The Curvature of the Parthenon, Part I
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A DIACHRONIC EXAMINATION OF THE ERECHTHEION AND ITS RECEPTION Alexandra L. Lesk, B.A., M.St. (Oxon.), M.A. Presented to McMicken College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Classics of the University of Cincinnati in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2004 Committee: C. Brian Rose (Chair) Jack L. Davis Kathleen M. Lynch J. James Coulton Abstract iii ABSTRACT “A Diachronic Examination of the Erechtheion and Its Reception” examines the social life of the Ionic temple on the Athenian Akropolis, which was built in the late 5th century B.C. to house Athens’ most sacred cults and relics. Using a contextualized diachronic approach, this study examines both the changes to the Erechtheion between its construction and the middle of the 19th century A.D., as well as the impact the temple had on the architecture and art of these successive periods. This approach allows the evidence to shed light on new areas of interest such as the Post-Antique phases of the building, in addition to affording a better understanding of problems that have plagued the study of the Erechtheion during the past two centuries. This study begins with a re-examination of all the pertinent archaeological, epigraphical, and literary evidence, and proposes a wholly new reconstruction of how the Erechtheion worked physically and ritually in ancient times. After accounting for the immediate influence of the Erechtheion on subsequent buildings of the Ionic order, an argument for a Hellenistic rather than Augustan date for the major repairs to the temple is presented. -
Athenians and Eleusinians in the West Pediment of the Parthenon
ATHENIANS AND ELEUSINIANS IN THE WEST PEDIMENT OF THE PARTHENON (PLATE 95) T HE IDENTIFICATION of the figuresin the west pedimentof the Parthenonhas long been problematic.I The evidencereadily enables us to reconstructthe composition of the pedimentand to identify its central figures.The subsidiaryfigures, however, are rath- er more difficult to interpret. I propose that those on the left side of the pediment may be identifiedas membersof the Athenian royal family, associatedwith the goddessAthena, and those on the right as membersof the Eleusinian royal family, associatedwith the god Posei- don. This alignment reflects the strife of the two gods on a heroic level, by referringto the legendary war between Athens and Eleusis. The recognition of the disjunctionbetween Athenians and Eleusinians and of parallelism and contrastbetween individualsand groups of figures on the pedimentpermits the identificationof each figure. The referenceto Eleusis in the pediment,moreover, indicates the importanceof that city and its majorcult, the Eleu- sinian Mysteries, to the Athenians. The referencereflects the developmentand exploitation of Athenian control of the Mysteries during the Archaic and Classical periods. This new proposalfor the identificationof the subsidiaryfigures of the west pedimentthus has critical I This article has its origins in a paper I wrote in a graduateseminar directedby ProfessorJohn Pollini at The Johns Hopkins University in 1979. I returned to this paper to revise and expand its ideas during 1986/1987, when I held the Jacob Hirsch Fellowship at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. In the summer of 1988, I was given a grant by the Committeeon Research of Tulane University to conduct furtherresearch for the article. -
Lecture 05 Greek Architecture Part 2
Readings Pages 54-60, A World History of Architecture, Fazio, Michael, Moffet & Wodehousecopoy Pages 60– 65 Great Architecture of the World ARCH 1121 HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY Photo: Alexander Aptekar © 2009 Gardner Art Through the Ages Classical Greek Architecture 480 – 431BCE: Known as the Classical Period in Greek History Assertion that human intelligence puts man above the rest of nature Architecture began in the service of religion 7th century BCE – 1st efforts to create proper shapes and design Beauty = Gods Secret of beauty lay in ratios and proportions Invented democracy and philosophy Created works of art in drama, sculpture and architecture Greek Architecture 480 – 431BCE Temples first built with wood, then stone w/ terra cotta tiles Purely formal objects Greeks pursued the beauty through architecture and materials The home of the Gods Became the principal ornaments in the cities, generally on hills or other prominent locations www.greatbuildings.com www.greatbuildings.com Temple of Hephaestus megron Athenian Treasury Classical Orders In classical Greek architecture, beauty lay in systems of the ratios and proportions. A system or order defined the ideal proportions for all the components of the temples according to mathematical ratios – based on the diameter of the columns. What is an order? An order includes the total assemblage of parts consisting of the column and its appropriate entablature which is based on the diameter of the column. Temple of Hera II (Poseidon) 450 BCE The column is vertical and supports the structure. Its diameter sets the proportion of the other parts. The entablature is horizontal and consists of many elements. -
The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries by Iordanis Poulkouras (trans. Sasha Chaitow) Paper Presented at the 7th Esoteric Quest Conference on The Mysteries and Philosophies of Antiquity, Samothrace, September 2008 Our topic is the Eleusinian Mysteries, perhaps one of the best-known mystery cults of all time. They are rooted in a very ancient time, long before the city state of Athens or the official worship of the Olympian Gods ever existed. Despite this, they have retained their sacrality and commanded respect within various eras and cultures, almost as if they have their own secret and magical way of evoking something in the soul or subconscious of man. I am not sure which term to use – the citizen of classical Greece, Imperial Rome, Enlightenment Europe or even our own Digital reality. There is a host of very proliferous narratives and legends around the theme of these Mysteries. Yet their accuracy is questionable since true initiates took a heavy oath of silence bestowed by the goddess herself. So let us try to make sense of what information we do have. What and When In one prophecy to the Athenians relating to the worship of Dionysus Elefthereos – Latinised to Pater Liber - the Delphi oracle reminded the citizens that the god had returned to the city together with Demeter during the reign of the King of Athens Pandion. The goddess did not stay, but went to Eleusis where she was received by King Keleos. This prophecy would put the inception of the Eleusinian Mysteries at around the 13th century BC. However, it is more or less certain that they actually date to the Minoan period when the worship of the Great Goddess predominated. -
Two Inscribed Documents of the Athenian Empire the Chalkis Decree and the Tribute Reassessment Decree
_________________________________________________________________________ Two Inscribed Documents of the Athenian Empire The Chalkis Decree and the Tribute Reassessment Decree S. D. Lambert AIO Papers no. 8 2017 AIO Papers Published by Attic Inscriptions Online, 97 Elm Road, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 3DR, United Kingdom. Editor: Dr. S. D. Lambert (Cardiff) Advisory Board: Professor P. J. Rhodes (Durham) Professor J. Blok (Utrecht) Dr. A. P. Matthaiou (Athens) Mr. S. G. Byrne (Melbourne) Dr. P. Liddel (Manchester) © Attic Inscriptions Online 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Attic Inscriptions Online, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographic rights organisation. Enquiries concerning reproduction should be sent to Dr. S. D. Lambert at the above address or via the contact given at www.atticinscriptions.com. Front cover: Chalkis decrees, IG I3 40 = Acrop. 6509 © Acropolis Museum (photo: Socratis Mavrommatis). ISSN 2054-6769 (Print) ISSN 2054-6777 (Online) CONTENTS Contents ................................................................................................................................ i Bibliography and Abbreviations ........................................................................................... ii Preface ................................................................................................................................. -
Lintel with the Painted Lioness
LINTEL WITH THE PAINTED LIONESS (PLATES A AND 39-48) I. DISCOVERY OF THE LINTEL FIVE fragments of Pentelic marble of what appeared to be some kind of lintel were found in February and March of 1938 by the late Arthur W. Parsons while excavating a part of the original fill of the " Valerian Wall " to the southeast of the ancient Agora of Athens.' They were in the stretch of wall approximately half way between the Stoa of Attalos and the Propylaea of the Acropolis.2 The discovery of the fragments was reported by Professor T. Leslie Shear 3 who dated them to the latter part of the fifth century B. c. on the evidence of both the style of the painting and the workmanshipof the block. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE FRAGMENTS OF THXELINTEL Four of the fragments have traces of a painted band of palmettes, a fact which is not particularlyimportant. But what is noteworthy is that the largest fragment has, in addition to the palmette ornament, the rear half of a lioness painted on a plane parallel to that of the palmette (Pls. A; 4 39, a; 41, a). The fragments show little sign of having been exposed to the weather, an indi- cation either that they were set up in a protected position or that they were not used for a great length of time. The all-over height of the largest fragment, shown in Plate 41, a, is 0.495 m. This is almost exactly 112 Attic feet (0.328 m. + 0.164 m. = 0.492 m.). -
Ritual Spaces and Performances in the Asklepieia of Roman Greece1
RITUAL SPACES AND PERFORMANCES IN THE ASKLEPIEIA OF ROMAN GREECE1 PERFORMATIVE rituals have been mostly studied by religious historians and only in recent years have they appeared in the archaeological literature.2 Such rituals are based on the performance of precise dramatic sequences of language and actions in the presence of an audience called to a collective participation. They may consist either of public actions such as processions, dances, songs, and sacrificial rites, or of theatrical performances, such as dramatic enactments of divine myths and genealogies. In most ancient sanctuaries specific areas were devoted to their performance: theatrical buildings, or structures only occasionally qualified as processional or sacrificial. In Greece, performative rituals and spaces are especially well known for the sanctuaries of the Classical and Hellenistic period. Festivals and annual celebrations evoked the presence of the gods in order to obtain their favours and help mortals overcome crucial moments either of the agricultural year or of human life. This is the case, for example, of the celebrations in the Attic sanctuaries of Eleusis and Brauron. In this respect, recent studies have demonstrated that public rituals performed in sanctuaries acted as strong means of communication and contributed to forming and enforcing political ideologies in Classical Greece (Goldhill and Osborne 1999; Kowalzig 2008). From the beginning of the Roman presence, the importance of festivals, processions, and collective rituals in the sanctuaries of Greece is stressed by ancient authors and suggested by the epigraphic evidence. It is often suggested that their role—rather than political—was one of preservation of the collective memory in provincial Greece, when this was threatened by external circumstances (Auffarth 1997, 219-38; 1999, 31-42). -
Ancient Greece Alexandros of IKTINOS 447–438 B.C
Ancient Greece Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, 230 B.C. Alexandros of Antioch‐on‐the‐Meander, Venus de Milo, 150‐120 B.C. IKTINOS and KALLIKRATES , Parthenon, 447–438 BCE The Greek World Artistic Periods • Geometric (900‐600 B.C.) • Archaic (600‐480 B.C) • Early & High Classical (480‐400 B.C.) • Late Classical (400 – 323 B.C.) • Hellenistic (323‐30 B.C.) No other culture has had as far‐reaching or lasting an influence on art and civilization as that of ancient Greece. Geometric Period • Dates: ca. 900–600 BC; named because of the prevalence of geometric designs and patterns in the works of art. • Conceptual (stylized) representation of human figures. • Krater – ancient wide-mouthed bowl for mixing wine and water • Amphora – ancient Greek two-handled jar used for general storage purposes, usually wine or oil Krater vs Amphora DIPYLON PAINTER, Geometric amphora with Geometric krater, from the Dipylon cemetery, mourning scene, from the Dipylon cemetery, Athens, Greece, ca. 740 BCE Athens, Greece, ca. 750 BCE. Mantiklos Apollo, statuette of a youth dedicated by Mantiklos to Apollo, from Thebes, Greece, ca. 700–680 BCE Hero and centaur (Herakles and Nessos?), from Olympia,Greece, ca. 750–730 BCE Archaic Period • Dates: ca. 600 - 480 B.C. • Gradual change from Geometric style to the Archaic style. • It was influenced by the flowing forms and animals in Mesopotamian art. • There was a growing emphasis on the human figure. In a series of bands, reminiscent of geometric vases, native animals (boars) appear next to exotic lions and panthers as well as creatures inspired by eastern creatures like the sphinx and lamassu. -
The Significance of Cape Sounion
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CAPE SOUNION The Importance of the Cape for the Broader Region of Sounion and the Athenian Polis Alexandros Mourtzos MA (Research) Thesis Ancient Studies Utrecht University Alexandros Mourtzos 5841763 [email protected] Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Josine Blok Dr. Floris van den Eijnde 21/6/2018 Cover Image: Mariketi Graikioti, Cape Sounion from the west. 2 CONTENTS Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 5 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 1 The History of Cape Sounion, An Analysis ....................................................................... 11 1. 1 The Promontory (PLATE 1) ...................................................................................... 13 1. 2 The Sanctuary of Poseidon (PLATE 2) ...................................................................... 15 1.2.1 The Archaic Temple ................................................................................................ 17 1.2.2 The Classical Temple (PLATES 3-4) ......................................................................... 19 1.2.3 The Sanctuary’s Walls and other Structures .......................................................... 20 1.2.4 The Fort and Settlement ......................................................................................... 21 1.2.5 The Landfill and the Bothros .................................................................................. -
Title: Prayers in Stone : Greek Archi- Tectural Sculpture Ca. 600-100
Prayers in Stone : Greek Archi- tectural Sculpture Ca. 600-100 title: B.C.E. Sather Classical Lectures ; V. 63 author: Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo. publisher: University of California Press isbn10 | asin: 0520215567 print isbn13: 9780520215566 ebook isbn13: 9780585321585 language: English Sculpture, Greek--Themes, motives, Sculpture, Hellenistic-- Themes, motives, Relief (Sculp- ture), Greek--Themes, motives, subject Relief (Sculpture), Hellenistic-- Themes, motives, Decoration and ornament, Architectural-- Greece--Themes, motives. publication date: 1999 lcc: NA3350.R53 1999eb ddc: 733/.3 Sculpture, Greek--Themes, motives, Sculpture, Hellenistic-- Themes, motives, Relief (Sculp- ture), Greek--Themes, motives, subject: Relief (Sculpture), Hellenistic-- Themes, motives, Decoration and ornament, Architectural-- Greece--Themes, motives. Page i Prayers in Stone Page ii Sather Classical Lectures Volume Sixty-Three Page iii Prayers in Stone Greek Architectural Sculpture Ca. 600-100 B.C.E. Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway The Sather Classical Lectures 1996 Page iv University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 1999 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo, 1929 Prayers in stone : Greek architectural sculpture ca. 600100 B.C.E. / by Brunilde Sismondo Ridgway. p. cm.(Sather classical lectures : v. 63) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-520-21556-7 (alk. paper) 1. Sculpture, GreekThemes, motives. 2. Sculpture, Hellenistic Themes, motives. 3. Relief (Sculpture), GreekThemes, motives. 4. Relief (Sculpture), HellentisticThemes, motives. 5. Decoration and ornament, ArchitecturalGreeceThemes, motives. I. Title. II. Series. NA3350.R53 1999 733'.3dc21 98-3583 CIP Manufactured in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum require- ments of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.481984. -
PDF Download Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries Kindle
ELEUSIS AND THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES PDF, EPUB, EBOOK George Emmanuel Mylonas | 416 pages | 08 Dec 2015 | Princeton University Press | 9780691622040 | English | New Jersey, United States Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries PDF Book Epidavros The cradle of They had to move through the long entrance halls of the sanctuary, before reaching the large cave that was considered the entrance to Hades, called Plutoneion. The Eleusinian Mysteries were celebrated on the 15th day of the month Boedromion mid August until mid September and lasted for nine days. Marble votive piglet, Roman times, at the exhibition "Eleusis, the great mysteries" presented by the Acropolis Museum in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Eleusis briefly declared its independence. That means that the man and the piglet had to be purified before they came closer to the divine. No portion of this site may be copied or reproduced, electronically or otherwise, without the expressed, written consent of the author. Copyright Peter T. It is said that Triptolemos invented agriculture and traveled the world teaching humans how to cultivate grain. Initiates came from all over the Greek and later the Roman world. We simply do not know. Sign in via your Institution Sign in. George Emmanuel Mylonas. Since maintaining secrecy was mandatory and speaking about the ritual was a crime punishable by death, the exact content of the ritual still remains unknown. Psychedelic or indeed ecstatic and orgiastic fantasies abound everywhere in the discussion of the Mysteries. There are wonderful photographs from by the Greek surrealist Andreas Embiricos that capture this counterpoint of antiquity and industry. -
Illinois Classical Studies
Plutarch and Athens ANTHONY PODLECKI Periclean Athens, a city raised by one man's will to its cultural and military zenith, is a concept that owes much of its vitality to Plutarch.' This topic suggested itself to me by a passage in the Life of Aristeides. Struck by the largesse of the Athenian people to a descendant of Aristeides and Aristogeiton's grand-daughter, Plutarch remarks: "We need not be surprised to hear that the people took such care of families living in Athens .... The city of Athens has given many such examples of humanity and goodness of heart ((piA.av9pco7i{ai; Kal xpTio':6-cr|TO<; . 6ei7naTa) even in my own day, and for this she is justly praised and admired."^ I asked myself, what kind of practical effect did this favorable impression made by Athens have on Plutarch's work? How often, in fact, does he allude to Athenian customs, institutions, cults and monuments? What kinds of things does he record about ancient Athens? What particularly has stuck in his mind, so that he singles it out for mention? A preliminary word about method. Research for this paper was done with the TLG laser disc and an Ibycus computer at the University of Washington, Seattle; I am grateful to the Classics department and especially Professors L. Bliquez, J. Clauss and M. Langdon for their courteous assistance. I have left out of account those treatises marked doubtful or spurious by D. A. Russell.^ One obvious yardstick of Plutarch's interest in Athens is the number of Athenian subjects of his biographies: 10 out of the 23 Greek Lives (3 Spartan, 2 Theban and the rest "other").'' But within the Lives themselves and scattered throughout the Moralia there are numerous references to Athenian cults, customs and institutions.