Scenes of Greek life on vases

1. The world of (gentle) men The symposium Sacrifice at the altar Athletic scenes School The world of (ladies) women At the loom Weddings Funerary rituals Fountain house Religious procession Scenes of Greek life on vases The world of the working men and women: Artisans, hetairoi, slaves

2. Summary • Private life on vases, vases used in private forum, women are much more visible in vase-painting scenes • Public art works largely mytho-historic until 5th century

3. Political life Harmodios and Aristogeiton Assassinated the tyrant Hipparchos in 514 BCE. Both were executed for this act, but triggered events which led to the defeat of tyranny under the Peisistratids. In 509 BCE their deeds were honoured with bronze statues by Antenor set up in the Athenian Agora. When Xerxes sacked Athens in 480, he carted the statues off. Replacements were commissioned in the 470s. Because of the style of these statues, it is thought they are Roman copies of the replacements by Kritios and Nesiotes First time statues representing mortals were commissioned by the city. Naples Archaeological Museum

4. Sculptor’sworkshop

5. Workshops

6. Prostitution in Ancient Athens Male prostitution in agymnasium(?) Night scene (woman holding lamp) perhaps a client wanting access to a brothel. This may be a result of the Anthesterion, the festival of the new wine, which this type of vase, a Choes, was used. Young man and a hetaira. Detail of an Attic red-figure oinochoe, ca. 430 BC. From Locri (Italy).

7. Slaves • Female slaves have short hair Thracian(?) slave woman as nurse to Athenian infant. Athenian mother seated. Slave girl purchasing perfume from a shop keeper for her mistress. Pelike. 460 BCE. Men were prohibited from selling perfume. Agricultural workers were often slaves

8. Women at religious festivals • Lenaia a mid-winter festival to Dionysos • Kanephorous, an Athenian girl of noble birth chosen as a basket bearer in procession. The basket held the implements of sacrifice which she handed over to the priest. This was the closest females could get to the sacrifice. • Thesmophoria festival to Demeter in Eleusis, west of Athens

9. Sacrifice in Greek religion Women were prohibited from participating directly in blood sacrifice Sacrifice had several stages: the killing at the altar, which is blood stained. The butchering off to the side The roasting of choice meats and the god’s share Sacrifice

10. Education Kitharistes (music teacher) instructing a boy and grammatistes (reading, writing and numeracy) is instructing a young boy in reading

11. Greek Athletes at rest Tondo

12. Greek athletes in the gymnasium Psykter, ca. 520–510 B.C.; red-figure Attributed to Oltos MMA

13. Greek excess at symposia Satyrs, mythological beasts, were known for their outrageous behaviour.

14. Hired entertainment at the symposium Young slave? girl (her height denotes youth), her short hair suggests she is a slave

15. The Symposium • Aristocratic male drinking party, the drinking and dining equipment often referred to the activities of the symposium – sometimes erotic, sometimes heroic, and sometimes silly, and sometimes disgusting Kylix on the wall, Column krater holding wine, oinochoe, pouring wine

16. Graveside attendance • Graveside attendance involved purification rituals using perfumed oils from lekythoi, vases like this example • The scene on the left depicted is that of Charon, the ferryman of the river Styx, transporting a soul to the underworld. • The scenes in the centre and on the right depicts mourners at the grave which is covered with garlands, fillets and a wreath.

17. a prothesis scene, the laying out of the body • A chariot race which refers to heroic funerary games.

18. Epaulia, the bride receiving guests This scene occurs in the bride’s chambers the morning after the big night. The bride receives a loutrophoros (behind her), boxes, baskets. The room is decorated with ribbons and festoons.

19. LebesGamykos Wedding scenes commonly decorated vessels associated with the bathing of the bride – lekythoi for the scented oil and lebes gamykos for water

20. Wedding scenes were common on vases which were probably given as wedding gifts. On this vase, we see the arrival of the bride and groom at her new home. The groom’s mother waits at the door with a torch.

21. Working at the loom Weaving, which was women’s work, involved many individual processes, some illustrated here. Image to left, women are weighing the wool on the right, and in the centre two operate a standing loom, Beyond are two women spinning and two more folding

22. Penelope at the loom Penelope, wife of Odysseus, who promised to marry anew once she finished her weaving. Every night, she unravelled the work she had completed during the day in an attempt to postpone remarrying. She sits in a position of mourning while Telemachos stands before her. The textile on the loom displays elaborate decoration

23. The one suitable occupation for a woman was textile production in the home Scenes of spinning and weaving should be read as interior scenes in the womens’ quarters. The presence of young men should be read as family members