Classical Civilisations Prescribed Sources.

The Battle of Achilles and Penthesilea (red figure kylix)

What is the name of this prescribed souce?

Its a red figure kylix.

What type of vessel is this prescribed source?

5th century BC

When was this prescribed source made?

Earthernware.

What is this prescribed source made of?

Athenes.

What is the origional location of this prescribed source?

Munich.

What is the current location of prescribed source?

1.) Penthesllia is an a position of supplication kneeling and reaching for Achilles beard.
2.) In contrast, Achilles is stading high and in a dominant position above her and he even is having to bend his kneck to maintain in veiw.
3.) he is toweing above her with her hand pushing her away, refusing the supplication.
4.) Intrestingly it is Penthesillia that is the central figure in the Bell- Krater, positioned in the tondo, which shows the importance of her supplication.

What is the significance of the two main figures in this prescribed source (4 things)?

The women on the outside of the kylix is wearing patterend clothes.

In this kylix, how can we tell that the women are Amazonians ("barbaians")?

The dominance of Greeks over The Amazons/ Barbarians-

- Achilles is in a dominant position over a supplicating Queen of the Amazons: Penthesilla.
- The Amazon in the corner of the base is tied up and dying of her wounds while another greek stands in an assertive "battle position".

What seems to be the overarching message of this bell kylix and how can we see this?

It is a kylix It you have been used to drink wine out of and, as you did, the wine would have been slowly revealed, as you drank the liquid, the picture beneath.

What is this prescribed source, and how would it be used?

The Attic red-figure krater depicting Herakles and the Amazons, attributed to Euphronios.

What is this prescribed source called?

Euphronios

To whom is this Krater attributed?

1.) They are wearing flamboyant and distinctive clothes, destinctive of Amazonians.

2.) On the far left is depicted a women with a pointed cap.

3.) They are using bows- the distinctive wepond attributed to The Persians, The Sythians and The Amazonians among others.

4.) They have quivers, again pointing to the bows.

What makes the women here distinctivly Amazonian/ barbarian (four things)?

1.) In the far left there is a distinctivly Greek soldier (donned in his hoplite armour with his hoplon, Kopis, Cuirass and Corinthian helmet) who is standing is a dominant position with his kopis up, ready to strike, while the most distinctive Amazon (due to her pointed cap) has falled on the fround and is defeated in a weak and wavering position.
2.) The other three Amazons are backing away, shrinking into the corner of the vase and using their ranged weoponry in a cowardly and defensive fashion as opposed to the melee club being used by Herakles and his strong, confident and offensive stance.

How are the stances/ positions of the figures in this krater significant (two things)?

The amazons on the right wear distinctine greek corinthian helmets, greeks greaves, hold distinctively greek hoplon, greek cuirass and have a kopis sheaved. This is used to suggest, because they are "half greek" that they are worthy oponents. This makes it a fair and even battle and one worth winning, which makes those greeks fighting more heroic and strong.

This notion is also shown by how there is a fellow greek hoplite lying defeated and injured in the centre of the vase.

What is important about the Amazons helmets, torso and legs in this krater- what is it used to suggest?

6th century BC.

When was this prescribed source made?

No is hold no political weight as, unlike the other ones, this was made before The Greco-Persian Wars.

Is this source important politically and why?

EarthernWare.

What is this Krater made of?

Attic It is a red-figure Krater.

What is this prescribed source?

Etrura (Southern Italy).

Where is the origional location of this Krater?

Arezzo (North of Rome).

Where is the current location of this Krater?

On the back of this Krater is depicted a celebration with an acient celebration.

Therefore, on both the front and the back of this Krater there are barbaric things which have been accepted into Greek culture-

- The Amazons
- Lavish celebration s (God of such is Dyonisis- who originated in Egypt.)

What is depicted on the back of this Krater, and what deos this tell us about the Krater as a whole?

The Frieze of the Temple of Apollo at Bassae.

What is the name of this prescribed source?

A Frieze.

What architectual featrue is this prescribed souce?

The Temple of Apollo at Bassae.

From what temple is this prescribed source from?

The 5th Century BC

When was this prescribed source made?

Marble.

Of what material is this prescribed source made of?

The Briton Museum.

What is the current location of this prescribed source?

Bassae (a small village in the mountains in the centre of the Pelopenese).

What is the origional location of this prescribed source?

1.) She is a women.
2.) She is wearing a distinctively Barbarian pointed cap.
3.) He is holding a using a distincitvely Barbarian half moon sheild.

What tells us that one of the figures in this section of the freize is an Amazon/ Barbarian (three things)?

In this section of th freize the amazon one is the one that is in a dominant position:
- The Amazon is in the dominant position over the Greek, lurching forward with her shield out in front oher her in and offenive position, her cape flowing behind her in the advance and her legs poised for attack.
- In contrast, the Greek is cowaring, leaning over onto the floor and feebly putting his hand up in a desperate attempt to prevent the finishing blow and utterly unable to defend himself.

This is unusual, or cource, because it is normally the Greek in the dominant position and Amazon in the supplicating one. Here, the roles have changes.

What is the signiciance of the positions of the figures in this prescribed source and why is it unusual?

It is trying to portray the enemy,that The Greeks are fighting, as one that is worthy and what that is difficult to defeat. This casts their victory, therefore, as an honourable, rightous, admirable and virtous victory.

Of course, here, the enemy of The Amazons is parrelled with the enemy of The Persians: their victory over Xerxes and Darius too was a hardfought, herioic and honurable one and it also shows the strength of the Greeks.

Unlike in the other prescribed sources, this one depicts The Amazon in the dominant position over the Greek. Why and what message is this positing trying to portray (clue: it links to The Greco-Persian Wars!)?

The battle of Achilles and Penthesiliea, Lucian red-figure bell- krater.

What is this prescribed source called?

The 5th Century BC.

When was this Lucian red-figure bell-krater made?

It is a Lucian red-figure bell-krater.

What type of vessel is this prescribed source?

Earth and ware.

What material is this prescribed source made of?

Luccina.

Where is the origional location of this prescribed source?

The National Spanish Archeological Museum.

What is the current location of this prescribed source?

- The Amazon Queen, Penthesiliea, and Achilles are both roughly the same size and are both looking directly into each others eyes.
- This suggests a sense equality in the two- an equality in their ability to fight.
- This, of course, is used to convey the messeage that the Amazons (and so The Persian in The Greco-Persian Wars becasue the two are parrelleld) are a worthy foe and that The Greeks victory over them was honouble, worthy and rightous.

What is significant about the stance that the two figures are in, on this prescribed source?

1.) Penthesiliea is wearing patterned clothes- a distinctive Amazonian atire.
2.) Penthesiliea is wearing a distinctivly Persian/ Barbarian/ Amazonian cap.
3.) Penthesiliea is holding a moon sheild.
4.) Pentheiliea is holding a ditincivley barbarian axe (Sagaris).

In this prescribed source, how can we tell that one of the figures is an Amazon/ Barbarian (four things)?

The Freize from the Temple of Athena Nike in Athens.

What is this prescribed source called?

The Temple of Athena Nike in Athens.

From which temple is this prescribed source taken?

A Freize.

What Architectual feature is this prescribed source?

It was completed on in 420 BC.

When was this prescribed source made?

Marble, Pentelic- local marble.

From what material is this prescribed source made?

In Athenes on The Acropolis.

Where is this prescribed sources original location?

The majortiy of it is in The Brittish Museum. (Other parts are dotted around in other museums around the world, however we have most of The Southern Freize).

Where is the current location of this prescribed source?

Here we are depicted:
1.) A Persian fighting on horse back. This depicts him as cowardly as he is not willing to fight the Greek on fair terms. This cowardlness is reafirmed by how his has a quiver- something you use to fight at, at a distance- further cowardlness- as this shows that he is not brave enough to fight on fair terms.
2.) Despite The Greek fighting against a Persian on hoseback, whose horse is rearing and attacking him, The Greek is depicted as equal, dicted as abormally large and ready to fight off the dominant figure.
3.) There is a fallen Greek on the ground. This both shows the bravery of The Greek who is standing above him and how this battle must be equal- a worthy enemy and a herioic victory over them.

What is the significance of the position of the figures on this prescribed source in the Centre (three things)?

Persians fighting Greeks (not Persian's Fighting Amazons like the others.)

What is this source, that differers from the others, depicting?

- In this, on the dominant and assertive position is a Greek, wearing nothing but a cloak, who is leaning forward in the offentive shrusting his leg forward and his wepon hand up, weight on his front foot, in such a position that he has no defence of his torso whatsoever: a huge confidence.
- In contrast, in the defensive, we have a Perisan. He has fallen on the ground and has taken a submisssive, desperate and defensibve position with his shield help up feebly in defence, an action that will very unlikely be succesful.

What is the significance of the postion of the figues on this prescribed source in its Centre?

The Red-figure Kylix of a Persian and a Greek fighting, in the manner of the Triptolemos Painter.

What is this prescribed source called?

The Triptolemos Painter.

Who is this prescribed source attributed to (what painter is it painted in the manner of)?

It depicts Greeks fighting Persians as opposed to the common theme of Greeks Fighting Amazons.

In what way deos this prescribed source differ from many of the others?

In the tondo: a circular image contained inside The Kylix.

Where is The Greek and The Persian inside of the this Kylix (Clue: it's a technical term!)?

In The 5th Century BC.

When was this prescribed source made?

Earthernware (The same as any type of pottery!).

What is this prescribed source made of?

In Athenes.

Where is the origional location of this prescribed source?

In The National Museum of Scotland.

Where is the current location of this prescribed source?

1.) He is wearing typically colourful and patterened clothing.
2.) He is wearing a pointed cap.
3.) He has a quiver poking out between his legs: the common wepon depicted with Barbarians to show them as weak and cowardly.

How can we tell that one of the figures in this Kylix is a Persian/Barbarain (Three things)?

- The Greek is in the dominant position, having to bend down to stood to the level and look at the Perisan. He has his Kopis up in a position ready to administer the final blow while his hoplon is held out in defence in the centre of the tondo and Kylix. Interesting, The Greek, in his dominant position, is trying to look The Persian straight in the eye.

- In contrast the Persian is on the floor, in a weak, supplicating and cowardly postion, shrinking away from the ineviable Kopis blow. He has been forced to resort to his secondary Kopis wepon (as opposed to the more commonly used bow) and is holding it out on a weak, feeble and final defence. Interestingly, he is resusing to look into the eye of the Greek, instead staring at his feat

What is significant about the positions of the figures in this prescribed source?

The Tomb of Cyrus The Great.

What is this prescribed source?

1.) The Persian Ones: Significance: depiction of a battle between Greeks and The Persians by a Greek Scuptor/ Vase painter.
2.) The Amazonian Ones: Depiction of Greeks fighting Amazons by a Greek sculptor/ Painter.

What is the significance of the first depicting of the fighting Greeks and Barbarians as a whole (note that this significance will be slightly different with those with the Perians on and those with The Amazons)?

The 6th Century BC

When was this prescribed source built?

Stone.

What is this prescribed source made of?

Pasagadai.

Where is the current and origional location of this prescribed source?

The stone-working techniques show Egyptian and Lydian influsences, and some historians feel that there are also Ionian stylistic influcenes on this tomb.

Interestinly, Egypyian and Lydian people were not part of the empire at this point in its expansion and show this shos the empire and kings accepting of other cultures and their non- imposing of their culture onto others.

What do the stone working of this prescribed source tell us?

- It is very imposing- super terrenian, and of huge scale and permenance.
This shows us of the huge importance that Cyrus The Great held for his being remembered and his being remebered for his acheivements, namely his expanding of the empire.
- It demostrates that he wanted to demostrate his power and his oppulance

Aside from the incription, What are some key external features that we must pick up on from this prescribed source, and what do they tell us?

The incription of Cyrus The Greats Tomb is as follows:

"O man, I am Cyrus son of Cambyses,

who founded the empire of Persia

and ruled over Asia.

Do not grudge me my monument"

This incrpiction tells us a number of things:

1.) He identifys himself by his ancestry, which holds a huge amount of significance to.

2.) He identifys himself by his acheviements, which he also hold a huge amount of significance to.

What deos the inscription on this prescribed source tell us (two things)?

1.) He writes: "inside the chamber was a golden coffin containing Cyrus' body and a great divian with feet of hammered gold ... various robes dyed in Amethyst, purple and many other colours, necklaces, simitars and inlaid earings of gods and preciious stones."

2.) He also writes: "Spread with covers of some thick colored material, with a Babylonian rug on top ... Median jacket,- of Babylonian workmanship were liad out on the divian, note and Median trousers.

1 Shows us the extent of the empire and, from how he has bits from each of the different people groups, we can see that Cyrus The Great is Desperate to demonsarate this and to show this acheivement of expaiding the empire and his power.

2 shows us, due to the huge oppulance of the grave goods the oppulance and richness of Cyrus himself and also how rich his empire was. It also shows us how important is was to him that he demostrate this wealth.

When Alexander The Great took Pasagadai, he insisted on vising The Tomb of Darius as he hugely looked up to Cyrus The Great. After he did so, the historian Arrian wrote an account of the tomb. What deos this tell us?

It is Persepolis.

What is prescribed source?

1.) Construcation was begun by Darius who built it as at third, symbolic capital city (along with Susa and Posagodai).

2.) Xerxes continued developments on the city and built:
- The Hall of Thoudand Colums.

(3.) Later kings, shown by the tomb of Artaxerxes tomb kept adding to the city and it contiued to be a significant site right up until The Macedonian Conquest.)

Who built this prescribed source?

This capital city was the Symbolic capitital city, while the capital at Susa was the administrative capital. Therefore it was seen as the symbol of the whole of Persia. As such it was:

- The centre for reception.

- The centre for festivals.

- A demonstration of:

> Wealth

> Oppulance

> The extent of their empire.

> Power

This source is just one of three capital cities of Persia, why is this one partiularly distingushed from the other two?

518 BC- 490- Darius
490- 480 BC- Xerces
Onward by Artaxerxes.

When were the dates of construction of this prescribed source?

This complex was built on a low artificial platform of rock with a steep mountain behind, with access to the plateau through The Gate of All Nations.

On what sort of geographic was this prescribed source built?

The Palace complex contained fifteen major buildings, inclusing:
- A huge and oppulant Apadana.
- A hall of one hundered columbs that could hold 10,000 people.
- A collosal treasuty where all of the offereing to the king of Perisa was kept-
the size of this demonstrated the oppulance of Perisa.

Talk about the building make up of this prescribed source and what each of these things tells us?

The Gate of All Nations.

What is this prescribed source?

This is a huge gate of two huge winged bill with human heads, that would have to be walked through by any visitor.

It was used to suggest the:
- Power
and
- Beauty of Persian Kings.
- Oppulance.

What is this prescribed source, and what is it used to portray?

- The colums in this city are animal themed and feature animals such as horses and lions.
- They also dipict mythical creatres such as griffins.
- They have Ionic colums.

> The Ionic colums would have been seen as eastern and frivolus to the Greeks.
> The Greeks would have seen the animals themed colums as extravagent, lavish and oppulant, ecspecially because they are hand made.

In this prescribed source, what are the decorations, how would any Greek have viewed these decorations, and what was the intended message of the deocrations?

The Rock Releif at Bisitun.

What is this prescribed source?

The 6th Century BC.

When was this prescribed source made?

Limestone cliff.

What material is this prescribed source?

Bisitun (Modern day Iran.)

Where is this prescribed source?

On the releif is cuniform inscriptions in three languages: Elamite, Old Persian and Akkadian.

The releif enabled us to decifer all three languages as, already familiar names and phrases in the sam text in three different languages could be compared (in the same way of The Rosetta Stone)

This led to the translation of many lost works of Near Eastern literatrue, including The Epic of Gilgamesh.

What is the importance of the language on this prescribed source (Clue: discovery)?

1.) Cambyses was the rightful heir to Cyrus. However, in a dream, he pictures his brother, Bardyia, on the throne and beleives that Bardyia is plotting to overthrow him.
2.) As such, Cambyses sends someone to kill Bardyia.
3.) As a result, when Cambyses dies without an heir, he has noone to suceed him. Darius, therefore, comes to power either because he is related (although not directly it seems) or because he is a ruling statemen.
4.) When he is in power, a man pretending to be Bardyia (Darius calls him Gaumata) rebels. Darius defeats this uprising, which he refers to as "the lie" ad restores order to the empire.
5.) Due to the succession crisis nine other "rebel" Kings rise up in rebellion and Darius defeats them too.

What is the story being described on this prescribed source?

There is two interpretations of the precense of Ahuramazda:
1.) He is the principal god of the Persian Kings- which aims to show the fact that Darius is his favoured by the gods and that he had a divine rights as king (something that Darius needs in particular due to the succession crisis and due to him not being directly related to Cyrus.)
or
2.) That the winged disc deos not indicate Ahuramazda but instead shows that divine glory of the king- showing that he himself is divine and godloke

What is the significance of Ahuramazda in this prescribed source (two points)?

A winged disc
or
Ahuramaza.

What is the term for this at The Rock Releif at Bisitun?

1.) As either divinly favoured and given the right to rule by a divine right or as divine and godly himself due to the winged disc or depiction of Ahuramazda above his head.
2.) He stands in a dominant position- twice the size of the defeated kings underneath him who are slouched over, smaller and all handcuffed and in chains. He stands with on leg thrust foward- the one with the weight on, on a mans chest, and has his hand up in a powerful poistion, while his cane too rests on the defeated figure beeneath him.

How deos Darius try to depict himself im this prescribed source (visually)?

1.) In the text, Darius suggests that he, like Cyrus beofre him, was decended from Achaemenes but from a different branch of his family. Therefore, as an Achaemenid, he had a right to rule Perisa. Most historians beleive that Darius created Achaemenes as a fictional ancestor of both himself and Cyrus to legitimise his rule.

2.) Although not actually on the releif: Darius later married Atossa, the daugther of Cyrus and the mother of Xerxes to legitimise his rule.

3.) A winged disc flies over Darius which is probably the figure of the god Ahuramazda who was the cheif Persian god, and the kings were described as his worshippers. Again Darius is showing that Ahuramazda affirms his kingship.

As Darius was not the son of the previous king, and had instead suceeded after Cambyses had died suddenly, it was necessary for him to justify his right to rule. In what three ways, on this prescribed source deos Darius do this?

In the text, Darius suggests that he, like Cyrus beofre him, was decended from Achaemenes but from a different branch of his family. Therefore, as an Achaemenid, he had a right to rule Perisa. Most historians beleive that Darius created Achaemenes as a fictional ancestor of both himself and Cyrus to legitimise his rule.

(All of Xerxes official inscriptions record that he is a decendant Achaemenes (an Achaemenid) and that he rules with the favour of Ahuramazda.

What is the signifcance if Achaemenes in this prescribed source?

1.) Due to the immesnse size of the gate alone and its supperterranian nature- the crude scale of it.
2.) The depiction of the animals as winged bull would have given off an aura of might.

How deos this perscribed source show the power of The Achaemenids'?

The craftmenship of the figures and the grand size of the blocks used to contrauct it clearly show that the Achaemenids must possess a huge amount of wealth.

How does this prescribed source demondtrate The Ahaemenids oppulence?

The Statue of Darius I from Susa.

What is the name of this prescribed source?

Sand stone (grey wacke).

What is this prescribed source made of?

It was created origionally in Egypt and erected their first, but was found in Susa where it was moved to at some point.

Where is the origional location of this prescribed source (Clue: there's two of them!)

Terhans in the national museum (In the capital of Iran).

Where is the current location of this prescribed source?

1.) There are inscriptions to Egyptian gods in hieroglyphics and his name too is written in this script.
2.) His anmed is written in Cartouche, which is something that was only done for Egyptian Pharos- so he is depicting himself as a Pharo.
3.) On the back of the statue is depicted Apis (the holy bull deity of Egypt) that unites The North and South of Egypy and that represents prosperity and unity.
4.) It is three metres tall and is the only free standing scupture of The Persian Empire - The persian traditionally did releifs and so this form of art is a greek/ Egyptian thing.
This statue was origioanly erected in Egypt.

What is interesting (Egyptian wise) in this prescribed source (four things)?

It was built to commemorate that a Persian man ruled and conquered Egypt, but also that he has expadned the empire in many other direcions aswell (the base).

What is this statue trying to acheive?

It is three metres tall and is the only free standing scupture of The Persian Empire - The persian traditionally did releifs and so this form of art is a greek/ Egyptian thing.

What is significant about how this statue is free-standing?

1.) Darius wears a persian short sword, known as an akinakes in an elaboratly embroited sword belt.
2.) He wears elaborate clothing.
3.) He has a lotus flower.
4.) He has a staff.
These last two are tradtitional persian symbols.
As a show of power.

What are the typical Persian elements to this prescribed source?

Each side of the base has 12 figures (24 in total), representing the conquered people of the empire. All these figures face the same way, but wear their own distinctive cultural clothing. This is a show of power- Darius wants to remembered as a conquerer- the man who has expanded the empire and who has conquered Egypt.

What is on the base of this prescribed source that is so significant and what is it trying to portray?