Greek myth and symbols of power Flashcards
who are the Lapiths?
a tribe of men that lived in Thessaly
Where is Thessaly?
North/central Greece
Who was Ixion?
the leader of the Lapiths.
what is the myth associated with Ixion?
- Zeus invited ixion to Olympus and when he was invited to the gods’ table, Ixion took a liking to Hera
- In order to Ixion, Zeus made an image of Hera out of the clouds.
- Fooled, Ixion coupled with the clout
- the next rains fell and gave birth to the centaurs
- this made Cantaurs, the children of the lapith king
what made centaurs different?
they lived in caves, hunted wild food, and fought with rocks.
As wild creatures, they were unskilled in the arts of men such as crafts, hospitality and religion
what was the centauromachy?
mythical battle between the centaurs and lapiths
how did the centauromachy arise?
It happened at the wedding of the Lapith king Pirithous, son of Ixion. He was going to marry Hippodamia.
1. he invited the centaurs to the feast
2. they got drunk and assaulted the women
3. The lapiths took revenge and were killed on the spot, or expelled from the country, therefore chasing them off from the wedding
why did Pirthous invite the centaurs to his wedding?
the Lapiths sought to make up for the exploits of Ixion, and innocently invited them to his wedding. They were seen as victims from an unprovoked attack
Which Athenian Hero did Theseus also invite (duirng the centauromachy)?
he invited Kaineus (he was transformed form a woman into man besides Poseidon)
Why did the centaurs attack the lapiths?
They didn’t know how to conduct themselves and they drank wine unmixed with water. They also tried to sleep with women
what did the centauromachy come to signify ?
civilisation over barbarism. It also links to the defeat of the Persians in the battle between Greeks and Persians (greeks=lapiths). aka it commemorates the victory of the Greeks over Persians.
It represents power to the Greeks.
It also EMBODIES ORDER PREVAILING OVER CHAOS and athens is reinforcing an image of power over prosperity.
they are ‘protectors of civiliation’
When did the Persiand and Greeks fight? Where?
as Plataea in 479 BC
how was the centauromachy presented?
as metopes
whos involvment makes the centauromachy more signicficant?
Theseus
Where is teh centrauomachy displayed?
on the Parthenon
How many of the metops on the parthenon depict the centauromachy?
34 of 92
what woudl have increased the drama of the scenes?
it woudl have been viewed from below (they were 10 m above the temple). Especially considering the centaurs woudl have reared aboth the Lapith, who appears to be rolling of the metope
when are the centauromachy x’s from? what are they made from?
447-432 BC - marble
where are the centauromachy marbles now?
on the external frieze of the Parthenon in the British Museum
when was the Delian league estbalished?
478BC
what are some ways in which the centaurmoachy is depicted effectively
- the use of high and low relief to creade a dynamic and realistic image, bringing it to life. It also makes the carvings more visible from beneath.
- often the centaur is rearing, which can be seen from the tail raised, and the legs in the air.
-in some images, they are throwing things (look at attatched photos)
-usually a Z shape is used to fill space effectively - sometimes the horses hooves are in the air, indicating it is gslloping - speed, vivid, dynamic
- look at hte ways the fabric drapes- see the intensity of the movement
look at how the muscles are strained - opposing symmerty !!! - dynamic opposition
picture the metope with Hippodamia and the centauomachy.
picture the metope with Thesues and the centauomachy.
you can tell that it is him as he is so muscular + fabric indicates importance
what is a way to show you are winning in a metope?
their leg is in front e.g.,
who woudl ahve created the metopes of the centauromavhy?
a team of sculptors, overseen by Phidias (who creates the chryselephantine cult statue of Athena
who were the Amazonians?
a mythical race of women from Asia Minor
where is Asia Minor?
the western 2/3 of modern Turkey
what was the amazonomachy?
the mythic battle between greeks and Amazons
How were the Amazonians as a tribe?
they only came into contact with men when they needed to repopulate.
When they had to, they would couple iwth neigboring tribes.
If the women gave birht to a son, the baby was killed. If it was a girl then they woudl be raised by her mother and become an Amazon
How many battles were there between the Amazons and Greeks? What were they?
2:
1. Heraclean Amazonomschy - led by Heracles and caused because of His 9th labour (rumour and hera interfering saying he woudl steal it or whatever)
2. The attic War led by THeseus and Heracles - Heracles brought an Amazonina. bride for Theseus as a gift =. Enraged, the Amazons declared war on Athens
what did the Amazonomachy come to represent?
the Greek;s triumph over foreign people
where can we see the Amazonomachy?
the Temple of Apollo at Bassae
when was the Temple of Apollo at Bassae built?
c.450-420BC
who was the Temple of Apollo at Bassae dedicated to?
Apollo ‘Epikourios’ (The Helper/healer)
where is the Temple of Apollo at Bassae?
Bassae, a small town 36 miles SE of Olympia
who was the Temple of Apollo at Bassae designed by?
Ikitnos (also architect of the Parthenon)
the dimensions are 6x15 columns and 14mx38m
Where in the Temple of Apollo at Bassae was the amazonomachy?
the internal naos frieze
describe the inner bit of the Temple of Apollo at Bassae. what was so special about it?
it ws a unique feature of the temple because it ran indide the naos (the internal frieze).
the internal bit was supported by 10 ionic columns and one lond CORINTHIAN COLUMN (the first recorded).
The friezde with the amazonomoachy ran along the East and South - eastern walls of the Naos (hereclean Amzonomachy)
what was the lon column in the Temple of Apollo at Bassae called? what was so special about it?
the corinthian column
it was the first column recorded.
It also stood out
what are corinthian columns based on?
the leaves of an acanthius - scroles
why was teh the Temple of Apollo at Bassae so special
it wss marble and it was very symmertrical . the scene of chaos mad eit busy and interesting for the viewer. It also celebrated the success of the Greeks
How might the frieze be linked to the plague?
Apollo was named overter of evil. He turned away the plague from them and it also symbolised the greek victory over the plague, which killed about a third of the Athenian Population in 429BC
where is Bassae?
SW Greece
how can Hercules be identified?
he is wearing a lion skin cloak
whee is Heracles on the the Temple of Apollo at Bassae?
aboth the Corinthian column
how can you recognise the Amazonians?
they have one bare breast exposed
what makes the frieze on the Temple of Apollo at Bassae so effective?
- opposing symmetry and dynamic opposition
- drapery being stretched - realism
- bent knees suggest action
- tense muscles
- Greek pulling hair of an amazon
- shallow relief and deep relief
- horse rearing + movement (mid flight)
- image of symmetry
- X fighting shape - dynamic
in one scene they afre fighting ovrt the base of an alter showing the violence!!! - leg over the others
- relief = 3D
picture hercules at the Temple of Apollo at Bassae
what does pulling hair symbolise?
barbarism and violence
how is the Amazonian story depicted in the Temple of Apollo at Bassae?
in an unsettling rather than triumphant way. (says Mrs Brunner)
