Ancient Greek Art Archives - Page 2 of 5

Agias Son of Aknonios

September 12, 2023

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Powerpoints Sculpture

**Agias, Son of Aknonios, Daochos Monument (detail2),** c. 336- 332 BC, Marble, Height: 2.09 m, Delphi Archaeological Museum, Greece https://twitter.com/AncientEurope/status/1060343094133080064/photo/3

The family offering of Daochos II, or of the House of the Thessalians was initially erected on the prominent terrace northeast of the temple. It comprises a group of marble statues dedicated to Apollo by Daochos II, a Thessalian dignitary from Pharsalus, who represented his people in the Amphictyonic League of Delphi (336-332 BC) where he served the interests of the Macedonians. Nine statues stood on a narrow space: Apollo (lost) and eight representatives of the dedicator’s powerful family (Agias Son of Aknonios is one of them) who were famous for their political, military and athletic exploits. We know the names and glorious deeds of the men represented from the inscriptions carved on the front of the base. Although the figures are deployed in a line and differ from one another in pose and dress, they nevertheless interact through the symmetrical or contrasting movement of their bodies, gestures, and turns of the head. Rosina Colonia, The Archaeological Museum of Delphi, John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Athens, Greece, page 321 https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_13/delphoi_en.pdf

**Agias, Son of Aknonios, Daochos Monument,** c. 336- 332 BC, Marble, Height: 2.09 m, Delphi Archaeological Museum, Greece https://twitter.com/AncientEurope/status/1060343094133080064/photo/1

The monument of Daoxhos II at Delphi, a family portrait gallery of eight statues, showcases six successive generations within the direct family lineage of Daochos II, stretching back to the late 6th century. It starts on the right side of the Monument, with the statue of Apollo (the statue is lost), the deity to whom the monument was dedicated. Based on the size and shallow nature of the carving, it is likely that the statue depicted Apollo in a seated position.

**Daochos Monument,** c. 336- 332 BC, Marble, Delphi Archaeological Museum, Greece https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_voto_of_Daochos

On the right side of Apollo, the unknown artist of the Monument placed the statue of Aknonios, great-great-grandfather of Daochos II, who lived during the Persian Wars and served as Tetrarch of Thessaly. Aknonios is followed by his three sons, all of them distinguished athletes. First comes the oldest son, Agias, the great-grandfather of Daochos II. Placed next to his father following a generational sequence, Agias was a distinguished athlete of Pankration, an Olympian, and the winner of many Panhellenic Games during the 5th century. His brother Telemachos, a 440 BC Olympic Games Wrestling Winner comes next, followed by the younger of the three brothers, Agelaos, a champion Runner. Daochos I, son of Agias, grandfather of the monument’s donor, and Tetrarch of Thessaly for twenty-seven peaceful years are placed next to Agelaos. He is followed by Sisyphus I, his son, a military man, his grandson, and donor, Daochos II, and finally Sisyphus II, the youngest member of the Thessalian family.

The statue of each depicted member of the Thessalian family is differentiated, by pose, anatomy, and dress. Each statue stands alone, yet, their body postures, hand gestures, and the way their heads turn unite them, creating a tight composition. The represented statesmen, for example, Aknonios and Daochos I, depicted wearing the short chlamys favoured by Macedonian and Thessalian men, look sturdy and solemn. Sisyphus I, the only military representative in the Daochos II group, is presented as if he is giving military orders. As for the rest, Agias, Telemachos, Agelaos, and young Sisyphus II, presented in the nude, are perfect examples of youth and athletic prowess.

The statue of Agias son of Aknonios, and great-grandfather of Daochos II, is the Monument’s most preserved and most significant artwork. The Monument’s epigram, beneath his statue, identifies him as a distinguished athlete… Πρῶτος Ὀλύμπια παγκράτιον, Φαρσάλιε, νίκαις | Ἀγία Ἀκνονίου, γῆς ἀπὸ Θεσσαλίας, | πεντάκις ἐν Νεμέαι, τρις Πύθια, πεντάκις Ἰσθμοῖ · | καὶ σῶν οὐδεὶς πω στῆσε τρόπαια χερῶν… Man from Pharsalos (a town in Thessaly), having won the pankration first in Olympia, Agias, the son of Aknonios, from the land of Thessaly, (you won) five times in Nemea, three times the Pythian Games and five times on the Isthmos; no one has ever erected a victory monument at the expense of your poor.

As an athlete, Agias is depicted in a state of nudity, showcasing his athletic prowess as a victorious competitor. He is depicted standing upright, facing the viewer… but he appears restless! The weight distribution between his legs is not sharply differentiated. There is a lack of pronounced contrast between the weight-bearing, straight, right leg and the free, slightly bent, left leg. The statue appears to shift back and forth between the two stances, rather than standing at ease.

Equally restless seems to be the remaining body posture. The right hip, for example, juts out slightly, yet the overall impression is one of verticality. To the same extent, the arms are not ‘hanging’ down relaxed, but rather held slightly away from the athlete’s body, adding to their dynamic quality. The head, smaller in size compared to the statue’s size, rests on a muscular neck, slightly turning to the left. The facial details convey a sense of distinctive personality with a firmly set, sensual mouth, a rather large nose, and small eyes deeply set into the head. The gaze carried by Agias seems directed into space, imparting a certain detachment from the world. Overall, Agias’s torso, arms, legs, neck, and head, are powerfully built, but the body does not appear heavy. The son of Aknonios is a powerful Pankreatist, yet a tall, slender, elegant, thoughtful man.

Is the statue of Agias at Delphi the artistic creation of Lysippos, the great 5th-century sculptor from Sicyon?

According to modern scholars, Lysippos, the favourite sculptor of Alexander the Great, developed a particular artistic canon aimed at achieving specific effects. The statue of Agias, an idealized 4^th century portrait, made long after the athlete’s death as part of the Monument of Daochos II, seems to ‘match’ Lysippos’ distinct artistic ‘effects’. It is characterized by a dynamic, yet ‘restless’ posture, a lean physique, individualized facial features, and a sense of detachment conveyed through the statue’s gaze.

The statue’s connection to Lysippos is further enhanced by an archaeological find at Pharsalos, the birthplace of Agias. A few years back, archaeologists unearthed the base of yet another statue of Agias (the actual statue is lost), which carried an inscription in part nearly identical to the Agias epigram at Delphi. It appears that the Delphi inscription was excerpted from that at Pharsalos, where, at its end, the name of Lysippos, the sculptor, was clearly written.

In conclusion…

The statue of Agias, part of the Monument of Daochos II at Delphi, was erected between the years 337/6 and 333/2 and embodies many artistic characteristics of the Lysippian style. The statue is identified as Agias, son of Aknonios, from an epigram inscribed on its base. This epigram is a copy of the inscription carved on the base of a chronologically older ‘statue’ of Agias discovered in the ancient city of Pharsalos, the birthplace of the athlete. The Pharsalos ‘statue’, commissioned, most probably, by Daochos II as well, believed to be an original creation of the sculptor Lysippos, done in bronze, and dated before 337/6 BC, has sparked many discussions about the creator of the statue of Agias at Delphi. Is it an original work by Lysippos or a copy of his bronze original statue at Pharsalos? Today, it is believed that the Delphic Agias, even if not a faithful replica of Lysippus’ original statue at Pharsalos, belongs to his workshop and, as a work from the 4th century BC, sheds light on the artistic trends of that era.

For a PowerPoint Presentation of the Monument of Daochos II in the Archaeological Museum at Delphi, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: Rosina Colonia, The Archaeological Museum of Delphi, John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Athens, Greece (for the Statue of Agias and the Monument of Daochosin Delphi, go to pages 321-324) https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_13/delphoi_en.pdf and https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_13/delphoi_en.pdf and https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Delphi%2C+Daochos+Monument%2C+Agias&object=Sculpture

Persephone as Isis and Hades as Sarapis

June 18, 2023

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Education Greek Art Mythology Roman Art Student Activities Worksheets

**Statue Group of Persephone as Isis and Hades as Sarapis,** 180-190 AD, Marble, from Gortyn, the island of Grete, Greece

Persephone, Daughter of Zeus, blessed / Only begotten, gracious Goddess, receive this good offering, / Much honoured, you, overpowered by Hades, / you are beloved and lifegiving, / You hold the doors of Hades under the depths of the earth; / Transactor of Justice, your beloved hair the sacred olive branch of the enemy / Mother of the Eumenides, Queen of the Underworld, / You, maiden from Zeus through secret begetting… / … Listen, blessed Goddess and send up fruits from the earth / In peace, flourishing in health from your soothing hand; / And, in life abundance, leading to richness of old age / Then to your realm O Sovereign, and to powerful Hades… and I am reminded of The Statue Group of Persephone as Isis and Hades as Sarapis in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Crete… some questions and answers! https://godofthemonth.livejournal.com/2759.html

Where were the statues of Persephone as Isis and Hades as Sarapis found? The statues were discovered on the Island of Crete, in the Temple of the Egyptian Gods in the ancient city of Gortyn.

Few words about the Temple of the Egyptian Gods in Gortyn… It is a significant monument from the ancient world that provides insight into the religious and cultural life of the city. The temple was built during the Roman period and was dedicated to the worship of Egyptian gods, including Isis, Serapis, and Anubis. The temple was likely constructed as a result of the influence of Egyptian culture in Gortyn, as well as the growing popularity of the Egyptian gods in the Roman world. It is a symbol of the cultural diversity of the city and its cosmopolitan nature. The Temple was first excavated by G. Oliverio, in 1914.

Few words about the ancient city of Gortyn… an ancient city located in Crete, Greece, and the capital of the Roman province of Crete and Cyrenaica. It was one of the most important cities in ancient Crete and was a center of politics, culture, and commerce. In its heyday, Gortyn was a thriving city with a diverse population. The city was known for its impressive architecture, including temples, like that of the Egyptian Gods, public buildings like the Roman Odeon, and impressive fortifications. The city was home to the Gortyn Code, a set of laws and regulations that governed the lives of the people of Crete and regulated everything from trade and commerce to marriage and family life.

Few words about the statues of Persephone as Isis and Hades as Sarapis… The statues from the Temple of the Egyptian Gods at Gortyn combine iconographic elements and symbols of Hellenic and Egyptian deities alike. The figure of Persephone as Isis is depicted frontally holding a sistrum and wearing a mantle crowned with a disk, the symbol of the sun, between two horns. Hades as Sarapis stands frontally as well. He is crowned with the modius, or grain measure, and holds the scepter of his divine authority in his left hand. On his right is Cerverus, facing the viewer, ferocious-looking and fierce. https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/en/exhibit/isis-persephone-and-sarapis-hades/

Who were the Greek Gods Persephone and Hades? Persephone and Hades are divine figures from ancient Greek mythology. Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest. Hades was the god of the underworld and the dead.

The myth of Persephone and Hades begins with the kidnapping of Persephone by Hades. According to the story, Hades was so enamored with Persephone that he abducted her and took her to the underworld to be his bride. This caused great distress for Demeter, who searched the earth for her daughter and caused the crops to wither and die. To resolve the situation, Zeus intervened and arranged for Persephone to spend half of the year with her mother and half of the year with her husband in the underworld. During the time that Persephone was with Demeter, the crops would grow and the earth would be fertile, but during the time she was with Hades, the earth would become barren.

This is why the ancient Greeks associated the myth with the changing of the seasons and the cycle of death and rebirth. In addition to being a story about the changing of the seasons, the myth of Persephone and Hades also symbolizes the journey of the soul and the transition from life to death. Hades represents the dark, mysterious, and unknown aspects of the afterlife, while Persephone represents the soul that must journey through this realm. The myth of Persephone and Hades is undoubtedly an important and enduring tale in Greek mythology that continues to captivate audiences to this day.

Why and How did the Greek Gods, Persephone, and Hades, connect with the Egyptian Gods Isis and Sarapis? The cult of the Egyptian Gods is attested at many sites of the ancient Greek world and became quite popular during the Hellenistic period. The amalgamation of the attributes of the Egyptian deities Isis and Sarapis with those of the Greek Persephone and Hades is a syncretic phenomenon observed during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/en/exhibit/isis-persephone-and-sarapis-hades/

One of the key similarities between Persephone and Isis is their association with the afterlife and the underworld. Persephone was abducted by Hades and became the queen of the underworld, while Isis was often depicted as the “Lady of the Tomb” and was associated with the afterlife and the dead. Both figures were also associated with the idea of rebirth and renewal and were revered as powerful, nurturing goddesses who could bring life and fertility to the earth. In both myths, the goddess was seen as a powerful figure who could help guide the souls of the dead through the afterlife and ensure that they reached their final resting place.

The Egyptian God Sarapis is thought to be a creation of Ptolemaic Egypt, an amalgama of Osiris, husband of Isis, Apis, and Hades. Sarapis was widely worshipped in the Hellenistic world and was particularly popular in the city of Alexandria in Egypt. He was depicted as a powerful and benevolent ruler of the underworld and was seen as a savior figure who could grant salvation to those who worshipped him. Despite their different origins, both Hades and Sarapis were seen as gods of the underworld who held sway over the fate of the dead. In this sense, they both represented the powers of death and the afterlife in the ancient world. https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/en/exhibit/isis-persephone-and-sarapis-hades/

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

Photo Credit: https://www.heraklionmuseum.gr/en/exhibit/isis-persephone-and-sarapis-hades/

Lekythos in the Canellopoulos Museum

April 25, 2023

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Greek Art Museums Pottery Student Activities Worksheets

**White-Ground Lekythos,** 440-430 BC, Terracotta, H. 25,5 cm, Canellopoulos Museum, Athens, Greece https://camu.gr/en/item/likythos/

Intended as a grave gift, this beautiful, white-ground Lekythos in the Canellopoulos Museum is a distinctive 5^th century type of Athenian vessel. According to Maria S. Brouscari… the composition presented on the pot’s body, features, a tall, narrow stele with three steps, decorated with fillets, one at the top of the stele and one with its ends hanging over the top step, from which hang also two thin cords. To the left of the stele, a kneeling woman mourns. With her left hand she strikes her head, while her right is outstretched in a gesture of despair. To the right of the stele the dead stands motionless: a young man, fully clad in a deep purple garment, leaving only the head uncovered. His hair is rendered with a dilute black paint. The decoration of the Canellopoulos Museum Lekythos is typical of scenes connected with funerary rituals and can give us some insight into ancient Athenian funerary practices and ideas about death. https://camu.gr/en/item/likythos/

The Athenian, white-ground Lekythos, developed during the Classical period (5th-4th centuries BC), when Athenian potters began to cover the natural reddish color of their pottery with clay that turned white when fired. These small in size oil containers were used in funerary rituals in a number of different ways. They were, for example, burned with the body in cremations, used for pouring oil libations on the body or the grave site, and as offerings, were left at or in a burial. The great majority of these vessels have been found in and around graves, in Attica. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103VMY

When I look at the Lekythos in the Canellopoulos Museum, I think of Simonides of Ceos. His poetry, widely admired for its beauty, precision, and emotional depth, befits the funerary composition of the white-ground Lekythos in the Athenian Museum…

Fragment 520: ἀνθρώπων ὀλίγον μὲν / κάρτος, ἄπρακτοι δὲ μεληδόνες, / αἰῶνι δ᾽ ἐν παύρωι πόνος ἀμφὶ πόνωι· / ὁ δ᾽ ἄφυκτος ὁμῶς ἐπικρέμαται θάνατος· / είνου γὰρ ἴσον λάχον μέρος οἵ τ᾽ ἀγαθοὶ / ὅστις τε κακός. – Των ανθρώπων λιγοστή η δύναμη κι άκαρπο ό,τι φροντίζουν πιο πολύ· στη σύντομη ζωή τους η μια στεναχώρια ακολουθεί την άλλη. Αναπόδραστος ο θάνατος ζυγιάζεται από πάνω τους χωρίς διάκριση· ευγενείς και ταπεινοί, όλοι έχουν μπροστά τους την ίδια μοίρα. (Translated by I. N. Kazazis) – Little is the strength of men and fruitless what they care most for; in their short life one sorrow follows another. Death, inescapable, weighs upon them without distinction; noble and humble, all face the same fate. https://www.greek-lan guage.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/anthology/poetry/browse.html?text_id=431

Fragment 521: ἄνθρωπος ἐὼν μή ποτε φάσηις ὅ τι γίνεται αὔριον, / μηδ᾽ ἄνδρα ἰδὼν ὄλβιον ὅσσον χρόνον ἔσσεται· / ὠκεῖα γὰρ οὐδὲ τανυπτερύγου μυίας / οὕτως ἁ μετάστασις. – Είσαι άνθρωπος, και γι᾽ αυτό ποτέ μην πεις τί μέλλει αύριο να συμβεί, μήτε να προβλέψεις, σαν δεις κανέναν να ευτυχεί, πόσον καιρό θα κρατήσει αυτό. Γιατί τόσο γοργό σαν την αλλαγή της μοίρας δεν είναι ούτε το φτερούγισμα της μακρόφτερης μύγας. (Translated by I. N. Kazazis) – You are only human, so, never tell what will happen tomorrow, do not predict, if you see someone happy, how long his happiness will last. Because fate changes faster and swifter than the fluttering of the long-flying fly. https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/anthology/poetry/browse.html?text_id=432

Fragment 522: πάντα γὰρ μίαν ἱκνεῖται δασπλῆτα Χάρυβδιν, αἱ μεγάλαι τ᾽ ἀρεταὶ καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος. – Γιατί όλα τα πράγματα καταλήγουν στην ίδια φριχτή Χάρυβδη, κι οι μεγάλες επιτυχίες και ο πλούτος. (Translated by I. N. Kazazis) – For all things come down to the same horrible Charybdis; people’s virtues and success. https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/anthology/poetry/browse.html?text_id=433

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

The Apotheosis of Herakles

December 14, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Education Exhibitions Greek Art Heracles Mythology Powerpoints Sculpture

**Apotheosis (Deification) of Herakles Pediment,** c. 570 BC, Actite, a type of porous limestone, painted, H. 0.94 m, L. 1.74 m, Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/apotheosis-deification-herakles-pediment

I will sing of Herakles, the son of Zeus and much the mightiest of men on earth. Alcmena bare him in Thebes, the city of lovely dances, when the dark-clouded Son of Cronos had lain with her. Once he used to wander over unmeasured tracts of land and sea [5] at the bidding of King Eurystheus, and himself did many deeds of violence and endured many; but now he lives happily in the glorious home of snowy Olympus, and has neat-ankled Hebe for his wife. Hail, lord, son of Zeus’ Give me success and prosperity… writes the anonymous poet of Homeric Hymn 15… and The Apotheosis of Herakles in the Acropolis Museum comes to my mind. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138%3Ahymn%3D15

Let’s answer some questions about The Apotheosis of Herakles in the Acropolis Museum…

What is a Pediment and how important Pediments were they for Greek Temple Architecture? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica… Pediment, in architecture, is a triangular gable forming the end of the roof slope over a portico (the area, with a roof supported by columns, leading to the entrance of a building). For ancient Greek architecture, the two pediments featured on the two narrow sides of their temples were very important. They served as the ‘crowning feature’ of the whole structure. The triangular wall surface of the pediment, called the tympanum, was often decorated with sculptural compositions. Last but not least, Pediments were always crowned by a raking, or slanted, cornice. https://www.britannica.com/technology/pediment-architecture

Where, and When, did the Apotheosis of Herakles Pediment was discovered? The Apotheosis of Herakles pediment was discovered, during the 1888 excavation period, buried, east and southeast of the Parthenon, in the Acropolis of Athens.

Was the Apotheosis of Herakles Pediment part of the Acropolis Perserschutt? Yes! The Perserschutt consists of numerous remains of statues vandalized by the Achaemenids during the terrible years of the second Persian invasion… Ten years after the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), the Persians returned to Greece and after their victory at the Battle of Thermopylae, in September of 480 BC, they entered Athens. The small number of Athenians who had barricaded themselves on the Acropolis, hoping that the Wooden Walls of the Delphic Oracle would protect them, were eventually defeated, and Xerxes ordered Athens to be torched. Those Persians who had come up first betook themselves to the gates, which they opened, and slew the suppliants; and when they had laid all the Athenians low, they plundered the temple and burnt the whole of the Acropolis. (Herodotus VIII.53). Months later, after the victory at Salamis, and the Battle of Plateae in 479 BC, the Athenians returned to their city… they respectfully buried the mutilated sacred statues of the Archaic period on the Acropolis (these remains are called Perserschutt) and proceeded with reorganizing their civic and private lives… waiting for the right time to rebuild their Acropolis. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/special-topics-art-history/arches-at-risk-cultural-heritage-education-series/xa0148fd6a60f2ff6:ruins-reconstruction-and-renewal/a/destruction-memory-and-monuments-the-many-lives-of-the-parthenon

Which Acropolis building did the Apotheosis architectural sculptures decorate? Archaeologists are not categorically certain. According to the Acropolis Museum experts, the pediment probably decorated one of the small buildings, referred to as “oikemata”, on the Archaic Acropolis. Some scholars, however, suggest these remains were once part of the pediment of the Hekatompedon, a building that stood on the site now occupied by the Parthenon. https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/apotheosis-deification-herakles-pediment

**Apotheosis (Deification) of Herakles Pediment (details),** c. 570 BC, Actite, a type of porous limestone, painted, H. 0.94 m, L. 1.74 m, Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/apotheosis-deification-herakles-pediment

**Apotheosis (Deification) of Herakles Pediment (detail),** c. 570 BC, Actite, a type of porous limestone, painted, H. 0.94 m, L. 1.74 m, Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/apotheosis-deification-herakles-pediment

How important, artistically, is the Apotheosis Pediment? These pedimental sculptures are of high quality. Of particular interest are the heads that have been preserved, that of Zeus and especially that of Heracles with finely worked details of his facial features and hair. The garments worn by the figures are equally attractively rendered, as is Zeus’s throne with palmettes on the legs, and the skin of the lion, whose head, with incised curls on the mane, covers Heracles’ head like a hood. https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_8/acropolis_en.pdf page 30-31

**Louis Émile Emmanuel Gilliéron (known as Émile Gilliéron père),** Suisse Artist, 1851-1924
**Apotheosis (Deification) of Herakles Pediment,** 1919, Watercolor and graphite on paper, L. 110.5 cm, H. 85.1 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/625053?&exhibitionId=0&oid=625053&pkgids=773

How is Émile Gilliéron père related to The Apotheosis of Herakles Pediment? In a letter addressed to Gisela M. A. Richter, curator of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, dated October 29, 1918, Emile Gilliéron père informs the noted archaeologist and art historian, that he has executed, at the Acropolis of Athens, four watercolors that may interest the Museum. One of these watercolours is the Apotheosis of Herakles. Gilliéron, recognized as a skilled archaeological draftsman, worked for the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) in the Acropolis, Heinrich Schliemann at Mycenae, and Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos, where Gilliéron father and son served for thirty years as draftsmen, restorers, and advisers. The watercolour of the Apotheosis Pediment is of the utmost importance. It documents the vibrant colours the Archaic artist used, red, blue, black, green, and yellow, at the time of their discovery, before they were altered by prolonged exposure to the elements. The Gilliéron watercolour is exhibited at the MET, NY Exhibition Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color (Through 26, 2023). https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Watercolors_of_the_Acropolis_Emile_Gillieron_in_Athens

For a PowerPoint on Gilliéron’s Watercolours of the Acropolis architectural sculptures, please… Check HERE!

Grave Stele of a Youth and a little Girl

November 27, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Education Greek Art Sculpture Student Activities Worksheets

**Marble stele (grave marker) of a youth and a little girl (and details),** ca. 530 BC, Marble, H. 423.4cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248501?&exhibitionId=0&oid=248501&pkgids=773 and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500 and http://met-guide.blogspot.com/2011/01/grave-stele-of-youth-and-little-girl_28.html

Inscribed on the base of this extraordinary Funerary Stele, we read… To dear Me[gakles], on his death, his father with his dear mother set (me) up as a monument. The ancient Greek marble Grave Stele of a Youth and a little Girl in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York city, is worth exploring…

What is a Stele (for the Ancient Greeks)? A Stele (from ancient Greek στήλη-arrange/stand) is a set upright stone slab used in the ancient world primarily as a grave marker but also for dedication, commemoration, and demarcation. Stelae could be inscribed, carved in relief, or painted. During Greek Antiquity, Grave Stelae (επιτύμβιες στήλες) were usually inscribed and decorated with scenes depicting the deceased, usually alone, but sometimes with a servant or relative. The Early Archaic period Grave Stele in the area of Attica, were often inscribed, decorated in relief, crowned by a capital, which extended upwards and supported a sphinx, a demonic being that protected the tomb, and finally painted! https://www.britannica.com/topic/stela

Is the MET Grave Stele of a Youth and a little Girl special? Yes, it is a very special and unique piece. According to the MET experts… This is the most complete grave monument of its type to have survived from the Archaic period. It is also of high artistic quality and a great source of information on how ancient Greek sculptural pieces were painted. In addition, if the name of the youth in the Stele’s inscription is Megakles, as some scholars believe, then the Stele was erected by the Athenian family of the Alkmeonidai, and it is an archaeological discovery of historical importance. The Alcmaeonidai were a wealthy and powerful noble family of ancient Athens. Cleisthenes, Pericles, and Alkeviades were prominent members of the family. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500

Where was the Marble Stele found, and how did it reach the MET? According to the MET, the Stele is… said to have come from Kataphygi, Attica. The Museum acquired fragments of the Stele in 1911, 1922, 1936, 1938, and 1951. Two parts of the MET Stele are plaster copies. For example, the Girl’s head is in Berlin, and the youth’s right forearm is in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Interestingly, the capital and crowning sphinx, as exhibited in its entirety, are casts of the originals, displayed in a case nearby. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500

In 1911 the MET acquired a fragmentary shaft, the base, and the acroterion of the Stele from John Marshall in England. A fragment of the youth’s shoulder and arm was acquired in 1922 from M.L. Kambanis in Athens or Paris. The Stele’s marble capital and finial in the form of a sphinx were purchased in 1936 and 1938 through Martin Birnbaum. Fragments of the Stele’s inscription were gifted to the MET in 1951 by Walter C. Baker. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500 and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248501

First thoughts and impressions… A few ancient Attic Grave Stelae of the Archaic period survived in their entirety. The three-part Grave Stele of a Youth and a little Girl is probably the best example. Exhibited restored, with the help of plaster casts, the MET Stele, shows how imposing and impressive such a monument could be. With considerable height, 4,23 meters, brilliantly painted, the Stele, seen even from afar, dominated the Athenian landscape where it originally stood. https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/history/art/page_063.html

Description… The MET Stele consists of three parts. The lowest part is the Stele’s rectangular base. Inscribed on the base, the unknown artist of the Stele wrote… to dear Me[gakles], on his death, his father with his dear mother set [me] up as a monument. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248500

**Marble stele (grave marker) of a youth and a little girl (detail of the youth),** ca. 530 BC, Marble, H. 423.4cm, the MET, NY, USA https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Marble_stele_%28grave_marker%29_of_a_youth_and_a_little_girl_MET_GR46.jpg

The middle part of the Stele has a lot to narrate. The front part of the shaft depicts the full-length representation of the deceased, a young man, an athlete, and thee, a παλαιστρίτη (a wrestler or an athlete trained in a παλαίστρα). In heroic nudity, he holds with his left hand a pomegranate, the mythological fruit of death and fertility. Hanging from the left wrist, an aryballos (a small oil flask) reminds us that Megakles, if that was his name, was an active athlete. Little is known of the little, fully clothed, girl, standing before Megakles, holding, with her left hand, an unidentified flower in front of her face. It has been suggested that the girl in the composition might be a younger sister. http://met-guide.blogspot.com/2011/01/grave-stele-of-youth-and-little-girl_28.html

**Marble stele (grave marker) of a youth and a little girl (Finial and detail of the Sphinx),** ca. 530 BC, Marble, H. 423.4cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248501 and https://blog.myheritage.com/2022/08/marble-greek-and-roman-statues-were-actually-painted-in-brilliant-colors/

The third, and uppermost part of the Stele, the finial, consists of two members, the lower and the upper. The lower member, in the form of a double capital, was decorated wholly in color, its surface being entirely flat. It is fortunate that enough of the painted decoration survived time, so as to trace the original design… scrolls, making two pairs of volutes, and ‘palmettes’ placed between them. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3252802?seq=3#metadata_info_tab_contents and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248501

The upper member of the finial is a formidable, three-dimensional Sphinx, a mythological creature with a lion’s body and a human head, known in various forms throughout the eastern Mediterranean region from the Bronze Age onward. The Greeks, as in the case of the MET Stele, represented it as a winged female and often placed its image on grave monuments as guardian of the dead. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248501

**Reconstruction** (2022) **of a marble finial in the form of a Sphinx** by Vinzenz Brinkmann and Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2022/chroma/exhibition-objects

How is the MET Stele related to the Met Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color Exhibition? For the decoration of the MET Stele, the unknown artist employed sculpture and painting as well. The original colour on the marble MET Stele is unusually well-preserved, especially the colours of the Sphinx. According to Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann and Vinzenz Brinkmann, scientific analyses, photographs with ultraviolet and infrared light, false-color photographs, and archaeological comparisons allowed an almost complete reconstruction of the elegant designs in luminous and precious natural colors. The new, painted reconstruction of the MET Sphinx is a key display in Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color (Through March 26, 2023) Exhibition. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2022/chroma/exhibition-objects

For a Student Activity inspired by the Marble stele of a youth and a little girl in the MET, please… Check HERE!

If you are interested in visiting or browsing through the Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color (Through March 26, 2023), please Check… https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2022/chroma/visiting-guide and https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2022/chroma/exhibition-objects For an Exhibition Video prepared by Art Trip (19:37 min), check… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LFGtqslZAU

The Epiphany of Dionysus Mosaic in Delos

October 9, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Greek Art Hellenistic Art Mosaics Mythology Powerpoints

**House of Dionysus, Epiphany of Dionysus**, 2^nd century BC, Mosaic, Delos Island, Greece https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaics_of_Delos#/media/File:Delos_Museum_Mosaik_Dionysos_05.jpg

In Euripides’s Bacchae, it is Teiresia’s role, addressing Pentheus, to introduce Dionysus to the audience, just like the Epiphany of Dionysus Mosaic in Delos does… visually! …You have a rapid tongue as though you were sensible, but there is no sense in your words… [270] This new god, whom you ridicule, I am unable to express how great he will be throughout Hellas. For two things, young man, [275] are first among men: the goddess Demeter—she is the earth, but call her whatever name you wish; she nourishes mortals with dry food; but he who came afterward, the offspring of Semele, discovered a match to it, the liquid drink of the grape, and introduced it [280] to mortals. It releases wretched mortals from grief, whenever they are filled with the stream of the vine, and gives them sleep, a means of forgetting their daily troubles, nor is there another cure for hardships. He who is a god is poured out in offerings to the gods, [285] so that by his means men may have good things! http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0092%3Acard%3D266

**House of Dionysus, Epiphany of Dionysus (Detail)**, 2^nd century BC, Mosaic, Delos Island, Greece https://www.greece-is.com/why-mykonos-became-a-muse-for-the-worlds-most-discerning-travelers/

There is no easy way to describe God Dionysus. The Homeric Hymns 26 on Dionysus is, I believe, a wonderful introduction… [1] I begin to sing of ivy-crowned Dionysus, the loud-crying god, splendid son of Zeus and glorious Semele. The rich-haired Nymphs received him in their bosoms from the lord his father and fostered and nurtured him carefully [5] in the dells of Nysa, where by the will of his father he grew up in a sweet-smelling cave, being reckoned among the immortals. But when the goddesses had brought him up, a god oft hymned, then began he to wander continually through the woody coombes, thickly wreathed with ivy and laurel. And the Nymphs followed in his train [10] with him for their leader; and the boundless forest was filled with their outcry. / And so hail to you, Dionysus, god of abundant clusters! Grant that we may come again rejoicing to this season, and from that season onwards for many a year. The Homeric Hymns 26 on Dionysus is, I believe, a wonderful introduction! https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138%3Ahymn%3D26

**House of Dionysus, Epiphany of Dionysus (Face Close Up)**, 2^nd century BC, Mosaic, Delos Island, Greece https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaics_of_Delos#/media/File:Face_of_Dionysos_(detail),_mosaic_of_the_House_of_Dionysos,_Delos,_Greece,_2nd_century_BC.jpg

The Epiphany of Dionysus Mosaic in Delos shows the God exactly as Homer describes him… splendid, thickly wreathed with ivy and laurel, a god of abundant clusters of grapes! An anonymous 2^nd century BC mosaicist, created on the island of Delos, at the House of Dionysus to be exact, a stunning mosaic emblema depicting Dionysus in all his glory. Against a black background, the God of wine and theater, ivy-crowned, wings outstretched, holding with his right hand a ribboned thyrsus like he is holding a spear, is shown on the back of a tiger that wears a necklace wreath of vines and grapes around its neck. They seem to ride within the boundaries of a landscape mosaic composition of plants, a beetle, and a kantharos-type cup. Is Dionysus depicted coming back from India, magnificently winged like a daemon? It would be nice if we were certain.

The mosaic in the House of Dionysus is one of the finest examples of Opus Vermiculatum. The tesserae used for carrying it out, measuring about one-millimeter square, were made of glass, faience, terracotta, and natural stones. Their small size made it easier for the mosaicist to produce a realistic figured scene, shading, known to the Greeks as skiagraphia, for three-dimensionality, and a sense of illusionism. The name and origin of the mosaicist are a mystery. The name and origin of the owners of the so-called ‘House of Dionysus’ in Delos is a mystery as well. Today, the House of Dionysus stands out from afar thanks to its huge marble columns that surround the courtyard where the Epiphany of Dionysus Mosaic, one of the most exquisite creations of the Hellenistic art of mosaic-making was placed, for all visitors, to admire.

For a PowerPoint on God Dionysus, please… Check HERE!

**House of Dionysus, Epiphany of Dionysus (Detail of Panther)**, 2^nd century BC, Mosaic, Delos Island, Greece https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaics_of_Delos#/media/File:Delos_Museum_Mosaik_Dionysos_09.jpg

Peplos Kore

July 8, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Greek Art Sculpture Student Activities Worksheets

The **“Rampin Master” (?)**
**Peplos Kore, c.** 530 BC, Parian Marble, H. 1.2 m, Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/statue-kore-peplos-kore

The Peplos Kore was discovered, back in 1886, in the Acropolis of Athens, during excavation work (1885-1889) led by P. Kavvadias. The lower part of her body was lying, broken, along with thirteen more broken statues, mostly female, architectural members, bronze figurines, marble statue bases, a hoard of silver coins, terracotta figurines, and sherds of pottery, in the so-called “Korai Pit” northwest of the Erechtheion. According to the Acropolis Museum experts, the “Korai Pit” is the conventional name for an artificial fill that covered a hollow located northwest of the Erechtheion, in order to create a level plane to receive the new fortification wall of the Acropolis. The hollow was filled with the debris of the Acropolis after it was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC during the second Persian invasion of Greece. The buried treasures of the Acropolis are also known as the Perserschutt, a German term meaning “Persian debris or rubble.” The head of the Peploforos was found near the Korai Pit, and the statue’s torso, a little to the south, in the area of the Old Temple of Athena. https://theacropolismuseum.gr/en/statue-kore-5

**The so-called “Korai Pit” northwest of the Erechtheion in the Acropolis of Athens,** 1909 photo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perserschutt

The “Peplophoros” as it is affectionately called by the Greeks, is an Archaic period (c. 600-480 BC) statue of a young female. Statues of a Kore, plural korai, refer to a type of freestanding effigy of a maiden specifically created during the Archaic Period. The Questions and Answers that follow, will hopefully help to better understand their role and importance in the development of Ancient Greek Art.

Can you define what a Kore statue is? Statues of a Kore, plural Korai, refer to a type of freestanding effigy of a maiden. Kore is a draped female figure—carved from marble and originally painted—standing erect with feet together or sometimes with one foot, usually the left, slightly advanced. The arms are sometimes down at the sides, but in most cases, one is brought up closely across the front of the body or is extended, holding an offering; the other is lowered, often clasping a fold of drapery. In the earliest korai, the bodies are so blocklike that they hardly seem to represent feminine form… Later, the drapery became more fluid, with a greater variation in the folds gained by having one hand of the kore pull the drapery tightly across thighs and buttocks. The garments worn by the kore figures changed in style as well, displaying a pattern, either on borders or as single ornaments scattered over larger areas. https://www.britannica.com/art/kore-Greek-sculpture and http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Athens%2C+Acropolis+679&object=Sculpture

Can you describe the Peplos Kore? The Kore has been named the “Peplos Kore” due to the garment she wears – the peplos. The peplos was fastened in the middle with a belt and on the shoulders with bronze pins which were secured in the small holes that are still preserved. Beneath her peplos, the Kore wears a longer chiton, whose slender folds encase her legs. Spectrographic analysis of the colours has shown that the belt was once blue and green and the chiton blue, with a green band at the neck. The peplos was white – its middle section decorated with vertical rows of small animals, birds, and riders shown on squares of red framed by bands of colourful rosettes on a green background. The peplos borders were decorated by a double band with spirals, floral elements, and a chain of volutes and palmettes alternating with lotus flowers. https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/statue-kore-peplos-kore

Do we know the name of the artist who created the Peplos Kore? The face of the Peplos Kore is characterized by an interest in converging planes. The eyes and mouth occupy hollows that emphasize these features, separated by strongly protruding cheeks and a broad nose. The details are so close to the face of the Rampin Horseman that the two are often attributed to the same sculptor often called the “Rampin Master.” If true, she must be one of his late works, for she is stylistically much advanced. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Athens%2C+Acropolis+679&object=Sculpture

Who is the Peplos Kore, and what is she holding in her left hand? We do not know for sure who she was, and what she was holding in her left hand. However, the combination of a very conservative attire for the time the statue was created, leads many scholars to assume this is not a simple votive Kore statue, but the representation of a goddess – perhaps Artemis, who would have been gripping arrows in her right hand, and a bow in her left. https://theacropolismuseum.gr/en/statue-kore-5

Two more Teacher Curator BLOG POSTS on Ancient Greek Archaic Korai… https://www.teachercurator.com/art/daughters-of-eleutherna/ on the Daughters of Eleutherna, and https://www.teachercurator.com/ancient-greek-art/%CE%BA%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82-and-the-kore-from-chios/ on the Kore from Chios

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

The Khan Academy Educational Video on the Peplos Kore… https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/daedalic-archaic/v/peplos-kore

An interesting Video by the Cambridge University on the Peplos Kore and the way she was dressed and coloured… https://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum/collections/peplos-kore

A fun Student Activity created by the Acropolis Museum Education Department, and titled Color the Peplos Kore… http://repository.acropolis-education.gr/acr_edu/handle/11174/305

The Bee Goddess of Eleutherna

May 17, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Greek Art Jewelry Student Activities Worksheets

Gold Pendant with the representation of a Bee Goddess, On the upper torso she is depicted as a female with a Daedalic wig and arms bent at the elbows. The rest of the body resembles an insect, its large wings decorated with stippled rosettes, 7^th century BC, Archaeological Museum of Eleutherna, Crete, Greece
https://mae.uoc.gr/exhibits/

On the 20^th of May… Let’s celebrate World Bee Day! Let’s observe the importance of the 25,000 to 30,000 species of bees as effective pollinators. According to the United Nations pollinators allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Indeed, the food that we eat, such as fruits and vegetables, directly relies on pollinators. A world without pollinators would equal a world without food diversity – no blueberries, coffee, chocolate, cucumbers and so much more. The ancient Greeks understood the importance of pollination and revered Bees as the “Divine Queens” of their ecosystem. The 7^th century BC Gold Pendant with the representation of a Bee Goddess from Eleutherna in Crete is proof enough! https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day/background

The so-called Dark Ages of Greece, when the Eleutherna Gold Pendant with the representation of a Bee Goddess was created, were not dark at all! They were years of adjustment to a new reality, the aftermath years of the Homeric Epos, the years of the naissance of the great Greek art of antiquity. The small Bee Goddess of Eleutherna, a wonderful amalgam of old, and current Cretan traditions, is persuasive in its purpose and beautiful in its artistry. Whoever the pendant’s artist was, he was familiar with the Minoan past of female divine potency and the Homeric, rich literary tradition of metaphors relating the bee to human society. Let’s not forget how Homer (8th cent. BC) compares the Achaean warriors leaving the ships to attend an assembly to a swarm of bees leaving their hive in search of flowers: From the camp the troops were turning / out now, thick as bees that issue from some / crevice in a rock face, endlessly pouring / forth, to make a cluster and swarm on / blooms of summer here and there, glinting / and droning, busy in bright air. / Like bees innumerable from ships and huts / down the deep foreshore streamed those / regiments toward the assembly ground. (Iliad II 86-93, trans. Robert Fitzgerald) https://www.apiservices.biz/documents/articles-en/beekeeping_in_mediterranean.pdf

The small Bee Goddess pendant was discovered in the necropolis of Orthi Petra in Crete and inspired Professor Νikolaos Stampolidis to use it as the logo of the Museum of ancient Eleutherna. This amazing ornament is a composite creation: it shows the bust of a woman, with arms folded over the chest, and the lower body of a bee, with large wings, adorned with dotted flowers. https://www.lamdadev.com/en/the-company/corporate-social-responsibility/culture/commemorative-volume-eleutherna.html?os_image_id-34

**Gold Pendant with the representation of a Bee Goddess,** 7^th century BC, Archaeological Museum of Eleutherna, Crete, Greece
https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/343540277802257776/ and https://www.pinterest.de/pin/91409067412568201/

The city of Eleutherna, on the island of Crete, was of great importance in prehistoric times and continued to be so from the dawn of Hellenic Civilization to the Byzantine era. Systematic excavations organized by the University of Crete under the directorship of Professors Petros Themelis, Athanasios Kalpaxis, and Nikos Stampolidis since 2009, brought to light three sectors of the city and the necropolis at Orthi Petra, enhancing our knowledge of the political, economic, social, religious, and artistic history of the whole of Crete, particularly during the so-called “Dark Ages.” Eleutherna, close to Mount Ida, where the Νεφεληγερέτης (Cloud Gatherer) Zeus was safely born, raised with milk and honey, and protected by the Kourites warriors, is a city that eloquently bespeaks the continuity of the island’s prosperity and its seminal contribution to the genesis of Hellenic civilization. Discover its importance with the help of ELEUTHERA, by Nikolaos Chr. Stanmpolidis, LAMDA DEVELOPMENT, 2020. https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_29/eleytherna-english-l.pdf and https://www.latsis-foundation.org/content/elib/book_29/eleytherna-greek-f.pdf

For a Student Activity inspired by the 7^th century BC Gold Pendant with the representation of a Bee Goddess from Eleutherna in Crete, please… Check HERE!

Hellenistic Golden Hairnets

February 8, 2022

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Exhibitions Hellenistic Art Jewelry Powerpoints

**Gold Hairnet with a relief bust of Athena from Thessaly (Detail),** 2nd century BC, gold, Diam. 0.111 m, Benaki Museum, Athens Photo Credit: https://mobile.twitter.com/tzoumio/status/1413408320489144320

Amarantha sweet and fair / Ah braid no more that shining hair! / As my curious hand or eye / Hovering round thee let it fly. / Let it fly as unconfin’d / As its calm ravisher, the wind, / Who hath left his darling th’East, / To wanton o’er that spicy nest. / Ev’ry tress must be confest / But neatly tangled at the best; / Like a clue of golden thread, / Most excellently ravelled. / Do not then wind up that light / In ribands, and o’er-cloud in night; / Like the sun in’s early ray, / But shake your head and scatter day… wrote Richard Lovelace, back in the 17^th century… no Hellenistic Golden Hairnets for… Amarantha sweet and fair! https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/richard-lovelace

**Gold Hairnet with a relief bust of Athena from Thessaly,** 2nd century BC, gold, Diam. 0.111 m, Benaki Museum, Athens Greece
Photo Credit: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/642596

The visitors of the Ancient Greeks: Science and Wisdom Exhibition in the Science Museum (London, 17 November 2021 – 05 June 2022) will be able to admire a rare, Hellenistic Golden Hairnet from the Benaki Museum in Athens and marvel at its amazing beauty and craftsmanship! This is a real treat as only a handful of such Golden Hairnets survive today scattered around major Museums around the world. https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/ancient-greeks-science-and-wisdom

The Exhibited Hairnet comes to London from Greece, and specifically, the Benaki Museum in Athens. Gold Hairnets were created by exceptional goldsmiths for aristocratic, well-to-do Greek ladies of the Hellenistic period (late 4^th to early 1^st cent. BC), to contain a simple hair chignon at the back of their head. The Benaki Hairnet consists of a central gold medallion with a bust of Athena in high relief, and an intricate, gold net. Goddess Athena is depicted wearing a helmet with three plumes, a laurel wreath, and an oblique aegis with a mermaid. The bust of Athena is framed by concentric bands adorned with ornaments applied in the jeweler’s fine technique of filigree and granulation. The lavish decoration is mostly floral consisting of a wreath of beautifully executed pointed leaves, an exquisite, and complex band of floral designs, and a strip of eggs and tiny rosettes. The central medallion was further embellished with enameling and minuscule beads of garnet. The gold net around the medallion consists of a lattice of chains with intersecting points articulated with tiny rosettes. What an amazing achievement of workmanship! https://www.benaki.org/index.php?option=com_buildings&view=building&id=11&Itemid=533&lang=en and https://www.benaki.org/index.php?option=com_collectionitems&view=collectionitem&id=140287&lang=en&lang=el and https://ellaniapili.blogspot.com/2015/11/blog-post_328.html

**Gold Hairnet with repousse bust of Athena from Thessaly,** 2nd century BC, gold, Diam. 0.111 m, Benaki Museum, Athens Greece
Photo Credit: https://www.myfaveplaces.com/contemp-galleries/2016/7/6/gold-gold-gold-plus-some-bronze-and-silver

Describing the Benaki Museum Medallion Berta Segall writes… The artist of the Benaki medallion wanted to achieve unity. The elements of the ornamental frame are part of a continuous, flowing design, the bust, by taking up as much as possible of the background and touching the border, gives the impression of a full length figure cut off by a wreath. Its modeling is an example of the “impressionistic” technique in relief which uses a soft, almost imperceptible gradation of planes from the high to the very low, and from there to engraving. Thus, the folds of the garment are indicated in low relief, and even shallower, almost disappearing into the background, are the two plumes of the helmet right and left of the face. Berta Segall, Two Hellenistic Gold Medallions from Thessaly, Record of the Museum of Historic Art, Princeton University, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 2-11 https://www.jstor.org/stable/3774132?seq=3#metadata_info_tab_contents

The Benaki Museum Hairnet was part of an unbelievable “treasure” of 44 pieces of jewelry sold to private collectors in Athens, in 1929. The “treasure,” a product of illegal excavations, came from Thessaly, and the exact circumstances of their discovery are not well established. According to one testimony, they were discovered inside a copper vessel near Almyros in Magnesia, according to a source, the “treasure” came from the area of Lamia-Lianokladi. It has also been claimed that the 44 pieces of exquisite jewelry were found in Domokos, while the antique dealer, who sold 35 pieces of jewelry to the collector Eleni Stathatou (today in the Stathatos Collection in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens) and 9 to the Benaki Museum, assured that they were discovered near Karpenisi. https://ellaniapili.blogspot.com/2015/11/blog-post_328.html

For a PowerPoint on Hellenistic Golden Hairnets, please… check HERE!

**Gold Hairnet with repousse bust of Athena from Thessaly,** 2nd century BC, gold, Diam. 0.111 m, Benaki Museum, Athens Greece
Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/AngHellenLeague/status/1464252708806873091/photo/1

The Science Museum in London promises a unique experience to the visitors of their free exhibition Ancient Greeks: Science and Wisdom (17 November 2021 – 05 June 2022). The Museum experts believe that curiosity and investigation are central to furthering our understanding of the universe today… and suggest that we step back through millennia… and discover how the ancient Greek civilization questioned, contemplated, and debated the natural world. If your steps take you to London, the Science Museum Exhibition Ancient Greeks: Science and Wisdom, is worth visiting! https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/ancient-greeks-science-and-wisdom and https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/guides for a free guidebook.

Theseus and Antiope

December 10, 2021

by admin Ancient Greek Art Art Exhibitions Mythology Powerpoints

**Theseus and Antiope,** sculpture from the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo Daphnephorus in ancient Eretria, late 6^th century, Marble, 110 cm, Archaeological Museum of Eretria, Greece
https://www.esag.swiss/eretria/museum/

The multiple aspects of the concept of Kallos in the everyday life and the philosophical discourse of ancient Greece are presented in the major, emblematic, archaeological exhibition of the Museum of Cycladic Art, titled ΚΑLLOS. The Ultimate Beauty. Τhis exhibition displays three hundred emblematic antiquities from fifty-two museums, collections, and Ephorates of Antiquities throughout Greece, as well as from Italy, and the Vatican. The overwhelming majority appear for the first time outside of the museums of their provenance. They meet and mingle in the Museum of Cycladic Art, so as to give an integrated picture of the ideal of Kallos, inadequately translated into English as Beauty. On the 6^th of November I presented you one such exhibit… the Kore from Chios today, I will present you a favourite Archaic work of art… Theseus and Antiope! https://cycladic.gr/en/page/kallos-i-ipertati-omorfia

The story of Theseus and Antiope has it all… adventure, strife, love, and devotion! According to Pausanias and his Description of Greece… As one enters the city (of Athens) there is a monument to Antiope the Amazon. This Antiope, Pindar says, was carried off by Peirithous and Theseus, but Hegias of Troezen gives the following account of her. Heracles was besieging Themiscyra on the Thermodon, but could not take it, but Antiope, falling in love with Theseus, who was aiding Heracles in his campaign, surrendered the stronghold. Such is the account of Hegias. But the Athenians assert that when the Amazons came, Antiope was shot by Molpadia, while Molpadia was killed by Theseus. To Molpadia also there is a monument among the Athenians. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.%201.2.1&lang=original

***ΚΑLLOS. The Ultimate Beauty*** Exhibition Photo, Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, Greece
Photo Credit: Paris Tativian, Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, Greece
https://cycladic.gr/page/kallos-i-ipertati-omorfia?slide=1

The effigy of Theseus and Antiope, temporarily exhibited in the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, was originally created for the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo Daphnephorus in Eretria. Information regarding the Temple of Apollo in Eretria is unfortunately scarce. Eretria, a town in Euboea facing the coast of Attica, was first mentioned in Homer’s Iliad as one of the cities that provided ships against the Trojans. During the 8^th century BC, the citizens of Eretria, a flourishing city during the Geometric and Archaic periods, built an impressive Temple to honour God Apollo, apsidal in architectural form. Soon after, a second, wooden Temple followed on the same site. Finally, around 520- 490 BC, a larger stone Temple was built, the remains of which are still visible today. Unfortunately, the Archaic Temple was badly destroyed during the Persian invasion of 490 BC. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/intranets/students/modules/greekreligion/database/clunba/

The late Archaic period (510-500 BC) pediment sculpture depicting the abduction of Antiope by Theseus portrays the moment of Theseus stepping onto a chariot’s platform while tightly holding Antiope in his arms… a decisive moment in the development of the story, a key moment in the development of ancient Greek Art. Notice the depicted entwined torsos and think of the evolution accomplished as figural depiction moves from the frontal and immobile Kouros and Kore type of sculpture to the more naturalistic modeling of the classical era. Notice how the psychological drama unfolds, and consider the subtle ways the artist of Theseus and Antiope presents the understated surrender of the elegant Amazon, and the restrained triumph of the victorious hero. Notice how the heads of both figures slightly bend and observe the created interplay of light and shade, shapes and forms. What an accomplishment for the unknown artist. Could he be the famous Athenian sculptor Antenor? https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/intranets/students/modules/greekreligion/database/clunba/

For a PowerPoint on the Theseus and Antiope theme, please… Check HERE!