GEOMETRIC TO ARCHAIC GREECE

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History

• The Dark Age (1100-800 B.C.)
  • after Mycenaean palaces collapse c. 1200, a century of weakened Mycenaeans, living a much-simplified life. Gradually other Greek-speakers trickle in from north--Dorians
  • trade curtailed; art of writing lost; poor standard of living; few grave goods
  • kingship the predominant political system, as in Bronze Age
    
• The 8th century B.C. (800-700 B.C.)
  • rise of the polis (city-state), ruled by aristocratic oligarchy, replaces kings
    • decisions discussed by boule = 'council' of aristoi, then voted on in agora = 'assembly'made up of all adult male citizens
    • loyalty to polis replaces loyalty even to family
    • polis walled, with temples, agora (market-place; same word for assembly)
    • three main leaders
      • archon = 'ruler', political leader
      • basileus = 'king', religious figurehead
      • strategos = 'general', military leader
  • literacy again, starting in early 8th century and widely diffused by 700 B.C.
    • alphabet adapted from Phoenicians, who had mature script by 900 B.C.
      • 22 characters, later expanded to 24
      • Phoenicia = Syria
    • earliest inscriptions in Greek are short, and in poetry, not prose!
    • in Dark Age Greece an oral society, with orally transmitted literature
      • Homer's Iliad, Odyssey
  • so we have in Greece a re-emergence of complex urban civilization, after the Dark Ages
    
• The Archaic Period (700-480 B.C.)
  • the 7th century B.C. is called the Orientalizing Period--influence from the East, thanks to Greek colonies and trading (see next handout)

Material Culture

• The Dark Age
  • no extant sculpture, very few temples, some vase-painting (see below)
  • the site of Lefkandi on Euboea is an important exception to the general rule
    • rich burial ('king' and 'queen') with gold, imported materials, c. 1000 B.C.
      • buried in a long rectangular building which apparently built for use, but which collapsed and was used as a tomb
    • pot depicting human figure, c. 900 B.C.
  • Vase Painting in Athens:
    • Proto-Geometric, 1000-900, with very limited geometric ornament
      
• The Eighth Century
  • Early Sculpture: small bronze figurines
  • Vase Painting in Athens:
    • Geometric, 900-700 (Note that this period begins before the 8th cy.)
      • use: often funerary
      • shapes: amphora, krater
      • motifs: at first, busy geometric, later add silhouette animal friezes, and then:
    • Late Geometric: 750-700
      • silhouette human figures, in funeral and battle scenes--representational art
      • late 700s, beginnings of narrative art--scenes from myth
        
• The Archaic Period (700-480 B.C.)
  • Vase Painting in Athens
    • Proto-Attic, 700-570
      • outline human figures in full narrative scenes from mythology
      • Eleusis amphora shows blinding of Polyphemus
      • François Vase has several registers of mythical scenes
        • Meleager and boar hunt; wedding of Achilles' parents Peleus and Thetis
        • this vase marks transition to black figure
    • Attic black figure, 570-530
      • figures in black glaze on natural clay (red) background, details incised through glaze; some use of added red, white paint
      • Exekias is the greatest master
        • kylix (drinking cup) with Dionysos on ship
        • amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing dice
        • amphora with Ajax about to commit suicide
        • amphora with Achilles and Penthesilea in combat
      • Amasis painter
        • amphora with satyrs making wine
        • amphora with Dionysos and maenads
    • Attic red figure, 530 on
      • figures reserved in clay color against black glazed background, details painted in
      • Andokides Painter (red side) and Lysippides Painter (black side) collaborate on 'bilingual' vases
        • amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing dice
      • Euphronios and Euthymides
        • twisting poses, three dimensional revolution exploits ease of rendering inner details, parallels a similar evolution in sculpture
        • Euphronios krater, death of Sarpedon