Ancient Greece NOTES de Beaufort

1. Art History 1
de Beaufort
Ancient Greece
WORKS
Geometric krater, from the Dipylon cemetery, Athens
The New York Kouros
Lady of Auxerre.
Kroisos,from Anavysos.
Dying warrior,from the westpedimentofthe Temple of Aphaia, Aegina.
Kritios Boy, from the Acropolis,Athens.
Warrior, from the sea off Riace
MYRON, Diskobolos.
POLYKLEITOS, Doryphoros.
IKTINOS and KALLIKRATES, Parthenon,(Temple of Athena Parthenos,looking southeast),Acropolis,
Athens.
Nike of Samothrace
LYSIPPOS, Weary Herakles (Farnese Herakles).
PHILOXENOS OF ERETRIA, Battle of Issus.Roman copy from the House of the Faun, Pompeii,Italy.
Head of Alexander the Great, from Pella.
Sleeping satyr (Barberini Faun)
Seated boxer
Athena battling Alkyoneos, detail of the gigantomachy frieze, from the Altar of Zeus,Pergamon,Turkey.
EPIGONOS(?), Gallic chieftain killing himselfand his wife.
POLYEUKTOS, Demosthenes.
ATHANADOROS, HAGESANDROS, and POLYDOROS OF RHODES, Laocoön and his sons,from Rome,
Italy.
SOCIETY
Ethnē
There were four major ethnē into which the Ancient Greeks,or Hellenes,ofthe Classical period
considered t hemselves divided.
Doric, Attic, Ionic, Thessalian
Polis
The poleis were notlike other primordial ancientcity-states like Tyre or Sidon, which were ruled by
a king or a small oligarchy,butrather a political entity ruled by its body of citizens.
The term polis which in archaic Greece meantcity, changed with the developmentof the
governance center in the city to indicate state (which included its surrounding villages),and finally
with the emergence ofa citizenship notion between the land owners itcame to describe the entire
body of citizens.
The body of citizens came to be the mostimportantmeaning ofthe term polis in ancientGreece as
a polis.
Olympiad 776 BCE
Greek history begins.
The historian Ephorus,is believed to have established the use ofOlympiads to count years.
The Olympic Games were held atfour-year intervals,and later, the Greek method ofcounting the
years even referred to these Games,using the term Olympiad for the period between two Games.
Previously, every Greek state used its own dating system,something thatcontinued for local
events, which led to confusion when trying to determine dates.
Banned 394 CE-Reinstituted in 1894
Greek Society
Patriarchal
PATRI ( Father) dominates
Men did not marry until 30, and then their wives were 12-16 years old
Women seldom leftthe house.

2. Symposium
All-Male party
Except for…..Hetaerae “companians”
Democracy
Cleisthenes, Father of Athenian Democracy
New Conceptof Citizens however…
Democracyfor citizens only
Slavery was common and acceptable
Athens: 30,000 citizens
10,000 foreigners (metics)
200,000 other ( women,slaves,children)
Oracle at Delphi
Pilgrims and emissaries came from all over the ancientworld to seek advice from the oracle.First
they cleansed themselves in the water of a spring,then they paid a tax, and after that sacrificed an
animal on the altar to Apollo.
The Pythia, priestess ofthe god, uttered the prophecies,on a fixed day each month,except the
three winter months when itwas believed that Apollo was absentfrom Delphi.
Seated upon a tripod setabove a cleft in the ground,she chewed bay leaves, drank water from the
Kassotis spring and inhaled the fumes thatsenther into a trance. Priests submitted the pilgrims’
questions.The oracle was written down and interpreted by the priests ofApollo.
The oracles were ambiguous and could be interpreted in many ways, so that the advice of the god
was never erroneous.
PHILOSOPHY
Protagoras
“Man is the Measure of All Things”
Socrates
Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy,he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly
through the accounts of later classical writers,especiallythe writings of his studentPlato,and the
plays of his contemporaryAristophanes.
Through his portrayal in Plato's dialogues,Socrates has become renowned for his contribution to
the field of ethics,and it is this Platonic Socrates who also lends his name to the concepts of
Socratic irony and the Socratic method,or elenchus.
Elenchus
A commonlyused tool in a wide range of discussions,and is a type of pedagogy
in which a series ofquestions are asked notonly to draw individual answers,but
also to encourage fundamental insightinto the issue athand.
The “Socratic Method”
“Critical Thinking” is Dangerous
Rather than upholding a status quo and accepting the developmentof whathe perceived as
immoralitywithin his region,Socrates questioned the collective notion of "mightmakes right"that
he felt was common in Greece during this period.
Plato refers to Socrates as the "gadfly" of the state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action,so
Socrates stung various Athenians),insofar as he irritated some people with considerations of
justice and the pursuitofgoodness. His attempts to improve the Athenians'sense ofjustice may
have been the source of his execution.
Plato-popularizer of Socrates
Socrates's idea thatreality is unavailable to those who use their senses is whatputs him atodds
with the common man,and with common sense.

3. He who sees with his eyes is blind-this idea is mostfamouslycaptured in his allegoryof the cave,
and more explicitly in his description ofthe divided line.
The allegoryof the cave (begins Republic 7.514a) is a paradoxical analogywherein Socrates
argues thatthe invisible world is the mostintelligible ("noeton") and thatthe visible world
("(h)oraton") is the leastknowable,and the mostobscure.
Allegory of the Cave
According to Socrates,physical objects and physical events are "shadows"of
their ideal or perfect forms,and exist only to the extent that they instantiate the
perfect versions ofthemselves.Justas shadows are temporary,inconsequential
epiphenomena produced byphysical objects,physical objects are themselves
fleeting phenomena caused bymore substantial causes,the ideals ofwhich they
are mere instances.For example,Socrates thinks that perfect justice exists
(although it is not clear where) and his own trial would be a cheap copy of it.
Aristotle
Aristotle disagreed with Plato,arguing thatall universals are instantiated.For Aristotle, there are no
universals thatare unattached to existing things.
If a universal exists,either as a particular or a relation,then there musthave been,mustbe
currently, or mustbe in the future, something on which the universal can be predicated.
Great chain of being
The central concept of the chain of being is that everything imaginable fits into it
somewhere,giving order and meaning to the universe.
Plato=Universals
Aristotle=Particulars
Hesiod Wrote Theogony
Oral poet generallythoughtby scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC.
Hesiod and Homer have generallybeen considered the earliestGreek poets whose work has
survived, and they are often paired
Hesiod's writings serve as a major source on Greek mythology, farming techniques,earlyeconomic
thought(he is sometimes identified as the firsteconomist),archaic Greek astronomyand ancient
time-keeping.
GODS
Titans
A race of powerful deities,descendants ofGaia and Uranus,that ruled during the legendary
Golden Age.
The Titans were overthrown by a race of younger gods,the Olympians,in the Titanomachy("War
of the Titans") which effected a mythological paradigm shiftthatthe Greeks may have borrowed
from the Ancient Near East.
Animism is OVER
Animals are seen as without reason,
Acting on impulse, instinct. Usually sexual and violent.
Centaur, Satyr
Olympians
The principal deities ofthe Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus.
The Olympians gained their supremacyin a war of gods in which Zeus led his siblings to victory
over the Titans.
Zeus
King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus;god of the sky and thunder. Youngestchild
of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
Hera
Queen of the gods and the goddess ofmarriage and family.
Poseidon
Lord of the seas,earthquakes and horses.
Demeter

4. Goddess offertility, agriculture,nature, and the seasons.
Ares
God of war, violence and bloodshed.
Athena
Virgin goddess ofwisdom,handicrafts,defense and strategic warfare.
Apollo
God of light, knowledge,music,poetry, prophecy and archery.
Dionysus
God of wine, celebrations and ecstasy.Patron god of the art of theatre.
Artemis
Virgin goddess ofthe hunt, virginity, childbirth,archery and all animals.
Aphrodite
Goddess oflove, beauty, and desire.
Hermes
Messenger ofthe gods;god of commerce and thieves.
Hephaistos
Master blacksmith and craftsman ofthe gods;god of fire and the forge.
Pottery
Pottery was made of terra cotta (earthenware material) which mayor may not be glazed
Black-figure pottery was popular.
Figures were painted in black
Details were incised with a sharp tool,exposing the orange clay below
Vase was fired to turn the painted figures black and the surface areas orange
Red-figure vases involved reversal of this process
Hydria: water jug with 3 handles:two for lifting and the top for pouring
Lekythos: flask for pouring oil
Krater: bowl for mixing wine and water
Amphora:vessel for storing olive oil, wine, honey, or water
Kylix: drinking cup
Oenachoe:jug for pouring wine
Geometric Style-very Geometric
Geometric Krater:
Emphasis on surviving mourners.
Death is mysterious-no real afterlife
The main scene,which occupies the widest portion ofthe vase, shows the
prothesis,a ritual in ancientGreek funerary practice in which the deceased is laid
out on a high bed (bier), usuallywithin the house.
During the prothesis,relatives and friends may come to mourn and pay their
respects to the deceased.Here,the figure seated at the foot of the bier may be
the dead man's wife,and the smaller figure on her lap their child.
Orientalizing Style
Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian,Persian influences
Archaic Period
Close ties to Egypt are evident
Kouros=male youth
Grave markers
Frontal, Left foot advancing
Arms are held,Fist clenched
Liberated from stone block
Nude
Kroisos 530 BC Marble 6’ 4”
Not a portrait, Grave marker
Archaic Smile,more naturalistic
Orig. painted in encaustic
The Archaic Smile

5. Awkward attemptto show “vitality”
NUDITY
Ancient Greece had a particular fascination for aesthetics,which was also reflected in clothing or lack
thereof. Sparta had rigorous codes oftraining and physical exercise in the nude.Athletes would compete in
the nude in public sporting events.Spartan women,as well as men,would sometimes be nude in public
processions and festivals.
Nudity=Heroic
Large penis=animalistic,barbaric,Small penis is more civilized
Transition to Classical
Dying Warriors
(Temple of Aphaia)
Fake smile vs.real pain
outward vs. inward
a classical revolution
Early Classical :Severe Style; no emotion
Kritios Boy
the earliestknown example of contrapposto,a relaxed and natural stance.
Notice how his weightshifts to his left leg and how his head turns slightlyto his right.
Also notice absence ofArchaic smile.
ClassicalPeriod 480 BCE
480 BCE defeat of the Persian Empire -323 BCE Death of Alexander the Great
Greek defeat of the Persians
Battle of Salamis 480 BCE
Xerxes retreats.
Saved from the threat of external rule and changed the course of Western Civilization
HUMANISM vs. “ Barbarians”
Democracy vs. Monarchy
Distinction between Asian and European Civilizations
Asian (Middle East): barbaric and inhuman
Greek-reason and law,humanism
Intellectual and Artistic:
Rationality: human beings impose order
Idealism: perfect beings and buildings
Classical Age
Athens emerged from the Persian Wars triumphant. Using their navy and merchant marine, the Athenians tookcontrolof
the seas around Greece. With renew ed prosperityand a keen sense of their ow n importance in international affairs, they
set about repairing the damage incurred during the w arsand extending the traditions established prior to the Persian
invasion, in particular, drama, painting and architecture.
Part of the reason for this surge in the arts w asthe confidence born of victory and independence. In antiquity, to w in a war
w as to gain the assurance that one's gods w ere pleased, which meant that the ceremonies and celebrations performed in
their honor must be to their liking. From that vantage point, it only makes sense to continue and even extend them.
Thus, the Classical Age w as scion and heir of a sense of righteous vigor. Led by Pericles, a man w ho had to be re-elected
to office everyyear but w howasnonetheless firmly in controlof Athens for much of his life, the Athenians set about
expanding their commercial interests. Wealth soon poured into the city froman alliance called the Delian League w hich
they had formed after the w ar for the benefit of allGreece, but their ow n mostly.
Delian Leaugue= Athens collects “tribute” moneyfrom other poleis.
Eventually they get angry, this leads to the Peloponnesian War and the downfall of Athens.
DON’T GET GREEDY!
Pericles

6. Elected stratego, general of Athens 15X
Instrumental in rebuilding and beautifying Athens after second Persian invasion
Riace Warrior
Found in a shipwreck.Sculpted in bronze. Most Classical bronzes have notsurvived as they were
melted down in the Dark Ages for weapons.Mostof the Classical Greek sculptures we have today
are Roman marble copies.
Doryphoros, Polykleitos
“Ideal” male warrior,Originallytitled Canon
Established Polykleitos’ canon ofproportions,setting ideal correlations among bodyparts
Contrapposto
Polykleitan Style
Dynamic asymmetrical balance
Motion at rest
Harmonyof opposites- chiastic
Impose human order on a natural form
The Parthenon
Iktinos and Kallikrates Sculptor:Phidias 447-438 BCE
Paid for with embezzled funds from the Delian Leaugue
Patron: Pericles:stole the funds from the Delian league to glorify Athens. Empire
Site: Highestpointof the city-the Acropolis-MountOlympus- birthplace of Athena, first destroyed by
the Persians in war.
Structure: Mixture of Doric and Ionic: Athens is the ruler of all Hellenes.
Panathenaic Procession
Held every four years
Glorify Athens and Athenians
Remember victory over the Persians
Symmetria: Ideal of harmony and mathematical proportion
The Golden Mean
Entasis
The application ofa convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes
Athena Parthenos: the Virgin by Phidias
Holding Nike (victory) in right hand
Chryselephantine:gold and ivory
Shield:
Amazonomachy and Gigantomachy
(order over Chaos)
Height= 38 ft
In the Cella.
Deities as spectators:
Gods watching the Athenians because they are so important
Metopes
Centauromachy
Pediments: The Athenians
East-birth of the Goddess
West- contestbetween Athena and Poseidon to be patron God of Athens (arrogance?)
Athenians are always in the position ofjudgement.
Wet drapery
Ionic Frieze
Panatheneic Procession
Deities as spectators:
Gods watching the Athenians because they are so important
Upper part of the relief higher for better visibility
Erechtheus=earlyking of Athens

7. The Late Classical Period
404-338 BCE
Political upheaval
Defeat of plague weakened Athens at Peloponnesian War 404 BC
338 BC Power to Phillip of Macedonia;father of Alexander the Great
Alexander overthrew Persia,Egypt and wentas far as India
Chaos and Disorder
Changes in Art
Greek art began to focus more on the individual and on the real world of appearances rather than
on the communityand the ideal world of perfect beings and perfectbuildings.
8+ heads not7
Praxiteles
End to serene idealism
New focus on the individual
Body forms S curve
Dreamyexpression,smooth modeling
languor and sensuousness notrationalism
Venus Pudica
A classic figural pose in Western art.In this,an unclothed female (either standing or reclining) keeps one
hand covering her private parts.(She is a modestlass,this Venus.) The resultantpose - which is not,
incidentally,applicable to the male nude - is somewhatasymmetrical and often serves to draw one's eye to
the very spotbeing hidden.
The word "pudica" comes to us by way of the Latin "pudendus",which can mean either external genitalia or
shame,or both simultaneously.
Hubris (fatal pride)
The history of Greece is a tale of glory and folly, of inordinate success and incalculable waste.Perhaps
because our strengths as humans almostinvariablycome from the same sources as our weaknesses—to
wit, the blindness thatleads manyto be taken in by others also makes them brave in the face of
overwhelming danger—the same things thathad fostered the civilization of the ancientGreeks precipitated
its fall, their unwavering beliefin themselves and the conviction that their ways were the rightways, the best
ways, and finally the only ways. In particular,the greed that drove the Peloponnesian War and fomented all
its disasters for Athens and Greece alike was part and parcel of the Athenians'determination to improve
themselves and their way of life. That is,the fire that sparked the Classical Age also incinerated it.
The Greeks builttheir civilization, a culture outstripping all previous ones in Western Europe,from the thin
soil of their homeland,and then threw it all away fighting among themselves over those same dustystones.
In the end, their sense ofself-worth was both their triumph and their downfall.It makes sense, then,that
tragedy is one of their mostenduring achievements.
Hellenistic Period
323 BCE (Death of Alexander)-30 BCE Roman Annexation
Hellenistic civilization represents a fusion ofthe Ancient Greek world with that of the Near East, Middle East
and SouthwestAsia, and a departure from earlier Greek attitudes towards "barbarian"cultures.The extent
to which genuinelyhybrid Greco-Asian cultures emerged is contentious;consensus tends to pointtowards
pragmatic cultural adaptation bythe elites ofsociety, but for much of the populations,life would probably
have continued much as it had before.
Alexander the Great’s Empire
The Antigonid dynasty in Macedon and central Greece;
The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt based at Alexandria;
The Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia based atAntioch;
The Attalid dynasty in Anatolia based atPergamum.
Alexander encouraged inter-cultural marriages.
Cosmopolite:
citizen of the world,equivalentto kosmo- cosmo- + polī́tēs citizen (pól(is) a city, state + -ītēs -ite1)

8. Tesserae- tiny stones/glass
Hellenistic Architecture
Pergamon:323-31 BCE Attalid Dynasty
Wealthy and opulentcourt cities
large scale and diversity
theatrical
developmentofthe interior, instead ofthe focus on the building as a refined and perfect sculpture.
Hellenistic Sculpture:
Theatrical,twisting body, exaggerated musculature
Individual,specific
Melodramatic,emotional
Theatrical,multi-media,Site-combination ofart and nature
Realism,caricature,eroticism,sleep,fantasy,grotesque
Opposite of rational and disciplined
.