The document explores the significance of plants in ancient Greek art, poetry, and culture, highlighting their roles in medicine, symbolism, and artistic representation. It details how various ancient Greek civilizations incorporated plant motifs in poetry, pottery, and murals from the Minoan through the classical era, with notable examples including depictions in Homer's 'The Odyssey' and famous murals like the 'Mural of Spring.' Ultimately, it underscores the deep connection between ancient Greeks and the plant world, reflecting their importance in daily life and artistic expression.

1. PLANTS IN ANCIENT
GREEK ART
2022-2023

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Plants in Ancient Greek Poetry
• Plants in Ancient Greek Vases
• Plants in Ancient Greek Murals
• Epilogue

3. Plants, herbs, and flowers have always
been an important part of our everyday
lives, mostly through medicine and food.
Greece can be considered as one of the
countries with the most herbal and plant
production in Europe, since it has a great
tradition throughout the years. But have
you ever wondered when these traditions
have their roots from? In this presentation,
let us explain how flowers and plants in
ancient Greece inspired artists in poetry,
fiction and pottery.
Introduction
Garden of Hesperides

4. PLANTS IN ANCIENT
GREEK POETRY

5. Plants in Ancient Greek Poetry
• Plants are often mentioned in poems
by ancient Greek artists and occupy a
place in the structure of the poems.
• Ancient Greek poets and rhapsodists
use plants in their poems to show or
symbolize something, such as peace,
freedom, healing and many other
characteristic symbols
Ancient Greek Poet

6. Plants in Homer’s Poems
• Reference to plants is made in Homer's world-famous
epic poem, the Odyssey;
• Plants are mentioned in the rhapsody 11 in verses 235-
236, where the witch Circe bewitches the unsuspecting
companions of Odysseus with a magical herb poison so
that they forget their homeland.
• Reference is also made to verses 287- 292 where the god
Hermes offers an herb to Odysseus so that he will not be
bewitched by Circe like his companions.
• This indicates that for the ancient Greeks, plants acted as
a cure against diseases, and patients were treated with
special plants. It also confirms the theory that plants have
healing properties.
Witch Circe with a cup
filled with a herb
poison

7. PLANTS IN ANCIENT
GREEK VESSELS

8. Plants in Ancient Greek Vessels
• The ancient Greeks decorated their
vessels with plant patterns
throughout the Ancient Greek
Civilization.
• During the Minoan Civilization in
Crete (3000 BC – 1200 BC), vessels of
extraordinary beauty have been
preserved with representations of
olive branches, laurel and crocus
flowers.
The prince
with the
lilies,
Minoan
Civilization
Zakros’s
jug,
Minoan
Civilization
Water jug
(Hydria),
Minoan
Civilization

9. Plants in Ancient Greek Vessels
• In the Mycenaean (1700 BC – 1100
BC) and Cycladic (3200 BC – 1100
BC) Civilizations, vessels were
usually decorated with crocuses,
lilies and ivy leaves.
• During the Classical era (480 BC –
323 BC) plants either were the main
theme or they complement the
black-figure and red-figure vessels.
Beak-like jug,
Mycenaean
Civilization
Cycladic
Civilisation
Red-figure
vessel
Classical
Era
Black-figure
jug,
Classical Era

10. PLANTS IN ANCIENT
GREEK MURALS

11. Plants in Ancient Greek Murals
• Plants , due to the fact that they meant
a lot to the ancient Greeks were also
depicted in murals.
• In particular, such murals have been
found in Knossos and especially in Thira.
• Their lifespan dates back roughly to the
Bronze Age (3000-1100 BC) when the
Minoan and Cycladic civilizations were
at their peak.
• In later years, the construction of
murals with plants continued. However,
no mural has been found as proof
because they were all done on wood and
with the passage of time they wore out.
Mural of
bronze
age in
Santorini
-
Cycladic
civiliation

12. The Mural of Spring
• The most characteristic example of a
mural with plants from ancient Greece is
the Mural of Spring.
• It is a unique mural which was found
almost intact in its place adorning three
walls of the same room.
• The mural depicts the rocky landscape of
Thira shortly before the eruption of the
volcano.
• The tops and slopes of the rocks are
covered with red blooming lilies with yellow
stamens. Lilies grow in threes from the red
and gray volcanic rocks. The swallows that
are alone or in pairs and flirt in the air, give
This particular photo is the first
photo of the mural when the space
it adorned was discovered. You can
see yourselves how well-kept it is
and all the features we mentioned
above.

13. PLANTS IN ANCIENT
GREEK SCULPTURING

14. Plants in Ancient Greek
Sculpturing
• The ancient Corinthians developed the
Corinthian Order, specifically a style of
temple architecture characterized by
the elaborate capitals of the pillars.
• It was mainly used in the Roman times
and a well-known building erected
based on the Corinthian Order is the
Library of Hadrian.
• There were various plants represented
on the capitals. The plant which
originally inspired the sculptures was
the acanthus and gradually some more
plants were added.
Corinthian
Order Capital The Acanthus

15. Plants as Ancient Greek Pigments
• In ancient Greece, but also until today,
the production of colors was done with
plants.
• Some dyestuffs from plants are the
crocus, which is well-known across the
world, and produces ochre hues,
madder producing red colors, isatis
producing blue dyes and orchil, a
species of lichen that produces a
variety of colors from rose to blue.
• Worth mentioning is that used all these
paints to decorate their temples and
vessels. This meant that plants were
very important in ancient Greece and
were not only used as inspiration but
The Crocus The Madder
The Isotis

16. Nature's beauty and uniqueness certainly
were great inspiration for the ancient
Greeks. The use of herbs was widely spread
in the ancient era and indcated a connection
between humans and the earth and nature.
Ancient Greek findings we meet in museums
and texts written by ancient poets,
philosophers, doctors and researchers
illustrate the important role of plants in
most aspects of their daily lives. This is
documented from sources such as Homer's
epics and references to Hippocrates,
Dioscorides (ancient Greek doctors),
Socrates, who drunk the hemlock (an herbal
Epilogue

17. Sources:
• Monro, D. B. (1886). Homer's Odyssey (Vol. 1). Clarendon Press.
• Ιn the neighbourhood of Aromatic and Seasoning Plants,(2014). Ελληνική
Εταιρία Προστασίας της Φύσης και συγγραφείς. Aυτοέκδοση.
• Ιn the neighbourhood of Aromatic and Seasoning Plants (2),(2014).
Ελληνική Εταιρία Προστασίας της Φύσης και συγγραφείς. Aυτοέκδοση.
• Papantoniou, N., Hapsa, F., Massostasis, A., Dounias, K., & Langos, S.
National Archaeological Museum. MARKETING, 1009, 7PS.
• Jones, M. W. (1991). Designing the roman corinthian capital. Papers of the
British School at Rome, 59, 89-151.

18. Working
Group
 Ioannou Eleni
 Karampini Anastasia
 Sismanidis Konstantinos
 Spanos Konstantinos
 Spanos Dimitris
Zournatzi Ioanna
Thank you for your attention!