The Cult and the Temple of Athena Nike
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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. -
The Goddess Nike Article
MUSEUM FRIDAY FEATURE The Goddess Nike by Benton Kidd, Curator of Ancient Art nown as Nike to the Greeks (Latin: Victoria), the winged goddess of victory is familiar to many today, but she was far more than anotherK gratuitous, divine beauty. On the contrary, Nike played an integral role in ancient Greek culture, one which prided itself on the spirit of competition. While winning glory and fame is a persistent theme in Greek literature, actual contests of athletics, theater, poetry, art, music, military achievement—and even beauty— fueled the drive in ancient Greeks to achieve and win. One hymn lauds Nike as the one who confers the “mark of sweet renown,” concluding with “…you rule all things, divine goddess.” The widespread veneration of such a goddess is thus not unexpected, but she was not included among the august Olympians. In fact, her origins are likely to be earlier. In our previous discussion of the god Eros, we had occasion to mention Hesiod’s account of creation, known as the Theogony, or the “genesis of the gods.” Perhaps written about 700 BCE, this grand saga in poetry sweeps the reader back to an ancient era in which the Olympian gods engage in an epic battle with the Titans, a truculent race of primeval gods. Hesiod tells us that the battle raged for ten long years, and that the Olympian victory resulted in absolute supremacy over the universe. The Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus, a horrifying black abyss in the Underworld, reserved for punishing the vilest sinners. Some Titans, however, escaped this terrible fate. -
Iconographical Studies on Nike in 5Th Century BC
Fairfield University DigitalCommons@Fairfield Visual & Performing Arts Faculty Publications Visual & Performing Arts Department 4-2003 Iconographical Studies on Nike in 5th Century B.C.: Investigations of Her Functions and Nature by Cornelia Thöne Katherine Schwab Fairfield University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/visualandperformingarts- facultypubs Originally appears in American Journal of Archaeology. Copyright 2003 Archaeological Institute of America. Peer Reviewed Repository Citation Schwab, Katherine, "Iconographical Studies on Nike in 5th Century B.C.: Investigations of Her Functions and Nature by Cornelia Thöne" (2003). Visual & Performing Arts Faculty Publications. 4. https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/visualandperformingarts-facultypubs/4 Published Citation Schwab, Katherine. 2003. Review of Iconographical Studies on Nike in 5th Century B.C.: Investigations of Her Functions and Nature, by Cornelia Thöne. AJA 107(2):310-311. This item has been accepted for inclusion in DigitalCommons@Fairfield by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Fairfield. It is brought to you by DigitalCommons@Fairfield with permission from the rights- holder(s) and is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 310 BOOK REVIEWS [AJA 107 In fact, much of the focus of this book is on material chaic period to the end of the fifth century B.C., from a that, for typological or geographical reasons, often re- more restricted and formulaic representation to one with ceives limited attention in handbooks. -
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. -
The Victory of Kallimachos Harrison, Evelyn B Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Spring 1971; 12, 1; Proquest Pg
The Victory of Kallimachos Harrison, Evelyn B Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Spring 1971; 12, 1; ProQuest pg. 5 The Victory of Kallimachos Evelyn B. Harrison HE FRAGMENTARY EPIGRAM from the Athenian Acropolis! record Ting a dedication to Athena by Kallimachos of Aphidna and apparently referring to his service at Marathon has been dis cussed and tentatively restored in various ways, but no complete restoration has found general agreement. Meiggs and Lewis, in A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions nO.18, print a conservative text, restoring only the first two verses completely and quoting in foot notes the supplements of Shefton and Ed. Fraenkel for the last three verses.2 Raubitschek, in a general discussion of Greek inscriptions as historical documents, also prints a text without the most controver sial restorations.3 Both still accept, however, the restoration which refers to the offering as "messenger of the immortals" and believe that the column on which the inscription was carved supported one of the winged female figures of which several examples have been lIG 12 609. Most recently, R. Meiggs and D. M. Lewis, A Selection of Greek Historical In scriptions (Oxford 1969). Add to their bibliography A. E. Raubitschek, Gymnasium 72 (1965) 512. The long article by B. B. Shefton, BSA 45 (1950) 14D--64, is the most informative about the stone, since it includes photographs and full discussion of difficult letters as well as a great deal of background material. 1 am grateful to Ronald Stroud for making me a good squeeze of the inscription and to Helen Besi for the drawings, unusually difficult to make because of the concave surface in which the letters are engraved. -
Ekaterina Avaliani (Tbilisi) *
Phasis 2-3, 2000 Ekaterina Avaliani (Tbilisi) ORIGINS OF THE GREEK RELIGION: MINOAN AND MYCENAEAN CULTURAL CONVERGENCE Natw"ally, the convergence of Minoan and Mycenaean ethno-cultures would cause certain changes in religious consciousness. The metamorphosis in religion and mentality are hard to explain from the present perspective. During this process, the orientation of Minoan religion might have totally changed (the "victorious gods" of Achaeans might have eclipsed the older ones ofMinoans).1 On the other hand, the evidence of religious syncretism should by no means be ignored. Thus, based on the materials avail able, we may lead our investigation in the following directions: I. While identifying Minoan religious concepts and cults, we should operate with: a) scenes depicted on a11ifacts; b) antique written sources and mythopoetics, which have preserved certain information on Minoan religious concepts and rituals.2 2. To identify gods of the Mycenaean period, we use linear B texts and artifacts. It is evident that the Mycenaean period has the group of gods that are directly related to Minoan world, and on the other hand, the group of gods that is unknown to pre-Hellenic religious tradition. And, finally, 3.We identify another group of gods that reveal their syncretic nature already in the Mycenaean period. * * * Minoan cult rituals were tightly linked to nature. Cave dwellings, mountains and grottos were the charismatic spaces where the rituals were held.3 One of such grottos near Candia was related to the name of Minoan goddess Eileithyia.4 Homer also mentions Eileithyia. The goddess was believed to protect pregnant women and women in childbirth.5 Also, there might have been another sacred place, the top of a hill - Dikte, which was associated with Minoan goddess Diktunna (Dikte - "Sacred Mountain").6 Later in Greek mythology, the goddess assimilated to Artemis ("huntress") (Solinus II . -
A Bronze Pail of Athena Alalkomenia
A BRONZE PAIL OF ATHENA ALALKOMENIA (PLATES 31-34) T HE remarkable archaic Greek bronze vessel published here (P1. 31, a) was l.4 purchased in Mantinea in Arcadia in the spring of 1957 and donated to the Museum in Tegea where other antiquities from the same region have their abode. It had been found by a local shepherd some distance to the north of the ruins of Man- tinea but, unfortunately, the exact location of the discovery could not be ascertained.' The major part of the vessel is preserved, including about half of its upper profiled edge and one attachment for the handle which passed through its upper ring. The whole of this ring is still filled with iron and it is evident that the missing handle was made of this material. The carefully proportioned body has a height of 0.241 m. to the upper edge of the lip. Its largest diameter, 0.215 m., is slightly smaller than the total height and exactly the same both at the outer edge of the lip and at the greatest width of the body which, in turn, occurs precisely half way between that edge and the bottom of the vessel, 0.12 m. distant from both. The upper face of the lip inclines outward slightly to allow overspilling liquid to run off, as it were, from an architectural cornice. The proportion of diameter to height, the rounded bottom and the contraction of the width under the lip combine to give the impression of an elastic curvilinear rhythm to the generally ovoid form. -
Aspects of the Demeter/Persephone Myth in Modern Fiction
Aspects of the Demeter/Persephone myth in modern fiction Janet Catherine Mary Kay Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy (Ancient Cultures) at the University of Stellenbosch Supervisor: Dr Sjarlene Thom December 2006 I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: ………………………… Date: ……………… 2 THE DEMETER/PERSEPHONE MYTH IN MODERN FICTION TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. Introduction: The Demeter/Persephone Myth in Modern Fiction 4 1.1 Theories for Interpreting the Myth 7 2. The Demeter/Persephone Myth 13 2.1 Synopsis of the Demeter/Persephone Myth 13 2.2 Commentary on the Demeter/Persephone Myth 16 2.3 Interpretations of the Demeter/Persephone Myth, Based on Various 27 Theories 3. A Fantasy Novel for Teenagers: Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood 38 by Meredith Ann Pierce 3.1 Brown Hannah – Winter 40 3.2 Green Hannah – Spring 54 3.3 Golden Hannah – Summer 60 3.4 Russet Hannah – Autumn 67 4. Two Modern Novels for Adults 72 4.1 The novel: Chocolat by Joanne Harris 73 4.2 The novel: House of Women by Lynn Freed 90 5. Conclusion 108 5.1 Comparative Analysis of Identified Motifs in the Myth 110 References 145 3 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The question that this thesis aims to examine is how the motifs of the myth of Demeter and Persephone have been perpetuated in three modern works of fiction, which are Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce, Chocolat by Joanne Harris and House of Women by Lynn Freed. -
The Higher Aspects of Greek Religion. Lectures Delivered at Oxford and In
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIET OF Henirg m. Sage 1891 .A^^^ffM3. islm^lix.. 5931 CornelJ University Library BL 25.H621911 The higher aspects of Greek religion.Lec 3 1924 007 845 450 The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924007845450 THE HIBBERT LECTURES SECOND SERIES 1911 THE HIBBERT LECTURES SECOND SERIES THE HIGHER ASPECTS OF GREEK RELIGION LECTURES DELIVERED AT OXFORD AND IN LONDON IN APRIL AND MAY igii BY L. R. FARNELL, D.Litt. WILDE LECTURER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LONDON WILLIAMS AND NORGATE GARDEN, W.C. 14 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT 1912 CONTENTS Lecture I GENERAL FEATURES AND ORIGINS OF GREEK RELIGION Greek religion mainly a social-political system, 1. In its earliest " period a " theistic creed, that is^ a worship of personal individual deities, ethical personalities rather than mere nature forces, 2. Anthrqgomorphism its predominant bias, 2-3. Yet preserving many primitive features of " animism " or " animatism," 3-5. Its progress gradual without violent break with its distant past, 5-6. The ele- ment of magic fused with the religion but not predominant, 6-7. Hellenism and Hellenic religion a blend of two ethnic strains, one North-Aryan, the other Mediterranean, mainly Minoan-Mycenaean, 7-9. Criteria by which we can distinguish the various influences of these two, 9-1 6. The value of Homeric evidence, 18-20. Sum- mary of results, 21-24. Lecture II THE RELIGIOUS BOND AND MORALITY OF THE FAMILY The earliest type of family in Hellenic society patrilinear, 25-27. -
Appropriate Eating: the Mediterranean Diet in Homer's Odyssey
114 APPROPRIATE EATING: THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET IN HOMER’S ODYSSEY Appropriate Eatng: The Mediterranean Diet in Homer’s Odyssey Jonathan Stefen as any of Homer’s more famous scenes. For The Odyssey is not Jonathan Stefen Limited, Cambridge, United Kingdom just about adventuring. It is not just about homecoming. It is, in a profound way, about eating. More than this: it is about a journey fom inappropriate to appropriate eating. “ There is no boon in life more sweet, I say, The above-quoted lines are addressed by Odysseus, King than when a summer joy holds all the realm, of Ithaka, to King Alkínoös of Phaiákia, during the course of a and banqueters sit listening to a harper banquet at the hall of Alkínoös. The Phaiákian king has given in a great hall, by rows of tables heaped Odysseus temporary refge as the Greek warrior makes his tor- with bread and roast meat, while a steward goes tuous way home fom the Trojan War, persecuted at every turn to dip up wine and brim your cups again.”1 by Poseidon, god of the sea. Odysseus’s words are spoken just before he is about to recount the tale of his wanderings so far: At a frst glance, these six lines fom Homer’s Odyssey lack appar- they represent a brief moment of respite, as Odysseus refects ent drama. They do not possess the epic tension that character- on the dangers of a journey that is far fom fnished. And they izes so many of the Ancient Greek poem’s more famous passages are spoken, crucially, within the context of organized eating and – the scene of Odysseus bound to the mast and listening to the drinking. -
Parthenon 1 Parthenon
Parthenon 1 Parthenon Parthenon Παρθενών (Greek) The Parthenon Location within Greece Athens central General information Type Greek Temple Architectural style Classical Location Athens, Greece Coordinates 37°58′12.9″N 23°43′20.89″E Current tenants Museum [1] [2] Construction started 447 BC [1] [2] Completed 432 BC Height 13.72 m (45.0 ft) Technical details Size 69.5 by 30.9 m (228 by 101 ft) Other dimensions Cella: 29.8 by 19.2 m (98 by 63 ft) Design and construction Owner Greek government Architect Iktinos, Kallikrates Other designers Phidias (sculptor) The Parthenon (Ancient Greek: Παρθενών) is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC, although decorations of the Parthenon continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an Parthenon 2 enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.[3] The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury. -
Hesiod Theogony.Pdf
Hesiod (8th or 7th c. BC, composed in Greek) The Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are probably slightly earlier than Hesiod’s two surviving poems, the Works and Days and the Theogony. Yet in many ways Hesiod is the more important author for the study of Greek mythology. While Homer treats cer- tain aspects of the saga of the Trojan War, he makes no attempt at treating myth more generally. He often includes short digressions and tantalizes us with hints of a broader tra- dition, but much of this remains obscure. Hesiod, by contrast, sought in his Theogony to give a connected account of the creation of the universe. For the study of myth he is im- portant precisely because his is the oldest surviving attempt to treat systematically the mythical tradition from the first gods down to the great heroes. Also unlike the legendary Homer, Hesiod is for us an historical figure and a real per- sonality. His Works and Days contains a great deal of autobiographical information, in- cluding his birthplace (Ascra in Boiotia), where his father had come from (Cyme in Asia Minor), and the name of his brother (Perses), with whom he had a dispute that was the inspiration for composing the Works and Days. His exact date cannot be determined with precision, but there is general agreement that he lived in the 8th century or perhaps the early 7th century BC. His life, therefore, was approximately contemporaneous with the beginning of alphabetic writing in the Greek world. Although we do not know whether Hesiod himself employed this new invention in composing his poems, we can be certain that it was soon used to record and pass them on.