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Aegean Greece. Aegean Greece. Main Periods of Greek History 3500 – 1100 BCE – Helladic Age 1100 – 800 BCE – Doric Dark Ages 800 – 400 BCE – Classical Greece 332 – 30 BCE – Hellenistic Civilization. Aegean Greece. Ancient Aegean History – Chronology
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Aegean Greece • Main Periods of Greek History • 3500 – 1100 BCE – Helladic Age • 1100 – 800 BCE – Doric Dark Ages • 800 – 400 BCE – Classical Greece • 332 – 30 BCE – Hellenistic Civilization
Aegean Greece • Ancient Aegean History – Chronology • 3000 – 2000 BCE – Cycladic Civilization appears and develops on Cycladic Islands • 3000 – 1450 BCE – Minoan Civilization appears and develops on Crete – use of Linear A • 1623 BCE – Eruption of volcano on Thera • 1600 – 1100 BCE – Mycenaean Civilization appears on Peloponnesian Peninsula (southern part of mainland Greece) • 1460 BCE – Mycenaeans invade and conquer Minoan capital of Knossos
Aegean Greece • 1400 BCE – Mainland Greeks destroy Knossos – and most traces of Minoan culture disappear. Linear B in general use at this time • 1250 – 1240 BCE – Trojan war • 1100 BCE – Dorian invasion, fall of Mycenaean civilization; Beginning of dark ages • 800 BCE – The Iliad and The Odyssey written down as Greeks adopt Phoenician alphabet and dark ages end
Aegean Greece • Cycladic Civilization • Cycladic Islands are so-named because they ‘cycle’ around the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis • No written records, so their artwork is a main source of information about them • Their culture was mainly Neolithic
Aegean Greece • Minoan civilization • The Minoan civilization is named after the legendary king Minos who was the fabled ruler of Crete • Minoans were mainly a maritime culture : dealing with trading and fishing • The center of Minoan culture was the palace some examples are at Knossos, Phaistos and Mallia • Knossos was the center of political life (the capital)
Aegean Greece • Characteristics of Minoan Art: • Dynamic Colors • Swirling Patterns • Organic themes – Marine life the predominant motif • Playful • Decorative Designs
Aegean Greece • Mycenaean Civilization • Culture is named after the major city Mycenae, although sometimes called Achaeans - especially by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey • Art was heavily influenced by Minoans, with an additional focus on power by the Mycenaeans • Mycenaeans were warlike and aggressive
Aegean Greece • Mycenaean and Archaic Greek Civilizations • Developed on mainland Greece • First true Greek speakers • Archaic Greeks Divide into 3 groups: • Aeolians • Ionians • Dorians
Aegean Greek - Art • Cycladic Female Figure • 3rd Millennium BCE • Cycladic Islands, Greece • Sculpture • Thought to have a connection with fertility and also with death • Appears similar to modern art
Statuette of Seated Harp Player ca. 2,800-2,700 B.C.E. Cyclades Sculpture marble 11 1/2 in. high Possibly related to mythology / Orpheus
Minoan Art • Spring Fresco (Landscape) • 1630 – 1500 BCE • Akrotiri, Thera • Painting • Natural world is focus, use of color • Landscape with Flowers • Not an attempt at exactitude and realism
Minoan Art • Palace of Knossos • 1700 - 1300 BCE • Knossos, Crete • Architecture • Palace structure with courtyard – first building with running plumbing • Also had a labyrinth
Palace at Knossos (plumbing) Crete, Greece ca. 1,700-1,300 B.C.E.
Minoan Art • Palace of Knossos (Minos) • 1700 – 1300 BCE • Knossos, Crete • Architecture • The Minoans used inverted columns that tapered down rather than up
Minoan Art • Bull Leaping Fresco (Toreador Fresco) • 1550 – 1450 BCE • Knossos, Crete • Painting • Fresco is a painting technique using wet plaster • Coming of age trial or religious ceremony
Dolphin Fresco ca. 1,450-1,400 B.C.E. Knossos, Greece Fresco Painting Located in the Queen’s megaron (bedroom) Marine life was key Minoan theme
Marine style octopus jar ca. 1,500 B.C.E. Palaikastro, Greece Pottery 11 in. high Marine theme the focus even in pottery
Minoan Art • Kamares Ware • (Three handled pithos) • 1800 BCE • Phaistos, Crete • Pottery • Made of terra cotta • Kamares ware is recognized by its color • Most pottery motifs were related to the sea
Minoan Art • Palace Style 3 Handled Vase • 1400 BCE • Knossos, Crete • Pottery • Made of terra cotta • Design is more linear than circular – plants seem to sprout up the vase • Natural world is a main motif
Snake Goddess ca. 1,600 B.C.E. Knossos, Greece Sculpture faience 13 1/2 in. high Made of ivory – proves trade was going on with Egypt Related to some goddess cult – different types
Flotilla, detail of Miniature Ships Fresco from Room 5, West Houseca. 1,650 B.C.E. Akrotiri, Thera, Greece Painting Fresco approximately 17 in. high Island was destroyed by volcanic eruption, shows how important the sea was to daily life
Aegean Greece • Mycenaean Art Characteristics • Heavy use of gold • Large stone buildings and fortifications (Cyclopean Stones) • Painting is same as Minoan, except for themes • Focus on power and aggression
Mycenaean Art • The Lion Gate • 1250 BCE • Mycenae, Greece • Architecture/Relief Sculpture • Example of Cyclopean stones (large stones thought be Greeks to be built by Cyclops) • Lion’s used to portray power, intimidate and protect city • Entrance to city of Mycenae
Mycenaean Art • Treasury of Atreus • 1300 – 1250 BCE • Mycenae, Greece • Architecture • Believed to be the tomb of the Atreus family - King Agamemnon from Homer’s Iliad • Called Bee-hive tombs because of their shape • Use of corbelled roofing
Mycenaean Art • Mask of Agamemnon • 1250 – 1200 BCE • Mycenae, Greece • Relief Sculpture • Made of gold, actual death mask of the deceased • Attributed to Agamemnon but not verified – if true it would be the only artifact of a man involved in Trojan War
Inlaid dagger blade with lion hunt from Grave Circle A ca. 1,600-1,500 B.C.E. Mycenae, Greece Craftwork bronze, inlaid with gold, silver and niello 9 in. long Symbols of power prevail and use of precious metals
Early Greece • 1000 – 800 BCE – Rise of the Greek city-states • 900 – 725 BCE – Geometric Style is used • 776 BCE – First Olympic Games (Greeks measured time from this occasion) • 750 BCE – Phalanx with Hoplites is used as basic battle formation • 750 – 550 BCE – Greeks begin to colonize Mediterranean • 725 – 650 BCE – Orientalizing Style is used
Archaic Period • 650 – 480 BCE – Archaic Period • 621 BCE – Draco establishes Athenian laws • 594 BCE – Solon elected Archon begins democratization of Athens “Architect of Democracy” • 570 BCE – First silver coins minted in Athens (Attic Silver Drachma) • 518 - 438 BCE – Pindar’s life – Ancient Greece’s greatest lyric poet • 510 – 508 BCE – Athens created the first democracy
Archaic Greece - Art • DipylonKrater • 750 BCE • Athens, Greece • Pottery • In geometric style – shapes are predominant motif – • Even animals and people are in shapes rather than realistic
Archaic Greek Art • Horse • 8th century BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Even sculpture of the period was in geometric style • Forms of nature were simplified into shapes
Archaic Greek Art • Levy Oinochoe • 650 BCE • Eastern Greece • Pottery • Orientalizing style breaks from geometric shapes • Eastern motifs like lotuses, rosettes derived form Egypt and Mesopotamia • Figures become more important
Archaic Greece - Art • Achilles and Ajax • 550-525 BCE • Athens, Greece • Pottery • Artist: Exekias • Black figured style – showing scene from mythology • Painted with black glaze on red clay
Archaic Greek Art • Death of Sarpedon • 515 BCE • Athens, Greece • Pottery • Artists: Euxitheos and Euphronius • Red figure style – replaced black figure style as is allowed for more emotional scenes to be portrayed
Archaic Greece - Art • Paestum Temples • Hera I and Hera II • 560 BCE & 500 BC • Architecture • Paestum, Italy • Doric Temple style • Best preserved early Greek temples
Archaic Greece - Art • Hera I is in enneastyle – 9 columns on sides • Hera II is in hexastyle – 6 columns on sides