Greek Depictions Of Barbarians

Question 1

visual dipictions of greeks and barbarians , Red-figure Attic kylix of type B, in the manner of the Triptolemos Painter, showing a Persian and a Greek fighting

Answer 1

– holds an image at the bottom known as a tondo, the circular image present at the centre of the vessel. Kylix are most famous for their association with symposiums (a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure) and wine. The image of the tondo would only become clear once the wine had been drained. The tondo image depicts a battle scene with a Greek (standing) and a Persian (crouched). On the outside of the Kylix further battle scene is depicted.
depicts the Persians with a distinctive soft hat and patterned costume. This continues on the outside of the kylix as well as on the tondo in the centre. Similarly, the Persian has tight-fitted clothing with detailed luxurious patterns.
Bows and arrows are seen on the outer vase of the Triptolemos painter’s depiction of Persians. But they are also seen on the tondo in the centre – one can see the quiver for holding arrows down to the fighter’s right-hand side.
the Persian appears to be in a weak position. He cowers in the corner of the tondo, appearing to be pushed to the edges by the Greek. In the battle and it is clear the Greek is about to overcome him as he has been pushed back onto his knees. Perhaps the Greek is about to strikes the final blow.
depicts the Greek taking up over 2/3s of the image with his powerful stance; whilst the Persian cowers at the edge of the scene.

Question 2

visual dipictions of greeks and barbarians Attic red figure kylix depicting Achilles and Penthesilea

Answer 2

This red figure tondo within a kylix depicts a Greek (Achiles, naked) and Penthesilea, Amazon Queen. It was produced by the so-called Penthesilea Painter (active between 470 and 450 BC at Athens) who produced many images of Penthesilea in the Attic red-figure style. Although the scene is the fight for Troy, Penthesilea is unarmed, wearing only a short chiton with short sleeves. To the right, bent around the lower right edge of the cup, is a fallen Amazon in Scythian costume, in frontal view with her hands clasped above her head and with her left leg outstretched, her right bent behind her. On the left, a standing Greek warrior. Achilles is said to have fallen in love with the Penthesilea as he killed her.

Question 3

visual depictions of Greeks and barbarians. The battle of Achilles and Penthesileia. Lucanian red-figure bell-krate

Answer 3

This image is on the side of the vase. It depicts Achiles (a Greek, naked), and an Amazon. It was produced during the fifth century in the Greek-influenced south of Italy. The imagery depicts the same scene as above: Achilles vs Penthesileia during the battle for Troy. In this scene, their eyes meet before the final blow is struck.
depicts a distinctive hate and elaborate dress worn by the Amazon

Question 4

Greek emphasised the differences between themselves and Barbarians. clothing

Answer 4

Generally, the Greeks are depicted as austere in their heroic nudity whilst the barbarians are depicted with exotic, luxurious clothing

Question 5

Greek emphasised the differences between themselves and Barbarians. weaponry

Answer 5

the Greeks are seen with either spears – the weapons of choice in Homer – or swords. Both weapons are designed for close hand-to-hand combat. These weapons are signs of the heroic and courageous nature of the Greeks fighting.

By contrast, the barbarians are often depicted with bows and arrows. Bows and arrows were seen as the weapons of cowards for they kept the combatant out of immediate danger.
Where the barbarians draw their swords, they usually do so as a matter of last resort
Another example of ‘otherness’ is the strange crescent-shaped shield worn by the Amazon contrasted with the traditional shield used by the Greek.

Question 6

weaponary dipicted on the triptolemos

Answer 6

s depiction of Persians. But they are also seen on the tondo in the centre – one can see the quiver for holding arrows down to the fighter’s right-hand side.

Question 7

weaponary dpicted on the lucanian bell krater

Answer 7

Penthesilea holds an axe, contrasted with Achilles spear. This depiction creates a sense of ‘otherness’ and strangeness for the Amazon.

Question 8

posture- inferiority vs superiority on the triptolemos

Answer 8

the Persian appears to be in a weak position. He cowers in the corner of the tondo, appearing to be pushed to the edges by the Greek. In the battle and it is clear the Greek is about to overcome him as he has been pushed back onto his knees. Perhaps the Greek is about to strikes the final blow.

Question 9

posture- inferiority vs superiority on the penthesilea

Answer 9

depicts the Amazon in the moment of being punctured by a sword, demonstrating visually the Greek superiority over the Amazon. Balancing the image is the contrast between the Greek fighter to the top left of the scene who stands victorious and strong, contrasted with the fallen Amazon to the right of the scene.

Question 10

posture- inferiority vs superiority on the bell-krater

Answer 10

barbarian cowardice. The Amazon appears to be running away from Achilles. This is emphasises by the direction of her body (moving away), contrasted with her head which anxiously looks back as Achilles in fear. This theme of Greek-courage and barbarian cowardice is continued on the outside of the Triptolemos vase. Persians are seen firing arrows from horseback against proud Greek soldiers.

Question 11

greek centriality on the triptolemos

Answer 11

the Greek taking up over 2/3s of the image with his powerful stance; whilst the Persian cowers at the edge of the scene.

Question 12

greek centrality on the pentheslia

Answer 12

notably with the Amazon laying to the side on the right. The two Greeks take up a more central and important position in the image.

Question 13

greek centriality, overlapping

Answer 13

Where Greeks and barbarians overlap it is interesting to note the representation. Greeks tend to overlap barbarians, making them appear closer to the viewer and more dominant/central.

Question 14

greek victory on the triptolemos

Answer 14

depicts the Greek towering over the Persian and taking a final strike; whilst the Persian cowers in the corner.

Question 15

greek victory on the penthesilea

Answer 15

depicts two Greeks winning their respective duels; and two Amazons falling in battle. Likewise, the Kylix shows Penthesilea running from the victorious Achilles.

Question 16

man vs women in the penthesilia

Answer 16

In these scenes we witness Achilles defeating Penthesilea in battle as their eyes lock. The scenes convey the notion that whereas the Greek man is in his natural sphere, the Amazonian women is in an unnatural sphere. Her clothing, weapons (or lack of), and sex are all depicted as unsuited for the battle scene she is in.

Question 17

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis. clothing

Answer 17

the Greeks are generally nude (some have cloaks). This is symbolic in the pride Greeks felt in their physiques and their severe austerity; whereas the Persians are clothed with robes and a tight belt around their waists. The Persian tight-fitted trousers can also be seen. The luxuriousness of the east merges with their inferiority

Question 18

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis. weaponry

Answer 18

Though damaged, a few themes come through. The Greeks hold round shields, while the Persians (where they have them) hold crescent-shaped shields. The weapons are mostly damaged but the manner of Greek poses suggests they are using swords.

Question 19

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis. posture

Answer 19

The Greeks are depicted courageously and victoriously. The Greeks are the ones striding forward to victory. In the left corner of both sections we see a Greek seemingly administering a final blow to a falling Persian.

Question 20

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis. greek victory

Answer 20

It is noteworthy that all of the fallen figures are Persians. It is evident that the Persians are the ones losing this battle.

Question 21

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis persian horses

Answer 21

– an important feature of the Persian way of life and warfare. It is important to recognise that in the ancient world horses were typically used in warfare either in chariots or as mobile archers. Prior to the invention of stirrups they were not really used for hand-to-hand combat. Hence, the depiction of horses here likely depicts that of horse-archers, thereby furthering the ‘cowardly’ nature of the Persians. One can even see a quiver on the mounted archers side.

The Persians clearly used horse archers as depicted in a Xerxes inscription where he says(XPl §2h): “As a horseman I am a good horseman. As a bowman I am a good bowman, both on foot and on horseback. As a spearman I am a good spearman, both on foot and on horseback”. Here we see an interesting contrast: to the Greeks, horses represented cowardice. To the Persians, as an obvious symbol of status and wealth, horses were closely connected to royal and courtly ideology and to the model warrior image.

Question 22

the south frieze of the temple of athena nike from the acropolis persian retreat

Answer 22

the Persians are shown, in some cases, appearing to run away. Some are being pulled back by the hair/clothing with Greeks appearing to attempt to strike a final blow. This is symbolic of the cowardice in their characters

Question 23

evaluating greek depictions of barbarian art

Answer 23

The value of Greek artistic depictions during the classical era is that they provide an insight into Greek social attitudes. Generally, the artwork above presents consistent themes of binary opposition. Greek positive characteristics are contrasted with Barbarian negative characteristics. The themes include:

· Greek vs exotic

· Luxury vs austerity

· Masculinity vs femininity

· Superiority vs inferiority

· Greek (heroic) hoplite warfare vs barbarian cowardly warfare

· Greek victory vs Barbarian defeat

Taken together, the art provides evidence for the claim that the Greeks had developed a coherent ‘image’ of the barbarian who, at their core, were very different from Greeks. These differences emphasises that the Greek was superior and the barbarian was inferior.

Question 24

greek art oversimplifying and exaggerating differences, weapons

Answer 24

Greeks always depict Persians with bows and arrows, a trope that signified their supposed cowardice in battle. Yet, compare this to Persian sources. Persian source seem to suggest the importance of the spear as the primary offensive weapon. In Darius’ inscription at Naqsh-i Rustam, where the Great King summarizes his achievements with the words: ‘the spear of a Persian man has gone forth far’. Consider, too, the imagery of Persian warrior. In the scene behind Darius at Bisitun, guards stand with both spears and bows. In the glazed frieze bricks at Susa, the immortals are depicted with spears.

Question 25

greek art oversimplifying and exaggerating differences, greek art should not be used as a dipiction of warfare

Answer 25

Greeks naturally emphasise their victories and refuse to depict examples of their own defeat. But the art also depicts battles scenes in a misleading manner. The scenes tend to emphasise one-to-one combat where Greek heroes overpower weak Persian cowards. The reality of battles in the Persian Wars was one of ranked hoplite units and organised large-scale battles.

Question 26

greek dipictions of greeks fighting greeks. equality

Answer 26

When Greeks depict themselves fighting Greeks they tend to emphasise the equal state the two sides. By contrast, when the Greeks depict Persians they tend to emphasise their inferiority. Note the postures of the two sides: the Greeks are all equal, whereas the Persians are in an inferior position.

Question 27

greek depictions of greeks fighting greeks. weaponary

Answer 27

Greek weaponry is shared: shields and spears. When Persians are depicted their archery is often emphasised.

Question 28

greek depictions of greeks fighting greeks hoplite style

Answer 28

Greeks celebrate their shared hoplite tactics, whereas Persians often lack shields and weapons for this style of combat. Note the Greek shields shared on both sides in the images of Greeks fighting Greeks.

Question 29

greek depictions of greeks fighting greeks clothing

Answer 29

Greeks emphasise their similarities in their battle; whilst the Persians are depicted wearing exotic/oriental styles. Consider the hats, for instance.

Question 30

greek depictions of greeks fighting greeks state of the battle

Answer 30

In the Greek depictions the battle is relatively even; by contrast the Persians are mostly losing out.

Question 31

typical greek dipictions of barbarians in literary resources

Answer 31

the Greeks depict barbarians in ways which similar to the depictions in their art. Yet, the depictions are more complex and, at times, subtler. Often, their ‘barbarian traits’ are told through the story and are implied, rather than explicitly stated.

Question 32

hartog, greek dipictions of barbarians

Answer 32

argues that when Herodotus depicts the customs of barbarians, he does not do so from a neutral perspective. The relationship between the author and the audience is crucial to understanding these passages. Hartog argues that Herodotus tends to focus on customs that are specifically non-Greek; thereby reflecting a mirror back onto the Greek world. When Herodotus represents other cultures through ethnography, he usually highlights the things that are non-Greek. As Hartog notes, Herodotus’ construction of the ‘other’ tells us a lot about what is deemed Greek. This is known as the “mirror of Herodotus”. One reads the ethnographic passages of Herodotus thinking they are learning about another culture; but, in reality, they are learning about Greekness (and what was not deemed ‘Greek’).

Question 33

heroditus focusing on customs that would intrigue and engage greek audience

Answer 33

. ‘Exotic’/’oriental’ customs which contradict the ‘Greek’ way of life would have been inherently interesting; and serve to break up the narrative with intriguing anecdotes.

For instance, when Herodotus discusses the Persian practice of prostration (the state of lying stretched out on the ground with one’s face downwards) in front of someone of higher rank than oneself, this is something which would alarm Greeks, particularly Athenians (who Herodotus delivered the books to). Athenians prided themselves on being an equal citizenship body run in a democratic way. Prostration was seen as a sign of inferiority and subservience, something that was in this sense the antithesis of the Athenian notion of citizenship equalit