Metopes

Question 1

What are the archaic metopes?

Answer 1

The heroic cattle raid

Heracles and the kerkopes

Question 2

Problems of archaic metopes?

Answer 2

• fill large square

- convey a narrative accurately

Question 3

Archaic traits of metopes

Answer 3

-difficulties conveying 3/4 turn
-frontal emphais
Pattern, repetition and symmetry

Question 4

Composition of Heracles and kerkopes (archaic)

Answer 4

Effectively filled
Broadly symmetrical
Heracles with kerkopes either side
Archaic smiles of kerkopes comic effect

Question 5

Narrative behind Heracles and kerkopes

Answer 5

Mischievous kerkopes tu to steal armour, Heracles catches them, they’re released because they make him laugh when they laugh at his hairy bottom

Question 6

Issues of Heracles and kerkopes

Answer 6

Difficulties conveys 3/4 turn of Heracles

Question 7

What’s depicted on the heroic cattle raid metope?

Answer 7

Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri) plus two other hero’s returning victoriously from their cattle rustling

Question 8

Archaic traits of the heroic cattle raid metope?

Answer 8

• long patterned hair
• hero’s stride in unison
• left arm is raised holding spear in same angle
• cattle walk in unison
• cows frontally emphasised

Question 9

Where are the labours of herakles metopes located?

Answer 9

Unusually, they are internal metopes at the temple of Zeus, (six above the pronaos, six above the opisthodomos)

Question 10

Name the 4 labours of Heracles metopes depict

Answer 10

L(nemeon lion)
A (golden apples of Hesperides)
B(Cretan bull)
S (Augean stables)

Question 11

What’s the political significance of the metopes at the temple of Zeus?

Answer 11

The temple of Zeus is at Olympia which is the home of the Panhellenic games every 4 years all Greeks would attend Olympia and appreciate the symbolism
Heracles was zeus’ son
Depicts Heracles as the ideal athlete, someone competitors should aspire to be

Question 12

Comments of the nemean lion

Answer 12

Lions tongue told out of its mouth showing exceptional detail
Body creates a strongman horizontal line

Question 13

Comments on Heracles in nemean lion metope

Answer 13

Has one leg resting on the lion showing his exhaustion
No beard=first labour
Heracles triumphs over barbarity

Question 14

What figures are in the nemean lion metope?

Answer 14

Hermes and athene flank herakles and lion

Question 15

Composition of Cretan bull metope

Answer 15

Strong crossed diagonals of Heracles and bull creates energy and focal point
Figures leap away from each other, straining against the frame of the metope
Figures keep eye contact to show tension

Question 16

How is the bull shown to be big (LOH)

Answer 16

Head is turned in order to fit into composition

Question 17

What metopes show civilisation vs barbarity?

Answer 17

Cretan bull
Nemean lion
Hesperides apples (atlas is a titan, outwitted by herakles)

Question 18

What’s the narrative behind golden apples of Hesperides?

Answer 18

Heracles needs the 🍏🍏 and atlas knows where they are but he’s busy holding up the sky 🌌 so he says Heracles hold they sky I go get them apples
So he does
Then atlas doesn’t wanna hold up the sky leaves it w herakles then herakles tricks him into taking it back