Classical Greece

2. Classical Greece

3. Classical Greece • 500 – 404 BCE Athens Golden Age • 490 BCE – Athens defeats the Persians at Battle of Marathon • 480 BCE – Athens and the acropolis are destroyed by Persian invasion force • 480 BCE – Athenian navy defeats Persian navy at Battle of Salamis • 479 BCE – Athens and Sparta defeat Persian army at Battle of Plataea • 461 – 429 BCE Pericles rules Athens as strategos • 431 – 404 BCE Peloponnesian War between Athens & Sparta – Sparta wins

4. Classical Greece • Greeks were polytheistic – had many gods – the 12 leading gods were known as The Olympians • The Greek gods lived upon Mt Olympus • There were also demi-gods – half god half human (Herakles) and heroes (Achilles, Perseus, Theseus, etc).

5. Classical Greece • The 12 Olympians were: • Zeus – king of gods, god of lightning, the skies • Poseidon – god of the sea, water • Hades – god of the underworld • Hera – queen of the gods, goddess of marriage • Aphrodite – goddess of love, beauty • Apollo – god of sun, music, archery • Athena – goddess of wisdom, war • Ares – god of war • Artemis – goddess of moon, the hunt • Hestia – goddess of the home, the hearth • Hermes – messenger of the gods, medicine • Haphaestus – god of metalwork, the forge • ** Dionysius – god of wine, the theater, altered states (added to 12 later)

6. Classical Greece • Key terms • Agora – public square • Acropolis – citadel on a hill • Stoa – roofed colonnade • Cella – center of the temple where statue of the god stood • Strategos – literally ‘general’ but an elected position of power in the Athenian government

7. Characteristics of Classical Greek Art • Emotionless, expressionless faces • Perfection is sought in human form • Man is the measure of all things • Golden ratio used in buildings – exact ratios • Attempt at the ideal • Man has control over nature is a theme

8. Classical Greece - Art • Acropolis • c. 470-420 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Artists: Iktinos, Kallikrates, Phidias, Mneskiles • Rebuilt by Pericles after it was destroyed by Persians • Citadel on a hill

9. Acropolis Athens, Greece

10. Classical Greece - Art

11. Classical Greece - Art • Parthenon • 448-432 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Iktinos, Kallikrates and Phidias • Considered most perfect building by architects • Uses the Golden Ratio • Roof was blown off by Venetians during war with Turks

12. Classical Greece - Art

13. Classical Greece - Art • Lapith and Centaur Metope • 440 BCE • Athens, Greece • Relief Sculpture • Artist: Phidias • Symbolizing the conflict between civilization and barbarianism

14. Classical Greece - Art • Three Goddesses • 438-432 BCE • Athens, Greece • Relief Sculpture • Artist: Phidias • Usually identified as Hestia, Dione, Aphrodite • The drapery appears wet and hence is called – wet drapery

15. Classical Greece - Art • Procession of Women • 440 BCE • Athens, Greece • Relief Sculpture • Artist: Phidias • Physical types idealized • Concept of unity and variety – similar enough to unify the whole yet different to capture the eye

16. Classical Greece - Art • Erechtheus, Praxithea and Their Daughters • 440 BCE • Athens, Greece • Relief Sculpture • Artist: Phidias • This stood above the entrance to the Parthenon • Shows King Erechtheus preparing his daughters for sacrifice

17. Classical Greece - Art • The Propylaia • 437-432 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Artist: Mnesikles • This was the monumental entrance way into the acropolis • Similar to Doric temple

18. Classical Greek Art – The Propylaia Stairwell

19. Classical Greek Art • Erechtheion • 421-405 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Artist: Mnesikles • Served as temple that held sacred olive tree and sacred salt water pool

20. Erechtheion Acropolis, Athens, Greece

21. Classical Greek Art • Porch of the Caryatids (from the Erechtheion) • 421 – 405 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Artist: Mneskiles • Temple was dedicated to legendary king of Athens Erechtheus • Porch was used for public speeches • Use of female figures as columns

22. Classical Greek Art • Temple of Athena Nike • 427 – 424 BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Artist: Kallikrates • Use of Ionic columns • Temple dedicated to Athena Victorious as protector of city of Athens

23. Classical Greek Art • Kritios Boy • 480 BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Kritios • First statue to use contrapposto and stand in true sense with weight shifted

24. Warrior A ca. 460-450 B.C.E. from the sea off Riace, Italy Sculpture bronze 78 in. high Found complete because it is from an ancient shipwreck

25. Zeus (or Poseidon?) ca. 460-450 B.C.E. from the sea off Cape Artemision, Greece Sculpture 82 in. high Not sure which god because item is missing from his hands to identify him

26. Classical Greek Art • Doryphoros (Spear Bearer) • 450 – 440 BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Polykleitos • Only exists in Roman copies • Greeks called in the canon (meaning rule or measure) • This was considered the best example of contrapposto.

28. Late Classical Greek Art • Aphrodite of Knidos or Knidian Aphrodite • 350-300 BCE • Knidos, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Praxiteles • This is a Roman copy, there are many versions of this. • Praxiteles chose marble rather than bronze to work in • First nude monumental statue • Blatant use of eroticism • Early example of change from Classical to Hellenistic

29. Late Classical Greek Art

30. Classical Greek Art • Discobolus (Discus Thrower) • 450 BCE • Olympia, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Myron • Roman copy of Greek bronze • Tribute to athlete • Perfection of frozen movement

31. Late Classical Greek Art • Apoxymenos (The Scraper) • 330 BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Lysippos • Arm extending out into space for first time in sculpture • Roman copies only exist • Shows an athlete scraping oil from his skin with a strigil

32. Classical Greek Art • Muse and Maiden • 440-430 BCE • Attic, Greece • Pottery • By the Achilles Painter • In classical era the use of white backgrounds is exclusively for funerary vases

33. Classical Greek Art • Theater of Epidauros • 350 BCE • Epidauros, Greece • Architecture • Artist: Polykleitos the Younger • Best natural acoustics in the world; Greek theaters were all built into the sides of hills, never freestanding like Roman theaters

34. Late Classical Greek Art • Socrates • 350 BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Lysippos • Copy of Greek bronze • Socrates is considered the first great philosopher of the West

35. Late Classical Greek Art • Plato • 350 – 340 BCE • Athens, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Silanion • Plato is considered western history’s greatest philosopher • Plato was his nickname meaning “broad one”

36. Classical Greek Art

37. Hellenistic Greece • 388 – 322 BCE Aristotle’s life • 360 – 336 BCE – Philip II King of Macedon begins conquest of Greece • 343 – 340 BCE – Aristotle is assigned as tutor for Alexander III • 338 BCE – Greece united under Philip II of Macedon • 336 BCE – Assassination of Philip II ; Alexander III becomes king • 334 – 330 BCE – Alexander conquers Persian Empire • 327 BCE – Alexander reaches India but is forced to return by troops • June 10, 323 BCE – Alexander dies of fever in Babylon • 323 – 30 BCE Alexander’s Empire is split by his generals and ruled over as Hellenism spreads throughout Mediterranean World • Hellenistic World includes Persia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Greece, parts of India, Italy, southern France and southern Spain.

38. Hellenistic Greek Art • Hellenistic Art Aspired to: • Show that idealism was not important • Show that maybe humans could NOT impose order on nature and the universe • Believe that perfection was NOT attainable • Show more truth and reality in art • Make art more human and emotional

39. Hellenistic Art Characteristics • Dramatic • Violent • Erotic • Spontaneous • Passionate • Emotional

40. Alexander’s Hellenistic Empire

41. Battle of Issus ca. 310 B.C.E. Pompei, Italy Mosaic/Painting (original) Artist: Philoxenes of Eretria tessera Mosaic 8 ft. 10 in. x 16 ft. 9 in. Shows Alexander battling the Persian Emperor

42. Battle of Issus Darius III

43. Philoxenes of Eretria Battle of Issus (detail) Detail of Alexander.

44. Hellenistic Art • Alexander the Great • 330 BCE • Pella, Macedonia • Sculpture • Roman copy of bronze • Alexander was perhaps the greatest military general the world has seen • His empire spread Hellenism to the east

45. Hellenistic Art • Temple of Olympian Zeus • 2nd century BCE • Athens, Greece • Architecture • Use of Corinthian order for a major temple is first employed here • Romans would prefer this order to all others

46. Choragic Monument of Lysikrates 334 B.C.E. Athens, Greece Architecture Marble Was originally open in middle and trophy was displayed with statue

47. Hellenistic Greek Art • Altar of Zeus • 180 – 160 BCE • Pergamon, Turkey • Architecture • Finest example of existing Hellenistic architecture • Sculpture on the friezes is full of movement, violence and emotion

48. Hellenistic Greek Art • Athena and Alkyoneus • 166-156 BCE • Pergamon, Turkey • Relief Sculpture • High relief shows play of shadows to create depth • Emotion and movement portrayed effectively • From Altar of Zeus

49. Hellenistic Greek Art • Trojan Horse Frieze • 2nd – 3rd century CE • Gandhara, India • Relief Sculpture • Greek art and themes spread all the way to India because of Alexander’s triumphs

50. Hellenistic Greek Art • Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory) • 200 - 190 BCE • Samothrace, Greece • Sculpture • Artist: Pythokritos of Rhodes • One of the 3 Masterpieces of Hellenistic art • Part of a monument to a naval victory by Eudamos of Rhodes • Rare instance of a monument and statue being found in its original location – found in 1863 • Captures movement of wind