Ancient Greece: Unveiling Its Rich History, Art, and Culture
Historical Evolution of Ancient Greece
From Aristocracy to Democracy in Athens
Greek culture is traditionally divided into three main stages: the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. The city of Athens witnessed momentous political developments. From an aristocratic regime, it evolved into a new system: democracy. Its inventor, Cleisthenes, divided the polis of Athens and the surrounding countryside into tribes and demes. However, it was Pericles who truly brought democracy into practice, during a time of economic splendor for Athens.
The Persian Wars and Athenian Hegemony
The Persian Wars erupted after the Persian Empire’s attempt to conquer the European continent. In response, all the Greek city-states united to form the Delian League. Pericles, utilizing the spoils of war, decided to rebuild and embellish Athens, constructing iconic structures like the Acropolis and the Agora. Athens then embarked on an imperialist policy, which earned it the enmity of other Greek poleis, particularly Sparta. This rivalry ultimately led to the devastating Peloponnesian War.
Macedonian Conquest and Hellenistic Kingdoms
Subsequently, Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great, occupied all of Greece and forged an empire that stretched as far as the Indus River. Upon Alexander’s death, his vast empire was divided into several Hellenistic kingdoms. The splendor of Greek culture was eventually absorbed into the rising Roman civilization.
Religion in Ancient Greece
Religion in Greece served two primary purposes:
- Internal Cohesion: Domestic worship of deities by citizens fostered a sense of identity within a village or community.
- External Cohesion: Establishing relationships between different communities through visits to shared religious shrines and pan-Hellenic festivals.
Architectural Marvels of Ancient Greece
Key features of Greek architecture include:
- Human Scale: Man was taken as the unit of measure, meaning buildings generally did not exceed human height in their primary elements, emphasizing harmony and proportion.
- Important Buildings:
- Tholos: A circular temple or building.
- Agora: The public square, serving as a marketplace and civic center.
- Stoa: Stone porticos or colonnaded walkways, providing shelter from the elements.
- Theatre: Structures for dramatic performances, often built into hillsides.
- Temple: The most significant building, dedicated to the worship of a deity.
- Temple Components: Temples typically consisted of:
- Pronaos: The porch or vestibule at the front.
- Naos (Cella): The main chamber where the cult statue of the deity was housed.
- Opisthodomos: A rear room, often used for storing the temple treasury.
- Temple Classification by Columns:
- Distyle: 2 columns (on the front facade).
- Tetrastyle: 4 columns.
- Hexastyle: 6 columns.
- Octastyle: 8 columns.
- Temple Classification by Plan:
- In Antis: The temple walls extend forward to form a porch, with columns between the wall ends.
- Peripteral: Columns surround the entire temple.
- Pseudoperipteral: Appears peripteral, but the columns along the sides are engaged (semi-columns attached to the wall).
- Amphiprostyle: Columns on both the front and back facades, but not along the sides.
- Dipteral: Features a double colonnade surrounding the temple.
- Materials: The most common material was marble, but poros stone and limestone were also used. Columns were originally made of wood.
- Architectural Orders: Three distinct orders defined Greek architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
Sculptural Achievements of Ancient Greece
Key features of Greek sculpture include:
- Human Figure as Ideal: The main theme was the human figure, embodying physical beauty and spiritual balance. This led to the development of an anatomical canon.
- Movement and Serenity: Greek artists, initially influenced by the static stiffness of Oriental sculptures seen in the early Archaic period, progressively represented movement. They sought serenity, harmony, and balance between self-control and the expression of feelings, especially in facial features.
- Volume and Frontality: Greek artists were deeply concerned with the representation of volume, breaking away from the strict frontality characteristic of Egyptian art.
- Materials: Common materials included wood, stone, gold, and ivory, but marble and bronze dominated. Many original Greek bronze sculptures are known today only through Roman copies.
- Polychromy: Sculptures were originally polychrome (painted with multiple colors), although traces of color have been lost over time.
Renowned Greek Sculptors and Masterpieces
- Myron: Discobolus (Early Classical period)
- Polykleitos: Doryphoros
- Phidias: Athena Parthenos
- Praxiteles: Hermes and Dionysus
- Scopas: Attributed works include depictions of Alexander the Great.
- Lysippos: Farnese Hercules
These sculptors are considered masters of the Classical period.
Major Hellenistic Sculpture Schools
- School of Pergamum: Known for dramatic and emotional works, such as the Dying Gaul.
- School of Rhodes: Famous for monumental and dynamic compositions, like the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
- School of Athens: Produced works emphasizing naturalism and everyday life, exemplified by the Boy with Thorn (Spinario).
- School of Alexandria: Noted for its realism and genre scenes, including allegories like the Allegory of the Nile.