Temples, 7th C, and Archaic, More than Human

nudity

Nudity as “costume” theoretical models

● Nudity nakedness spectrum

● Certainly culturally dependent since Greeks differed from neighbors

● Cognitive/visual perception: how the body looks

● Gender theory: who is nude, when, what circumstances, how are male and female nudes

● Anthropology of dress: clothing communicates messages within a social system

polis

Urban center w/surrounding population

Agora/marketplace

Sanctuaries (often including a city deity)

Political organization varies

Visualized in material culture

coinage

Concept introduced from east in 7th c. (Lydia)

Used by states/rulers, not really something that reached individual level for another century or more

key temple terms

corinthian

doric

ionic

Seventh century

(700-600 BCE)

● Migration

● Increased military action and new warrior identity (different than Bronze Age warrior identity)

● Growing elite identity

Elites and the symposion

● A ‘diacritical’ feast

● Competitive, cultural

● Hallmark of elite Greek male behavior

● Adapted from Eastern practices (reclining)

● Usually intimate

● Mixture of water and wine, little food

● Performances by participants

● Often represented on pottery, especially in sixth and fifth century BCE

● Practices differ regionally (within Greece and from Etruria

Chryselephantine sculpture

Most elaborate/costly

sculpture was

chryselephantine (gold

and ivory)

Usually melted down as

sanctuary fell out of use

Treasuries

● Building sponsored by

individual poleis in a

sanctuary

● Very popular at Delphi and

Olympia - competition

between poleis

● Close association with

victors in panhellenic

competition from a polis

Siphnian Treasury

(c. 525)

Female statues (korai) as

columns = caryatids

Friezes are decorated: battle

scenes

Similar style of figures as

found on black-figure pottery;

shows visual vocabulary

established across media

Olympian deities had to fight predecessors (Giants/Gigantes) for control over the

Kosmos.

Very popular in sculpture and decorated vases of sixth c. and on

“Rational” Olympian deities vs. “feral” Giants = symbolic association of

myth and cultural values

Form of Giants changes with stylistic concepts of gods and humans

Alkmaionid Temple of Apollo

c. 514

Sponsored by wealthy and politically connected Athenian clan called the Alkmaionids

Originally supposed to be limestone, E façade in imported marble, sculpted pediments and metopes on façades = much more expensive

Apollo in chariot (horses!!l)

Athenian Treasury

c. 490s (30

years after the Siphnian Treasury)

Notable for prime location in sanctuary

Doric treasury

No frieze, decorated metopes

Showed images of Athenian hero

(Theseus) with Herakles

Closely linked with Athenian sponsors of

rebuilt Temple to Apollo

Inscription refers to battle of Marathon (490

BCE) -- huge for Athens

Metopes

Individual scenes of heroic struggle

Compare with Siphnian Treasury

frieze

Often a hero (Herakles or Theseus)

fighting a hybrid creature (Minotaur here)

or mythical beast

Same concept of “human” order/

animal “chaos”