Classical period sources Flashcards
Drama and Politics in Classical Athens: Richard Seaford (world expert on satyrs)
‘The satyr is an ambiguous creature, cruder than a man and yet somehow wiser, combining mischief with wisdom and animality with divinity.”
Drama and Politics in Classical Athens: Choregoi example of wealth
The choregoi are ‘those who “do” the chorus’: Top 3% of wealthy, training + costuming of the chorus. 1 choregos in 410 BC spent 3,000 drachmas on tragedy: Lysias 21.
Tragedy and Society: exploration of democracy - polis as focus of absolute loyalty
perikles tells the citizens of athens to ‘gaze at the power of the city day after day and become her lovers’ - Thucydides histories 2.43.1
Monuments of Empire: periclean building program 447-405BC funded from accumulated reserves - CONTROVERSY.
plutarch on the debate (Life of Pericles 12.1, writing c. AD 100): “…what brought the greatest pleasure and embellishment to Athens, and the greatest astonishment to the rest of men… namely the –this, of all the political acts of Perikles, is the one his enemies used to malign and slander in the assemblies most of all”.
Monuments of Empire: All monuments (esp. together) = a clear statement of victory, literal or metaphorical
Theseus’ repulse of Amazon invasion = mythic allegory for Athens’ (+ her allies) defeat of Persian invasion. Parthenon; view from Propylaia: building + placement designed for max impact. West Pediment (triangle bit): Contest between Athena + Poseidon (Subtext: Athens so great, Gods are vying for her attention). West Metopes (panels below triangles): Ath. defeat Amazons (Subtext: Ath. defeated the Persians).
Temple of Athena Nike: western pediments: victory of greeks over amazons. south frieze: victory of greeks over persians. west frieze: victory of greeks over greeks
Monuments of Empire: temple of athena nike parapet: Longest extended allegory of Greek art: “Nikai” (personifications of Victory) in sacrificial procession to Athena.
“The visitor sees, on the one hand, self-conscious power, and on the other hand, the modest gratitude of the Athenians to the goddess who, after the atrocities during the first years of the war, gave the Athenians hope for a better future.”Alexander Rubel, 2014 Fear And Loathing in Ancient Athens.
Plato and Aristotle: plato quote
“doesn’t dreaming (whether one is asleep or awake) consist in just this: thinking that the similar is not similar but the same as that which it is like?” (Plato, Republic, 476c5-7)
Plato and Aristotle: aristotle quote
“thoughts, which words symbolise, are the same for all, as are those things of which out thoughts are the images.” (Aristotle, on interpretation, 16a6-8)
