was it located?
Small building meant to house treasure, located at Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi, Greece; Siphnians came from a small island in the Aegean sea, could afford this with silver and gold mines, designated a tenth of the money they made from the mines to Delphi
Name some of the features of 7th century BCE Greek culture (as explained in the Heibrunn timeline essay). What were the three main centers of Greek art production and culture?
Sparta, Corinth, and Athens, Greek settlements stretched all the way from the coast of Asia Minor and the Aegean islands, to mainland Greece, Sicily, North Africa, and even Spain. As they grew in wealth and power, the poleis on the coast of Asia Minor and neighboring islands competed with one another in the construction of sanctuaries with huge stone temples. Lyric poetry, the primary literary medium of the day, attained new heights in the work of such notable poets as Archilochos of Paros and Sappho of Lesbos. Contact with prosperous centers like Sardis in Lydia, which was ruled in the sixth century B.C. by the legendary king Croesus, influenced eastern Greek art. Sculptors in the Aegean islands, notably on Naxos and Samos, carved large-scale statues in marble. Goldsmiths on Rhodes specialized in fine jewelry, and bronzeworkers on Crete fashioned armor and plaques decorated with superb reliefs (1989.281.49-.50). POETRY, SCULPTURE, JEWELRY
Where was the Doryphorus found? What does Doryphorus mean?
Spear bearer, found in a palaestra in Pompeii
What features of the figures from the frieze and pediment of the Treasury of the Siphnians make them archaic?
Stiffness, profile view, not a lot of twisting and turning in space, sense of energy in heracles' legs
What was a stoa, and what was the most common order used for the stoa?
Stoa (στοά) is a Greek architectural term that describes a covered walkway or colonnade that was usually designed for public use. Early examples, often employing the Doric order, were usually composed of a single level, although later examples (Hellenistic and Roman) came to be two-story freestanding structures.
What city dominated Greek culture during the Hellenistic period? Why? What were the implications of this for Roman culture?
Syracuse, By this time, Syracuse as a cosmopolitan city rivaled any other in the Greek world. It boasted major temples, as well as civic buildings and monuments. In fact, the theater at Syracuse—one of the largest ever built in antiquity—continues to be a celebrated destination for dramatic performances. In 272 B.C., 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 buildings that copied the Parthenon (from the video).
Temple of Augustus and Livia, La Madeleine, Jefferson Memorial, National Gallery of Art, US Supreme Court
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.
Terra cotta clay, pebbles and other impurities had to be removed before it could be used, potter first mixed the clay with water in large outdoor pools, stayed until heavier impurities settled to the bottom, refined liquid drained off to second pool, repeat process several times, left to evaporate in sun, wedging (systematically compressing and olding the clay); throw on potters wheel (mostly), pressure on wheel makes it wider, to make stem potter centers foot and clay then hollows out stem, the next day when they have dried a bit, bowl is trimmed and refined to make it smoother, wet clay used to join together then smoothed over, next clay stretched and bent into handels, wet clay used to attach; sketched outline onto surface then using liquid clay as paint filling in outline, got dark after firing, sharp point used to scratch details, then ready for kiln, 3 stage firing process
What is a Bouleuterion, and what did the Greeks use it for?
The Bouleuterion (βουλευτήριον) was an important civic building in a Greek city, as it was the meeting place of the boule (citizen council) of the city. These select representatives assembled to handle public affairs and represent the citizenry of the polis (in ancient Athens the boule was comprised of 500 members).
Where was the Doric order more popular? Where was the Ionic order more popular?
The Doric order emerged on the Greek mainland during the course of the late seventh century B.C.E. and remained the predominant order for Greek temple construction through the early fifth century B.C.E., although notable buildings of the Classical period—especially the canonical Parthenon in Athens—still employ it. As its names suggests, the Ionic Order originated in Ionia, a coastal region of central Anatolia (today Turkey) where a number of ancient Greek settlements were located.
What was the difference between the Greek Stadium and the Greek gymnasium?
The Greek stadium (derived from stadion, a Greek measurement equivalent to c. 578 feet or 176 meters) was the location of foot races held as part of sacred games; these structures are often found in the context of sanctuaries, as in the case of the Panhellenic sanctuaries at Olympia and Epidauros. Long and narrow, with a horseshoe shape, the stadium occupied reasonably flat terrain. The gymnasium (from the Greek term gymnós meaning "naked") was a training center for athletes who participated in public games. This facility tended to include areas for both training and storage. What was the difference between a Greek gymnasium and a Greek palaestra? The palaestra (παλαίστρα) 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 factors contributed to the rise of Egyptian and and Near East (Mesopotamian) pictorial motifs, subjects, and techniques in Greek art?
The abstract geometric patterning that was dominant between about 1050 and 700 B.C. is supplanted in the seventh century by a more naturalistic style reflecting significant influence from the Near East and Egypt. 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 (1989.281.49-.50). Eastern pictorial motifs were introduced—palmette and lotus compositions, animal hunts, and such composite beasts as griffins (part bird, part lion), sphinxes (part woman, part winged lion), and sirens (part woman, part bird). Greek artists rapidly assimilated foreign styles and motifs into new portrayals of their own myths and customs, thereby forging the foundations of Archaic and Classical Greek art
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.
The earliest known Greek scientist, 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. In Athens, the lawgiver and poet Solon instituted groundbreaking reforms and established a written code of laws. Meanwhile, potters (both native and foreign-born) mastered Corinthian techniques in Athens and by 550 B.C., Athenian—also called "Attic" for the region around Athens—black-figure pottery dominated the export market throughout the Mediterranean region.
How did Greek Temples develop? What was their original form? What did Greek temples look like by the 4th century BCE?
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. 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 (antae) that created a shallow porch. This basic form remained unchanged in its concept for centuries. Fourth century- 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. Dipteral temples simply have a double row of columns surrounding the building. One of the more unusual plans is the tholos, a temple with a circular ground plan; famous examples are attested at the sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi and the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidauros.
What was depicted on the pediments?
The east pediment of the Parthenon showed the birth of goddess Athena from the head of her father Zeus. The sculptures that represented the actual scene are lost. Zeus was probably shown seated, while Athena was striding away from him fully grown and armed.
What did the Ionic frieze of the Parthenon depict?
The fight between Athena and Poseidon
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. Running and wrestling also existed as separate events.
What is contrapposto?
The pose the human body takes when it is relaxed and standing, weight on one leg
What was the story of the Lapiths vs. the Centaurs?
The sculpted decoration of the Parthenon included ninety-two metopes showing scenes of mythical battle. Those on the south flank of the temple included a series featuring human Lapiths in mortal combat with 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.
What was the Trojan war?
The war between the trojans and the greek (mythic, in the Iliad)
What other structure was the stoa used to frame?
These later examples allowed interior space for shops or other rooms and often incorporated the Ionic order for interior colonnades.
How did Greek vase painters produce the red and black colors on the vase?
To produce the characteristic red and black colors found on vases, Greek craftsmen used liquid clay as paint (termed "slip") and perfected a complicated three-stage firing process.
What was the process of bringing the stone to the site where the Greek temple was being erected?
Typically, 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; metal clamps embedded in the stone reinforced the structure against earthquakes. A variety of skilled labor collaborated in the raising of a temple. Workmen were hired to construct the wooden scaffolding needed for hoisting stone blocks and sculpture, and to make the ceramic tiles for the roofs. Metalworkers were employed to make the metal fittings used for reinforcing the stone blocks and to fashion the necessary bronze accoutrements for sculpted scenes on the frieze, metopes, and pediments. Sculptors from the Greek mainland and abroad carved freestanding and relief sculpture for the eaves of the temple building. Painters were engaged to decorate sculptural and architectural elements with painted details.
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
Was a kouros figure generally depicted in contrapposto? How can you tell that the kouros is not in contrapposto?
Weight is evenly distributed on both feet, transcends time, symmetrical
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 sculpted first, East pediment sculpted later, West is archaic East is classical
Why is ancient Greece so important to contemporary people?
When Rome absorbed the Greek world into its vast empire, Greek ideas, art and culture greatly influenced the Romans.
How does the representation of Hegeso suggest the type of life that women led in ancient Greece?
Women not allowed to be citizens in Athens, shown in the home; led very circumscribed lives, lives defined by their relationships with men, first fathers then husbands
What is the story, narrated by Dr. Beth Harris, about the beginning of the Corinthian order?
Young girl that died and her possessions were put in a basket on top of her grave, under basket was campus plant that grew, basket was on top and leaves grew to the sides
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, The caryatid is one of a pair of mirror-image korai which, in place of columns, supported the entablature of the Siphnian Treasury porch.
How long was the race run in the Olympics? Where was it typically run?
along the length of the stadium, a distance of 600 Olympic feet (192.28 meters)
What started to happen in 800 BCE in Greece that produced the Classical period?
by 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
During the Hellenistic period (after the death of Alexander the Great), what territories were covered under the Greeks?
extended across the Middle East and as far as the Indus Valley
Where did the Ancient Greeks live? What countries did they have close relations with?
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
What is a poleis?
self-governing units called poleis or city-states
What is a triglyph? A metope? An Acroterian Figure?
trigylphs (vertical plaques with three divisions) and metopes (square spaces for either painted or sculpted decoration), 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
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
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, The pankration was a mixture of boxing and wrestling, where almost any tactic was permitted. Only biting and going for an opponent's eyes were illegal. Boxing was considered the most violent sport. There were no separate rounds in a match and the contestants fought until one of them gave in. Wrestling was a sport of great skill which used many of the throws still seen today. It also featured as part of the pentathlon ("pente" means five in Greek while "athlos" means contest, so the ancient pentathlon included five events: discus, javelin, long jump, running and wrestling).
