Aegean and Archaic Greece
Historical Context • Minoans • Mycenaeans • Hellenes
Minoans • Began ~3000 BCE • Knosos, Crete • Naval power, emphasis on trade • Disappear by 1500 BCE – Natural disasters – Conquered by others
Sir Arthur Evans • From Oxford • Used own funds to finance digs in Crete
• Buildings
Minoan Arts
– Running water, food storage, heating and cooling – Palace of Minos: Labyrinth of the Minotaur
• Art – Wall paintings showing secular life
King Minos • Judge of the damned in Dante’s Inferno because he stood for wisdom • Historians have decided there are two kings because stories/myths span so many generations
Bull Jumping
Labyrinth of the Minotaur
Queen’s Chamber
Mycenaeans • Wiped out ~1300 BCE • Historical account through Homer – Myths and legends
• Military emphasis – Conquered Troy
Troy • Discovered by H. Schliemann • Found various versions of Troy (cities built over each other) • No evidence found of Trojan War
Mycenaean Arts • Literature – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
• Buildings – Decorated with daily activities – Fortresses in Mycenae, Lion Gate
Boar Hunt
Lion Gate
Dark Centuries • • • • •
“Greek Middle Ages” Migration of Indo-Europeans Little arts activity Emergence of iron tools Growing importance of powerful families
Hellenes • Archaic Period begins 800 BCE • Also called Dorian Greeks • Formation of a common language – First writings found
• Founded Sparta • 1st Olympic games 776 BCE
Wrestlers
Early Greek Concepts • Polis: city of self-governing people – No central government – Distinct class structures – Acropolis: upper city, dedicated to gods – Power in hands of landowners or merchants – Tyrants: leaders (not a negative term yet) – Early, primitive democracies formed
Greek Gods • Mythweb activity • http://www.mythweb.com/gods/index.ht ml
Greek gods represented
Love of Wisdom • Beginning of philosophy • Pre-Socratics – Pythagoras: math was universal truth of the cosmos • Math: a2+b2=c2 • Music: octave scale
– Atomists led by Leucippus and Democritus • Invisible particles called atoms • Universe was a void
– Materialists led by Thales • Importance of water as an element • Empedocles – Nature consisted of 4 elements: earth, air, fire, and water – Impact of elements on love or war
Arts of the Aegean and Archaic Greece
Painting
Geometric style • Pottery: served functional purpose • Decorated with zigzags, diamonds, and meander (maze) – No “white” space – Registers: horizontal bands – symmetric
Dipylon Vase
Archaic Style • Figures in full profile or oblique position • Stiff fabric • Frontal eye
• 3-quarter position • Drape and folds of fabric become 3-deminsional • Eyes more lifelike
Perseus and the gorgons • Figure 2.10
Red vs. Black Figure Pottery • Black – Objects black, background red – Details cut (shown as white)
• Red – Objects red, background black – Details glazed, somewhat in low relief – Continues through Classical period
Sculpture
Archaic Sculpture • Mostly nudes, called kouroi/kouros – Stiff frontal pose – Emphasize physicality, still not lifelike – Used as funerary or temple art – Stereotype of heroism or athleticism – Female kore are fully dressed
• Stiffness subsides by 400 BCE
Polymedes of Argos
Kore • 2.13 and 2.14
Kristos Boy • 2.15
Architecture
Post and Lintel Structure • Style of Archaic Greece – Sometimes called Doric
• Analyze proportions of width of columns to height – Less elegant than future classical styles?
The Doric Order • 2.17
Paestum
Music
Greek Music • Significant part of life – Education – Mythology
• Instruments invented by gods • Power of music to affect character: ethos • Interrelated to poetry and dancing
Scales • Modes (scales) related to planet / day / deity • Dorian – Strong, warlike
• Phrygian – Sensual emotions
Greek instruments • Depicted in vase paintings
Dance
Greek Dance • Rhythmic movement • Gods gave skill to a select few, who were responsible for teaching others • Interrelated with music, song, and religion • Influenced theater
Literature
Homer • Greek poet, blind, composed but didn’t write • Epic poem: long narrative
Iliad and Odyssey • Episodes from the Battle of Troy • Odyssey – Tells how Odysseus travels home and reclaims his kingdom
Sappho • Lyric poetry, meant to be performed with a lyre • Wrote in 1st person – Described love and loss