Chapter Five: The Archaic and Classical Figurines

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-162
Author(s):  
Haley Bertram
Keyword(s):  
Fifth Century ◽  
Stylistic Analysis ◽  
Classical Period ◽  
Terracotta Figurines ◽  
Over Time

The terracotta figurines and protomai from Eleon form a compelling corpus of evidence for activity on the acropolis during the Archaic and Classical periods. This chapter provides an overview of the figurines recovered in the first five years of excavation at Eleon. A chronological survey relies on stylistic analysis, as nearly all come from the ramped entryway to the site, either built into the fill of the ramp itself in secondary deposition, or in later pits disrupting these levels. The assemblage is composed of a range of handmade and moldmade female figurines in seated and standing postures; the lingering Archaic type of the early Classical period is prevalent among these. Given their quantity and the nature of the associated material, it can reasonably be assumed that the figurines are linked to votive activity on the hilltop, although specifics elude us beyond association with a female deity. Dedication of the figurines peaked in the mid-fifth century, at least 25 years after the construction of the polygonal wall. This may be indicative of shifts in votive practice over time, as well as developments in local terracotta production before the emergence of a “Boeotian” coroplastic style.

Theoria and Darśan: pilgrimage and vision in Greece and India

2000 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
Small Groups ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Classical Period ◽  
Hellenistic Period ◽  
Greek Religion ◽  
Roman World ◽  
Normal Term ◽  
State Delegations ◽  
Over Time

THEORIA IN GREEK RELIGIONWhat was the Greek for pilgrim? If there is no simple answer, the explanation is the great diversity of ancient pilgrimages and pilgrimage-related phenomena. People went to sanctuaries for all sorts of reasons: consulting oracles, attending festivals, making sacrifices, watching the Panhellenic games, or seeking a cure for illness; there were variations in the participants (individuals or state-delegations, small groups or large), and variations in the length of distance traversed to get to the sanctuary; finally, changes occurred in the shape of pilgrimage over time: pilgrimage is not the same in the Hellenistic period as it is in the classical period, and pilgrimage in the Roman world is different again.If we limit our scope to state-pilgrimage and to the classical period, we find a special vocabulary for pilgrimage in the word θεωρός and its derivatives θεωρέω, θεωρία, and θεωρίς2. θεωρία is the normal term for state-pilgrimage, as we see in the famous introduction to Plato's Phaedo (58b) describing the Athenian pilgrimage to Delos. The corresponding term for a pilgrim is θεωρός, found first in Theognis (Eleg 776), and frequently in the fifth century. The verb θεωρέω can mean ‘go on a pilgrimage to’, as in Thucydides' account of Ionian pilgrimage to the Delian festival (3.101). θεωρίς is the normal Attic term for a sacred ship used to convey sacred delegates to and from a sanctuary. One area where this family of words is never used is that of pilgrimage to healing sanctuaries; if we find any word used there, it is ἱκέτης, in later texts sometimes the neutral σνμϕοιτητής.

‘I, Too, am a Christian’: Early Martyrs and their Lives in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Irish Manuscript Tradition

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 193-207
Author(s):  
Salvador Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Christian Church ◽  
Christian Life ◽  
Late Medieval ◽  
Manuscript Tradition ◽  
Over Time

Veneration of the martyrs as powerful intercessors and exemplars of Christ-like fortitude is one of the earliest and most powerful manifestations of Christian religious practice. Not only were martyrs thought to be assured of salvation, but the blood which they shed was conceived by Tertullian as ‘seed’ for the upbuilding of the Christian Church. As legends of their lives and, more importantly, the manner of their deaths developed over time, martyrs would also function as valuable instructors in the essentials of the Christian life, their speeches before death often assuming a sermon-like quality. By the fifth century recourse to the relics of martyrs was also already well established. The cult of the martyrs would have a long future.

An Epigram of the Fifth Century B.C.

1940 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Fifth Century ◽  
Classical Period

This inscription, which was discovered some years ago in the Ceramicus, has been assigned on epigraphic grounds to the middle of the fifth century and Peek has conjectured with some probability that it is a memorial to the men who fell in the battle of Coronea. Their defeat and death is ascribed to supernatural intervention and the development of this topic has given the poem a form which bears little resemblance to that of the usual official epigram of the classical period. Apart from its historical and literary interest, the inscription is of importance as a religious document and the primary aim of this article is to examine its language in some detail, with a view to elucidating the religious ideas underlying it and to determining, if possible, its relation to the event which it records.

Conclusion: A New Path Forward

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Berman
Keyword(s):  
Web Application ◽  
Near East ◽  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Ancient Near East ◽  
Stylistic Analysis ◽  
Hebrew Scriptures ◽  
Biblical Texts ◽  
Over Time

The conclusion argues that to renew the field of Pentateuchal criticism—indeed, the historical-critical paradigm in biblical studies more broadly—historical-critical scholars will need to adopt three new priorities in their work. The first is an epistemological shift toward modesty in our goals and toward accepting contingency in our results. The second is a far greater understanding of the rhetorical and compositional practices of the ancient Near East as we adduce notions of what constitutes a fissure in a text and how the biblical texts grew over time. Finally, scholars will need to ground their compositional theories in a new level of linguistic and stylistic analysis, which is now available through the recently launched Tiberias Project: A Web Application for the Stylistic Analysis and Categorization of Hebrew Scriptures, directed by the author of the book, Joshua Berman, and the computational linguist, Moshe Koppel.

Changing Patterns in Objects and in Perception

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter S. Wells
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Second Century ◽  
Early Bronze Age ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Over Time

The preceding chapters examined three categories of objects—pottery, fibulae, and swords with their scabbards—and two ways of manipulating objects—arrangements in graves and performances involving human bodily action with objects—over the two-thousand-year period from the Early Bronze Age to the end of the prehistoric Iron Age. The focus has been on visual aspects of objects and the changes in their visual character over time. This chapter synthesizes the material laid out in chapters 5 through 10. It draws attention to the consistency of the patterns in the visual character of material culture in each of the three main periods of time considered in this book, and to the character of the changes that took place in the fifth century BC and in the second century BC.

Ceramic Diversity in Chavín De Huantar, Peru

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle C. Druc
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Activation Analysis ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Ceramic Production ◽  
Stylistic Analysis ◽  
Chavin De Huantar ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
Chavín De Huántar ◽  
Dramatic Shift ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Ceramic Diversity

Abstract Ceramic diversity in the ceremonial center of Chavín de Huantar in the Peruvian highlands is assessed by neutron activation analysis, petrography, and stylistic analysis. These analyses lead to a new interpretation of ceramic production in Chavín between ca. 850 and 200 B.C. Several compositional groups with very different mineralogical paste types are identified. More than 30 percent of the ceramics are nonlocal. Most of these are bottles and fine wares, probably brought to the site as gifts or offerings. At the local level, ceramic production changed over time. A dramatic shift in resource procurement occurred at the end of the first occupation phase, and production became more diversified and intense as the site and its population grew larger.

scholarly journals How Numerous and How Busy were Late-Antique Presbyters?

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-37
Author(s):  
Robert Wiśniewski
Keyword(s):  
Late Antiquity ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Late Antique ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Christian Communities ◽  
The Third ◽  
The City ◽  
Over Time

Abstract This article seeks to count late-antique clergy and assess their workload. It estimates the number of clerics, and particularly presbyters, in Christian communities of various sizes, and investigates how and why the ratio of clerics to laypersons changed over time. First, by examining the situation in the city of Rome, it demonstrates that the growth in the ranks of the presbyters from the third to the fifth century was slow, and argues that this resulted from the competing interests of the bishops, lay congregation, rich donors, and above all the middle clergy. It is the last group who were reluctant to raise their number as this had a negative impact on their income. The results of this phenomenon can also be seen in other big sees of Christendom, in which, in Late Antiquity, there was one presbyter per several thousand laypersons. Interestingly, in smaller towns, this ratio was significantly lower, and in the countryside, it remained in the lower hundreds. Second, this article shows how the changing ratio of clerics to laypersons affected the level of professionalization of the former. In the big cities, the ecclesiastical duties of presbyters who served in a growing community were getting heavier. This turned the presbyters into full-time religious ministers, at the same time making them even more dependent on ecclesiastical income. In the towns and villages, however, the pattern was different. In the places in which one presbyter served a very small community, his job was less time-consuming but also brought him less income. In consequence, rural presbyters had to support their families through craft work, commerce, or farming, and they had time for this.

Atimia and Outlawry in Archaic and Classical Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-60
Author(s):  
Christopher Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Political Community ◽  
Classical Period ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
Legal Language ◽  
Classical Greece ◽  
Archaic Greece ◽  
Archaic And Classical Greece ◽  
Over Time

Abstract This article challenges the commonly held belief that atimia in its earliest Greek usage meant exile, arguing instead that atimia and outlawry were always two entirely distinct, though not mutually exclusive, concepts. It is often claimed that atimia originated as a penalty of death or exile, but that over time its harshness became modified so that those who suffered under its restrictions could not be killed or assaulted with impunity. A careful study of the evidence will show that atimia never meant outlawry, and moreover, its archaic cognates do not imply that in early times to lose timê was the same as losing membership in a political community. Rather, atimazesthai entailed the loss of social honour and status which was an all-encompassing value in the aristocratic societies of archaic Greece. Atimia in the Classical period is similarly a loss of rights (timai), and because penalties and conditions such as exile and outlawry can be easily described, in Greek, as involving the loss of prerogatives (timai), they are conceptually forms of atimia. However, in the legal language of democratic Athens atimia is and always was something distinct from exile, and this legal distinction went back to the very earliest times.

scholarly journals The Sound of Sirens: Siren Stelae in Classical Attic Cemeteries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alex Oldfield
Keyword(s):  
Traditional View ◽  
Classical Period ◽  
Greek Mythology ◽  
Folk Tales ◽  
Ancient Literature ◽  
Upper Register ◽  
Distinguishing Features ◽  
Over Time

<p>The aim of this thesis is to look at how and why the siren is featured in Classical Attic cemeteries and how its mythical characteristics lead to its appropriateness in such a context. The exact origins of the siren are unknown, although it has been suggested that they stem from the folk tales of sailors at sea, or shared ideas from other cultures. Despite such unknown variables, the siren figure that is considered in this thesis is that found in Greek mythology, frequently remembered for her encounter with Odysseus on his journey home from Troy and ability to enchant sailors with her irresistible song. Typically combining the features of a bird’s body and a woman’s head, the creature known as the siren can also be seen in ancient depictions on vases, jewellery boxes and female toilette objects. During the Classical Period (479-323BC) the bird-women hybrid sirens are used as a decorative feature on top of funerary stelae in Attic cemeteries. The siren can be seen in two different forms in the funerary context, specifically in relation to their placement and representation on stelae: relief images of the creatures in the roof sima of the upper register of the tombstone, and sculpted in the round perched on top. The presence of the siren in this context can provide a constant mourner as well as inviting the viewer to grieve for the deceased.  The first chapter details the siren’s character and role in early ancient literature and art, specifically relating to their mythological corpus. Discussion will focus on the evolution of their character and their appearance over time, as well as identifying distinguishing features which make the siren a unique figure. It is also necessary in this section to establish a distinction between the siren and the mythological harpy who combines the similar bird-woman features to make up a very different creature (particularly evident in a commonly misnamed Lycian sarcophagus, the ‘Harpy tomb’.) The second chapter outlines the timeframe of the use and presence of funerary stelae featuring sirens in Attic cemeteries, predominantly found in the Kerameikos, with references to the legislation which may have affected them. This section covers examples of the presence of sirens in this context including, but not exclusive to, images in relief depicted in the roof sima, along with other figures, as well as the limited freestanding sculptures of sirens seen perched above stelae. I will also analyse the ‘traditional’ view of the sirens as ‘soul birds’ as suggested by various scholars, particularly those from the early 1900s. The final chapter looks at the appropriateness of the siren in a funerary context and attempts to identify the reasons why they were used for such a purpose. In order to answer these questions, it is important to look at the reception of these pieces by mourners and passers-by alike and the possible relationship between those that view the sculpture in such a setting and the piece itself.</p>

scholarly journals THE IMAGE OF THE RIDER ON GRECO-ROMAN ENGRAVED GEMS FROM THE ISRAEL MUSEUM (JERUSALEM)

2016 ◽  
pp. 33-44
Author(s):  
IDIT SAGIV
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Stylistic Analysis ◽  
Classical Period ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Ruling Class ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Greco Roman

This paper explores the interpretations and context of equestrian Greco-Roman engraved gems kept at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem which had never been published prior to this study. It was written on the basis of a study which included photography, description, technical aspects, iconographic and stylistic analysis and, finally, dating the gems. In order to achieve this, they were compared to other known ones that had already been published. The results indicate that horsemen frequently appear as subjects on intaglios. The Roman engraved gems drew their inspiration from established Greek rider imagery. Under the Roman Empire, the rider image became the preserve of that new divine figure, the emperor. The Imperial rider combined the attributes of a Bellerophon or the Dioscuri of the Classical period and an Alexander of the Hellenistic. Also, Gauls are fairly common in art and there are quite a number of Celtic/Gaulish horsemen on gems. Presumably, people wore such gems as a reminder of the iconic defeat of the Northern barbarians by the Attalids and more recent Roman triumphs. In addition, there are several examples of gems, on which appears a rider beneath whose horse a lion or another animal is lying. It is likely that this rider was perceived by the gem engraver and owner as some god or hero. Since these depictions of cavalry on gems are similar to the “Heros Equitans” image, possibly they were inspired by it and so were the depictions of the emperors. Thus it is concluded that applying representations of riders on engraved gems demonstrates the possible wish of affluent, albeit ordinary people to resemble the ruling class as well as heroes through the purchase and use of these gems which also bear additional meanings of bravery and immortality.

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