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#Paros marble for the statue
onuen · 2 years
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Victoire de Samothrace.
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eucanthos · 6 months
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Kore 670
Attic workshop (wider region of Athens), Archaic Period, 520-510 BC. Marble from Paros H: 1.15 m. Acropolis Museum
Discovered in 1886 in the so-called "Korai Pit" northwest of the Erechtheion, Athens Acropolis
Unlike the rest of the Korai she is dressed in only a long sleeve chiton secured with seven relief buttons and is decorated with painted rosettes. With her left hand pulls aside her chiton’s central fold, decorated with light-coloured meanders on a dark blue background, today lost. The same blue colour was used in bands around the neckline and the diagonal folds near the chiton’s hem. In her right hand, sculpted from a separate piece of marble, the Kore would have held her offering to the goddess Athena.
On her head she wears a stephane with painted palmettes spirals and lotus flowers, while added metal ornaments, perhaps lotus buds, would have been secured in the holes drilled on the upper surface of the stephane. Her ears are adorned with circular earrings decorated with rosettes and her left wrist covers a bracelet in the form of a snake rendered in relief. Traces of red colour can be seen on her lips and irises while black paint was used to accentuate the contour of her eyes.
full text and explanatory links at
https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/statue-kore-5
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charlesreeza · 1 year
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The head and body of this sixth century BCE statue of a youth were recently reunited after being exhibited in separate museums about forty miles apart for more than a century. Both parts came from the ancient city of Leontinoi in Sicily. The head was found in the 18th century and the body was discovered in 1904. The relationship between the two was first suggested in 1925, but it wasn’t until 2018 that more advanced scientific analysis confirmed that they were carved from the same block of marble from the Greek island of Paros.
Museo Civico al Castello Ursino - Catania, Sicily
Photos by Charles Reeza
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duino-elegies · 2 years
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Kore 674 (also known as "La Delicata", the 'delicate one'), ca 500 BC, Paros marble statue. Of all the Archaic korai from the Acropolis, this is considered one of the most technically and aesthetically advanced.
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yorkrptchilders · 2 years
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Sailing The Bvi? You Shouldn't Be A Dingy With Out Your Dinghy
We had lunch on a Sorrento restaurant right each morning center of town. The winding hilly road down from Sorrento provided great vistas in the Bay of Naples as we made our way to Pompeii. We toured the excavated site with its streets and houses and the stepping stones in the way to surmount the rain water. Inside of distance was Mount Vesuvius which on those fateful days had vomited fire and lava. The types of the corpses dying in agony of one's heat and gases still inhabit their glass cases, but it's not the kind of the dying dog which gets probably the most gasps and sympathy from your crowds.
If are generally looking for excellent night life, you can view the astounding ports and nearby resorts when you here. The evening clubs and bars don't play loud music disturbing you. You can enjoy the food and drink in a peaceful ambiance in ?????? ??? ? ?????? the evening clubs. More importance is given for nature and if at all possible be lost in natural beauty for the village and also the clean ocean.
Find a yacht brokerage firm. Finding аренда моторной яхты без шкипера в греции is significant as they probably identify the kind of yacht that you want to pay for. Your broker will help with all of the purchase details and after you receive your offer to purchase you are going to give a 10% cover. Your yacht broker will also bring about passing funds to the seller and ensuring that the sale is accomplished as quickly as most likely. They will also compete the transfer of titles and registrations.
Guarantee or credentials. Check if the school of option is duly registered and licensed with your local government maritime bodies. Track record involving boating accidents and achievements are required. You can also ask around from sailing aficionados and experts.
Some great places to view on the mainland the particular region of Peloponessos as well as known with the true A holiday in greece. It is known for its great beaches, seas, mountains, and rich archeological sights. The keyboard interesting towns such as Githeon and also the Byzantine city of Mystras overlooking Sparta. Other attractions are the Diros Caves and the volcano at Saritorini. The Mount Pelion Peninsula is thought as the Colorado Rockies of the Aegean.
In order to make it to the happening Party Cove establishment, (where genuine effort . plenty of drinking and fun) could have to rent a boat on the boat rentals company. Remember, boating isn't driving. Get a designated driver to operate your reef fishing boat. Come to consider it, you shouldn't be driving under the influence either! Can easily rent a boat waverunner vessel to travel the square. The Lake from the Ozarks State Park can be a fun spot, as well as the largest park in the whole of the state of Missouri.
If you like breathtaking scenery and untouched beauty, Folegandros is the city for your entire family. Artists use this island as a thinktank for creativity, you'll find it includes capture landscapes on fabric! Although small, the island can get crowded during tourist season, so it would be a good idea to go during the off periods. The tourist area, or Chora, sits high from the mountains and contains taverns. The main harbour of Karavostasis offers hotels, beaches and restaurants. The ferry stops at this port. The numbers of ferry rides available to Milos, Santorini, Ios, Sifnos and Sikinos, but only a click couple of that time per about a week.
With maybe the best beaches in Greece, Naxos can be a large island that's located near Paros, Ios and Santorini, and also can easily take a ferry towards the popular island destinations. Naxos has an abundance of restaurants, cafes, shops and golf. You can rent a car to tour the island or take an enjoyable walk over the valleys of Tragaia. The village of Apollon attracts many seafood lovers, is definitely ancient marble quarries the unfinished statue of Apollo.
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crosseyedcricketart · 6 months
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Ancient Aegean - Art History Notes
Original post link / Original post date: October 2 2023
Timeline:  3000-2000 BCE – [Aegean] – Early Cycladic Art  2000-1700 BCE – [Aegean] – Old Palace Period (Crete)  1700-1400 BCE – [Aegean] – New Palace Period (Crete)  1400-1200 BCE – [Aegean] – Mycenaean occupation of Crete 900-600 BCE – [Greece] – Geometric & Orientalizing  600-480 BCE – [Greece] – Archaic  480-400 BCE – [Greece] – Early & High Classical  400-323 BCE – [Greece] – Late Classical  323-30 BCE – [Greece] – Hellenistic 
Vocabulary:  Cycladic – of the islands of the Aegean Sea, including Syros, Paros, Delos, Naxos, Keros, Melos, and Thera. This excludes Crete.  Minoan – art of the island of Crete.  Helladic – of the mainland of Greek. 
Early Cycladic Art – 2600-2300 BCE
Cycladic Art is titled as such for the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, which includes Syros, Paros, Delos, Naxos, Keros, Melos, and Thera, among other islands. They are named the Cyclades as the other islands seem to circle around Delos. This excludes Crete. Marble was found in the Aegean islands, which gave way to the beginnings of marble statues in Ancient Greece. The Cycladic art that we still have now consists of marble statuettes, which have a distinctive abstract style to them. Two of these art pieces are the Syros Woman and Keros Musician, both of which follow a similar style of great abstraction of the human form. 
Minoan Art – Crete – 1700-1500 BCE
In this period, Cretan art is referred to as Minoan Art. There are two periods of Minoan art: Old Palace and New Palace. The “Palace” in question were large structures, of multiple rooms, on the island of Crete. These were most likely centers for religion, administration, and commercial works as opposed to residents for royalty- though, we are not sure. In cases like this, we have more evidence for one idea than another, so the one with more evidence is used more. The Old Palace period ended abruptly at 1700 BCE, most likely from an earthquake, which lead into the New Palace period as reconstruction immediately began. The largest palace complexes were at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Kato Zakro, and Khania. These were where Minoan life took place. The largest of these palaces was at Knossos, where it was named to be the home of King Minos, labeling this palace as the home of the labyrinth of the Minotaur. It should be noted that this was given to the palace as a story as opposed to this myth happening. The English word labyrinth, however, comes from this type of floor plan used in this palace, with the intricate planning and scores of rooms. This layout, a “double ax” labrys, is reoccurring in Minoan architecture and art, representing a sacrificial slaughter. Many Greek myths were taken down generations orally and many of these stories pointed to the glory days of the times evermore ancient to the ancient Greeks; this myth is probably connected to the Minoans and their palaces while remaining a myth.  These palaces were constructed very well, made of sturdy stones embedded in clay, while sporting multiple stories. As true with most Mediterranean areas surrounded by water, Crete is mountainous and rocky, so these palaces accommodated building on top of this with multiple stories that made up for the depth of the slope. Meaning, there were parts of these palaces that were four-to-five stories tall. These palaces hosted drain systems for rain water, ventilation areas to fresh air, columns to hold the weight of the structure, and light wells to bring in natural light. Their columns were notably different than Greek or Egyptian columns of the time as they tapered from top to bottom, wide to narrower. The top was wide while the base was narrower. 
Frescos were used to decorate these palaces, featuring nature paintings and aspects of Minoan life. These were achieved differently than Egyptian frescos, which was fresco secco, as the Minoan frescos were the first true buon fresco. To achieve this, they covered the rougher walls in white, fine lime plaster and painted onto the plaster as it was still wet. This means that the painting became a part of the wall, but the painters had a shorter amount of time to achieve the paintings. These paintings do not follow a strict canon, as the Egyptians did, but instead featured a very lively depiction of Minoan life with a freshness in the artworks. 
Cycladic Art – 1600 BCE
Other frescos have been discovered, notably on the island of Thera, in Akrotiri, in the Cyclades. These were preserved by a volcanic eruption, with the area being buried in volcanic ash and pumice, similarly to how Pompeii was preserved. These frescos, as opposed to a palace/complex, decorated the walls of shrines and houses, making their number greater. These give us a better insight to how they once could have looked and their full compositions. 
Minoan Art – 1800-1500 BCE
Minoan art also featured pottery which depicted nature, particularly the sea and its creatures. These pottery pieces were the first breaths of the style that the Greeks would adopt, morphing into red-figure and black-figure pottery. The Minoans did not have life-size statues or depictions of people or pieces of mythos, having a few smaller pieces remaining. We do not know of any mythos before the Ancient Greeks. A notable art piece is the Harvesters Vase, featuring relief sculptures, while being one of the first evidences of this area of the Mediterranean having an interest in the human body and further anatomy. It’s not well known when the full decline happened of the Minoan society, but we do know that the palaces were destroyed around 1200 BCE, with the Mycenaeans occupying the area before then. The cultural significance of these palaces faded around 1400 BCE. 
Mycenaeans – 1600-1200 BCE
The Mycenaeans came to the Greek mainland at about 2000 BCE, being known as warriors who might have brought their wealth from the spoils of their victories. After Cretan palaces were destroyed, the Mycenaeans were left being the surviving Greek civilization. Mycenaean is the label placed on these people, but their fortifications were found at Mycenae, Tiryns, Orchomenos, Pylos, and other areas of Greece. These people became the silent subject of Greek mythos, as their fortifications were explained by later Greeks as being made by giants. The elite in this society were buried in bee-hive shaped tombs. The burial chamber, known as a tholos, consisted of a serious of stone, corbeled courses, laid on a circular base to form a dome. They created masks and daggers for their burials. They also produced one of the only life-size sculptures of this time on the Greek mainland. They had a distinctive illustration style on their pottery, separated from the Minoans. 
———
This was a way to force me to write down notes about the greater ancient Greek world. So hopefully this was a nice little overview of the world before the Greeks. 
I hope you enjoyed this little overview; make sure to make time for yourself today and drink some water- 
Happy travels – Annie, the crosseyed cricket.
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mirelanast · 1 year
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Marble statue of Ephebus
Staircase {down) on the Wall.—Large bas-relief of a Thracian horseman from Salonica, 3rd cent. B.c.
BOOM HO. 20.—Marble statues and friezes of Boman period from Aphrodisias.
BOOM NO. 21.—On entering: A marble statue of Ephebus standing, from Tralles. This is one of the finest marble statues of the Museum, and it belongs to the Hellenistic art, i.e., about the 3rd cent. B.c. On the right: Archaic statues. On the left: Statues of the Hellenistic period. Head of Alexander the Great from Cos. Head of Alexander the Great (part of the nose broken) from Pergamos. Bust of Apollo from Tralles, 3rd cent. B.c. This statue was not cut out of a single block, but consisted originally of six pieces held together by clamps.
BOOM NO. 22.—On the right: Statues of the Greco-Roman period. On the left of the Roman period: Statue of Hadrian from Crete, and representing the Emperor standing and trampling on the figure of a child representing Cyrenaica Yicta. Statue of Nero from Tralles.
ROOM NO. 23,OR BYZANTINE HALL.—(On the floor) large mosaic from Syria discovered by Prof. H. Butler of Princeton University. Also several other marble objects of the early Christian period.
ROOM NO. 24.—Marble statues of Roman period.
ROOM NO. 25.—Assyrian statues.
Archaic statue of Hercules
ROOM NO. 26, OR HERCULES ROOM.—Archaic statue of Hercules from Cyprus represented as killing a Ron. Also Assyrian statues.
ROOM NO. 27.—Various funereal steles, mostly from tombs in Asia Minor.
ROOM NO. 1
The sarcophagus called the Satrap’s, No. 18, was unearthed at Saida in 1887 by Hamdi Bey and his party. It is of Paros marble, and was originally painted; traces of blue are still visible on one of its faces, the rest of the colouring having been effaced, and the carvings themselves much worn, by the action of the water which filled the chamber of the catacomb in which it was discovered. One of the comers of the trough and lid was unfortunately broken off during the excavating operations, but the fragments have now been pieced together again.
This sarcophagus, in its general aspect, represents a Greek temple. The trough is in the form of a truncated pyramid, and is anthropoid inside; the bottom is adorned with a row of rais de cceur, and the top with a row of pearls and ovulae; on the sides are four sculptured panels in a framing of carved palm-leaves.
The head or northern panel, represents a funeral banquet. The corpse is depicted laid out on a bier, and is evidently that of some Oriental potentate or satrap, with a long beard and hair bound with a head-band, and clad in long flowing robes. Its left hand grasps a goblet, while its right holds a rhyton, and is extended towards a female figure in a long tunic and with hair confined by a head- band, who stands in front of him in the act of replenishing the rhyton from an oenochoe. Behind the woman is another seated on a chair, and with part of her himcdion drawn over her head, while yet another female figure is depicted towards the satrap’s right.
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socialmgame · 1 year
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Marble statue of Ephebus
Staircase {down) on the Wall.—Large bas-relief of a Thracian horseman from Salonica, 3rd cent. B.c.
BOOM HO. 20.—Marble statues and friezes of Boman period from Aphrodisias.
BOOM NO. 21.—On entering: A marble statue of Ephebus standing, from Tralles. This is one of the finest marble statues of the Museum, and it belongs to the Hellenistic art, i.e., about the 3rd cent. B.c. On the right: Archaic statues. On the left: Statues of the Hellenistic period. Head of Alexander the Great from Cos. Head of Alexander the Great (part of the nose broken) from Pergamos. Bust of Apollo from Tralles, 3rd cent. B.c. This statue was not cut out of a single block, but consisted originally of six pieces held together by clamps.
BOOM NO. 22.—On the right: Statues of the Greco-Roman period. On the left of the Roman period: Statue of Hadrian from Crete, and representing the Emperor standing and trampling on the figure of a child representing Cyrenaica Yicta. Statue of Nero from Tralles.
ROOM NO. 23,OR BYZANTINE HALL.—(On the floor) large mosaic from Syria discovered by Prof. H. Butler of Princeton University. Also several other marble objects of the early Christian period.
ROOM NO. 24.—Marble statues of Roman period.
ROOM NO. 25.—Assyrian statues.
Archaic statue of Hercules
ROOM NO. 26, OR HERCULES ROOM.—Archaic statue of Hercules from Cyprus represented as killing a Ron. Also Assyrian statues.
ROOM NO. 27.—Various funereal steles, mostly from tombs in Asia Minor.
ROOM NO. 1
The sarcophagus called the Satrap’s, No. 18, was unearthed at Saida in 1887 by Hamdi Bey and his party. It is of Paros marble, and was originally painted; traces of blue are still visible on one of its faces, the rest of the colouring having been effaced, and the carvings themselves much worn, by the action of the water which filled the chamber of the catacomb in which it was discovered. One of the comers of the trough and lid was unfortunately broken off during the excavating operations, but the fragments have now been pieced together again.
This sarcophagus, in its general aspect, represents a Greek temple. The trough is in the form of a truncated pyramid, and is anthropoid inside; the bottom is adorned with a row of rais de cceur, and the top with a row of pearls and ovulae; on the sides are four sculptured panels in a framing of carved palm-leaves.
The head or northern panel, represents a funeral banquet. The corpse is depicted laid out on a bier, and is evidently that of some Oriental potentate or satrap, with a long beard and hair bound with a head-band, and clad in long flowing robes. Its left hand grasps a goblet, while its right holds a rhyton, and is extended towards a female figure in a long tunic and with hair confined by a head- band, who stands in front of him in the act of replenishing the rhyton from an oenochoe. Behind the woman is another seated on a chair, and with part of her himcdion drawn over her head, while yet another female figure is depicted towards the satrap’s right.
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vasilkaworld · 1 year
Photo
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Marble statue of Ephebus
Staircase {down) on the Wall.—Large bas-relief of a Thracian horseman from Salonica, 3rd cent. B.c.
BOOM HO. 20.—Marble statues and friezes of Boman period from Aphrodisias.
BOOM NO. 21.—On entering: A marble statue of Ephebus standing, from Tralles. This is one of the finest marble statues of the Museum, and it belongs to the Hellenistic art, i.e., about the 3rd cent. B.c. On the right: Archaic statues. On the left: Statues of the Hellenistic period. Head of Alexander the Great from Cos. Head of Alexander the Great (part of the nose broken) from Pergamos. Bust of Apollo from Tralles, 3rd cent. B.c. This statue was not cut out of a single block, but consisted originally of six pieces held together by clamps.
BOOM NO. 22.—On the right: Statues of the Greco-Roman period. On the left of the Roman period: Statue of Hadrian from Crete, and representing the Emperor standing and trampling on the figure of a child representing Cyrenaica Yicta. Statue of Nero from Tralles.
ROOM NO. 23,OR BYZANTINE HALL.—(On the floor) large mosaic from Syria discovered by Prof. H. Butler of Princeton University. Also several other marble objects of the early Christian period.
ROOM NO. 24.—Marble statues of Roman period.
ROOM NO. 25.—Assyrian statues.
Archaic statue of Hercules
ROOM NO. 26, OR HERCULES ROOM.—Archaic statue of Hercules from Cyprus represented as killing a Ron. Also Assyrian statues.
ROOM NO. 27.—Various funereal steles, mostly from tombs in Asia Minor.
ROOM NO. 1
The sarcophagus called the Satrap’s, No. 18, was unearthed at Saida in 1887 by Hamdi Bey and his party. It is of Paros marble, and was originally painted; traces of blue are still visible on one of its faces, the rest of the colouring having been effaced, and the carvings themselves much worn, by the action of the water which filled the chamber of the catacomb in which it was discovered. One of the comers of the trough and lid was unfortunately broken off during the excavating operations, but the fragments have now been pieced together again.
This sarcophagus, in its general aspect, represents a Greek temple. The trough is in the form of a truncated pyramid, and is anthropoid inside; the bottom is adorned with a row of rais de cceur, and the top with a row of pearls and ovulae; on the sides are four sculptured panels in a framing of carved palm-leaves.
The head or northern panel, represents a funeral banquet. The corpse is depicted laid out on a bier, and is evidently that of some Oriental potentate or satrap, with a long beard and hair bound with a head-band, and clad in long flowing robes. Its left hand grasps a goblet, while its right holds a rhyton, and is extended towards a female figure in a long tunic and with hair confined by a head- band, who stands in front of him in the act of replenishing the rhyton from an oenochoe. Behind the woman is another seated on a chair, and with part of her himcdion drawn over her head, while yet another female figure is depicted towards the satrap’s right.
0 notes
nightsofia · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media
Marble statue of Ephebus
Staircase {down) on the Wall.—Large bas-relief of a Thracian horseman from Salonica, 3rd cent. B.c.
BOOM HO. 20.—Marble statues and friezes of Boman period from Aphrodisias.
BOOM NO. 21.—On entering: A marble statue of Ephebus standing, from Tralles. This is one of the finest marble statues of the Museum, and it belongs to the Hellenistic art, i.e., about the 3rd cent. B.c. On the right: Archaic statues. On the left: Statues of the Hellenistic period. Head of Alexander the Great from Cos. Head of Alexander the Great (part of the nose broken) from Pergamos. Bust of Apollo from Tralles, 3rd cent. B.c. This statue was not cut out of a single block, but consisted originally of six pieces held together by clamps.
BOOM NO. 22.—On the right: Statues of the Greco-Roman period. On the left of the Roman period: Statue of Hadrian from Crete, and representing the Emperor standing and trampling on the figure of a child representing Cyrenaica Yicta. Statue of Nero from Tralles.
ROOM NO. 23,OR BYZANTINE HALL.—(On the floor) large mosaic from Syria discovered by Prof. H. Butler of Princeton University. Also several other marble objects of the early Christian period.
ROOM NO. 24.—Marble statues of Roman period.
ROOM NO. 25.—Assyrian statues.
Archaic statue of Hercules
ROOM NO. 26, OR HERCULES ROOM.—Archaic statue of Hercules from Cyprus represented as killing a Ron. Also Assyrian statues.
ROOM NO. 27.—Various funereal steles, mostly from tombs in Asia Minor.
ROOM NO. 1
The sarcophagus called the Satrap’s, No. 18, was unearthed at Saida in 1887 by Hamdi Bey and his party. It is of Paros marble, and was originally painted; traces of blue are still visible on one of its faces, the rest of the colouring having been effaced, and the carvings themselves much worn, by the action of the water which filled the chamber of the catacomb in which it was discovered. One of the comers of the trough and lid was unfortunately broken off during the excavating operations, but the fragments have now been pieced together again.
This sarcophagus, in its general aspect, represents a Greek temple. The trough is in the form of a truncated pyramid, and is anthropoid inside; the bottom is adorned with a row of rais de cceur, and the top with a row of pearls and ovulae; on the sides are four sculptured panels in a framing of carved palm-leaves.
The head or northern panel, represents a funeral banquet. The corpse is depicted laid out on a bier, and is evidently that of some Oriental potentate or satrap, with a long beard and hair bound with a head-band, and clad in long flowing robes. Its left hand grasps a goblet, while its right holds a rhyton, and is extended towards a female figure in a long tunic and with hair confined by a head- band, who stands in front of him in the act of replenishing the rhyton from an oenochoe. Behind the woman is another seated on a chair, and with part of her himcdion drawn over her head, while yet another female figure is depicted towards the satrap’s right.
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elladastinkardiamou · 4 years
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WHEN A SHEPHERD—THE only resident on the three-square-mile island of Despotikó—spotted a Byzantine coin lying in his goat pen in 2010, it was like finding an “X” on a treasure map, but the coin was only the beginning of the riches waiting to be unearthed.
Considered to be the birthplace of twin gods Apollo and Artemis, ancient Greece’s majestic port of Delos stands protected by the Cyclades, or circular islands. As the halfway point in the Aegean Sea between trading centers in Athens and Crete, this “sacred” Greek island of Delos became a frequent stop for sailors and pilgrims seeking to pay their respects at Apollo’s temple. [See the insider's guide to the best things to do in Greece.]
Just south of Delos is the island of Paros. Its semi-translucent, snow-white marble earned its distinction as “the most prosperous and greatest of the Cyclades” by Greek historian Epiphoros.
Archaeologists estimate that 80 percent of Greek antiquities—including the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo—were sculpted from marble slabs sourced on Paros. A prized resource, the marble was mined both for Delos’ famous statues and as a trading product.
On the neighboring, nearly uninhabited island of Despotikó, archaeologists have recently uncovered another one of ancient Greece’s most sublime sanctuaries. Upon sailors’ safe return from the sea, citizens of Paros would build small chapels out of the island’s marble and offer gifts of honey, wine and small calves to the gods. “These sanctuaries were important for sailors and captains, since their temples served as lighthouses along the commerce route,” explained Paros-based guide Christina Fokianou. “Despotikó was probably the second-most important sanctuary in the Cyclades after Delos in terms of power and strength,” she said.
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imperium-romanum · 5 years
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WHEN A SHEPHERD—THE only resident on the three-square-mile island of Despotikó—spotted a Byzantine coin lying in his goat pen in 2010, it was like finding an “X” on a treasure map, but the coin was only the beginning of the riches waiting to be unearthed.
Considered to be the birthplace of twin gods Apollo and Artemis, ancient Greece’s majestic port of Delos stands protected by the Cyclades, or circular islands. As the halfway point in the Aegean Sea between trading centers in Athens and Crete, this “sacred” Greek island of Delos became a frequent stop for sailors and pilgrims seeking to pay their respects at Apollo’s temple. [See the insider's guide to the best things to do in Greece.]
Just south of Delos is the island of Paros. Its semi-translucent, snow-white marble earned its distinction as “the most prosperous and greatest of the Cyclades” by Greek historian Epiphoros.
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legend-collection · 2 years
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Gorgon
Gorgons were a popular image in Greek mythology, appearing in the earliest of written records of Ancient Greek religious beliefs such as those of Homer, which may date to as early as 1194–1184 BC. Because of their legendary and powerful gaze that could turn one to stone, images of the Gorgons were put upon objects and buildings for protection. An image of a Gorgon holds the primary location at the pediment of the temple at Corfu, which is the oldest stone pediment in Greece, and is dated to c. 600 BC.
A marble statue 1.35 m (53 inches) high of a Gorgon, dating from the 6th century BC, was found almost intact in 1993, in an ancient public building in Parikia, Paros capital, Greece (Archaeological Museum of Paros no. 1285, see pictures below). It is thought originally to have belonged to a temple.
The concept of the Gorgon is at least as old in classical Greek mythology as Perseus and Zeus. Gorgoneia (figures depicting a Gorgon head, see below) first appear in Greek art at the turn of the 8th century BC. One of the earliest representations is on an electrum stater discovered during excavations at Parium. Other early eighth-century examples were found at Tiryns. Going even further back into history, there is a similar image from the palace of Knossos, datable to the 15th century BC. Marija Gimbutas even argues that "the Gorgon extends back to at least 6000 BC, as a ceramic mask from the Sesklo culture ...". She also identifies the prototype of the Gorgoneion in Neolithic art motifs, especially in anthropomorphic vases and terracotta masks inlaid with gold.
Pausanias (5.10.4, 8.47.5, many other places), a geographer of the 2nd century AD, supplies details of where and how Gorgons were represented in Ancient Greek art and architecture.
The large Gorgon eyes, as well as Athena's "flashing" eyes, are symbols termed "the divine eyes" by Gimbutas (who did not originate the perception); they appear also in Athena's sacred bird, the little owl. They may be represented by spirals, wheels, concentric circles, swastikas, firewheels, and other images. The awkward stance of the gorgon, with arms and legs at angles is closely associated with these symbols as well.
Some Gorgons are shown with broad, round heads, serpentine locks of hair, large staring eyes, wide mouths, tongues lolling, the tusks of swine, large projecting teeth, flared nostrils, and sometimes short, coarse beards. (In some cruder representations, stylized hair or blood flowing under the severed head of the Gorgon suggests a beard or wings.)
Some reptilian attributes such as a belt made of snakes and snakes emanating from the head or entwined in the hair, as in the temple of Artemis in Corfu, are symbols likely derived from the guardians closely associated with early Greek religious concepts at the centers such as Delphi where the dragon Delphyne lived and the priestess Pythia delivered oracles. The skin of the dragon was said to be made of impenetrable scales.
In Ancient Greece a Gorgoneion (a stone head, engraving, or drawing of a Gorgon face, often with snakes protruding wildly and the tongue sticking out between her fangs) frequently was used as an apotropaic symbol and placed on doors, walls, floors, coins, shields, breastplates, and tombstones in the hopes of warding off evil. In this regard Gorgoneia are similar to the sometimes grotesque faces on Chinese soldiers’ shields, also used generally as an amulet, a protection against the evil eye. Likewise, in Hindu mythology, Kali is often shown with a protruding tongue and snakes around her head.
In some Greek myths, blood taken from the right side of a Gorgon could bring the dead back to life, yet blood taken from the left side was an instantly fatal poison. Athena gave a vial of the healing blood to Asclepius, which ultimately brought about his demise.
Heracles is said to have obtained a lock of Medusa’s hair (which possessed the same powers as the head) from Athena and to have given it to Sterope, the daughter of Cepheus, as a protection for the town of Tegea against attack. According to the later idea of Medusa as a beautiful maiden, whose hair had been changed into snakes by Athena, the head was represented in works of art with a wonderfully handsome face, wrapped in the calm repose of death.
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Pic by chasestone on DeviantArt
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The Phrasikleia Kore
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The Phrasikleia Kore, Archaic Greek funerary statue (ca 540 BCE) by Aristion of Paros, excavated in 1972 in the ancient city of Myrrhinous in Attica and currently at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
This is one of the finest examples of an Archaic kore (maiden). It is in very good condition and with much of the original painted decoration preserved. It is the funerary statue of maiden, whose name, Phrasikleia, is inscribed on the pedestal along with that of the sculptor, Aristion from Paros. She stands frontally, her slim and youthful body clad in a long chiton, decorated with incised and painted motifs. She draws up the side of the chiton with her right hand, while she holds a lotus bud near her chest with her left. A blossoming wreath adorns her intricate hairdo and precious jewelry decorates her head and arms. This statue was buried together with a kouros (naked youth) statue in antiquity.                                                                                                                           Exhibit Features                                                                                                 
Date:   Archaic period, 540 B.C.  Place of discovery:  Attica, Attica, Merenda (ancient Myrrinous), Mesogeia                                                               Dimensions:   length: 0,58 m (base), width: 0,57 m (base), height: 2,115 m, base height: 0,26 m                                                                                    
Material:   parian marble                                                                                   Inventory number:            4889                                                                  Exhibition hole:            Exhibition hall 11                                                                                                                       
Source:http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/4/eh430.jsp?obj_id=5441 
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dionysosandbacchus · 4 years
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Dionysos
Greek; Classical or Hellenistic Period, ca. 340 BC
Marble probably from the Greek island of Paros
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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Broken from a statue slightly more than life-size, the head is inclined toward the right shoulder. A broad fillet binds the hair, which is parted in the middle, escapes from under the fillet at the temples, and is drawn to the sides in thick masses of wavy locks. On the top of the head the hair is less carefully worked, and at the back, where it is gathered into a large knot at the nape of the neck, the surface is only blocked out. A separate curl hangs down behind each ear, perhaps once as far as the shoulders.
The head has been broken at the base of the neck. There is also a large break in the top of the head, and the ends of the locks behind the ears are missing. The surface has been injured slightly, on the forehead, the lower lip, the right side of the mouth, and the chin. The surfaces have a light yellow to gray patina.
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author-morgan · 4 years
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Kryptic ↟ Deimos
twenty-seven - a mother’s hope
masterlist
But the great leveler, Death: not even the gods can defend a man, not even one they love, that day when fate takes hold and lays him out at last.
Death submits to no one, not even Dread and Destruction.
They are both weapons of flesh and bone, of warm blood and beating hearts, and they cannot be controlled.
EACH OF THE sentries posted outside the leader’s home cast wary glances to one another after Lesya enters. Ikaros perches on the corner of the roof above the doorway, staring at her with dark, mistrustful eyes. Even with all she has helped Kassandra achieve, the eagle still does not trust her. It remains a mutual feeling as ofttimes Lesya feels she is being watched, and the passing shadow always takes the shape of an eagle. With a loud piping call, Ikaros hops from the roof, spreading his wings into the night.
Lips pursed, Lesya passes through the villa’s entrance, stopping beneath a stoa connecting the andron and kitchen —the Eagle Bearer nor her mother are in the atrium. Ikaros flies above the villa, circling and squawking. The commotion brings Kassandra down a flight of stairs, both her sword and spear drawn. “Lesya!” she cries —sheathing her kopis but not the Leonidas spear— shocked to find the former champion standing before after she left her in Athens. Kass’ initial relief fades, replaced by suspicion surrounding her sudden and opportune arrival. “What happened to you?” She asks, dark eyes narrowing. “How did you get here?”
“Tundareos,” Lesya answers, pushing aside the former question —it will take more time to explain what happened after Deimos left Perikles’ corpse at the feet of Athena. 
“Lamb?” A warm voice calls —reminding Lesya of her mother. The voice belongs to a woman with silver-brown hair and a kindly face that is neither young nor old —her resemblance to Kassandra and even her wayward son is unmistakable. Myrrine. Her gaze falls on the woman standing next to her daughter, a head shorter but just as strong with striking copper hair. “You must be Lesya,” she notes, smiling despite knowing who she is and the atrocities she has committed. Lesya nods, dipping her head down in greeting. 
Myrrine looks between Kassandra and Lesya. Her soft smile does not diminish. “Will you walk with me?” She asks, meeting the unsettling laurel gaze of the former champion —one of the few people in Hellas who could say they knew her son. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lesya nods, stepping forward, but the Eagle Bearer watches her leave apprehensively and gives Ikaros a knowing look. Shadows are harder to see at night. 
The trodden path Myrrine leads Lesya down is the same one she’d taken to the villa, but instead of turning toward the docks —they move toward where a great statue of a lion is under construction from flawless white marble. A tribute to Leonidas and defiance against the Delian League, who claim control over the island. She stops beneath the half-shaped mane and sits on a massive paw, clasping her hands together in her lap. 
“Kassandra tells me you know my son,” she starts —love and guilt lacing the statement. In the moonrise, Lesya watches solemnness overtake Myrrine when she nods, knowing there is much that should have been different. The artifact in the Cult’s Sanctuary revealed what happened during a stormy night on the slopes of Taygetos. “She also tells me he’s beyond saving,” Myrrine adds, profound sadness slipping into her voice. 
“That’s not true,” Lesya snaps, anger churning in her stomach. If Deimos were beyond saving, he would not have risked everything to protect her from the kiss of the Cult’s blades when they came. He would not have tended her wounds or sought her out in Korinthia. She will not believe it, for if Deimos is beyond saving, then all her efforts to stop the Cult are in vain —but they are not. 
The unspoken promises on his lips still sting her cheek —one day. Lesya is certain of all the people in Hellas she is the only one who knows what kind of man Deimos is and the man he can be. “Yes,” she starts, softer than before and with tears stinging her laurel eyes at the flood of memories, “he’s done terrible things, but I’ve done terrible things, too.” No one would say otherwise. The blood Deimos and Enyo spilled could turn the Aegean red —they both deserve to rot in Tartarus for their crimes. 
“You love him,” Myrrine notes —having seen the fire rise in Lesya’s eyes. She knew the look of a woman in love too well. 
“I do,” Lesya replies, lips kinking into a smile. “Forgive me,” she begins, gaze downcast, “but Kassandra does not know him.” Three chance meetings could not replace two decades of nigh always being with one another —seldom parted for more than a moon. Myrrine follows Lesya as she begins to pace, unsure what else to tell a mother of her son. 
“Deimos gave me freedom at a great cost to himself,” she admits. The newest scars on his sides were proof enough. “I can’t give up on him.” Lesya turns to Myrrine, hands clenching into fists at her sides and expression turning to a cold grimace. “I will not stop until every Cultist and Cult puppet knows a fraction of the pain we have endured at their hands.” They would all fall eventually, either to her blade or Kassandra’s.
THE SILVER LIGHT of a full moon reflects off the dark waters. Across the narrow channel lies Paros, the golden glow of braziers pocking the harbor and dwindling polis. Lesya stares at the island with contempt —recalling the last time she had stepped foot on the white sands and the reason behind the visit. Silanos’ reign was founded on a path of blood and bone paved by the Cult’s champions. 
“We strike Paros tomorrow,” Kassandra announces, leaning against the balcony. Myrrine and Timo reasoned the sooner they could rid themselves of Silanos, the better. The Athenian polemarch was a nuisance —threatening the security and livelihood of the denizens of Naxos. “What do you know about their leader?” The Eagle Bearer asks, after hearing her mother’s suspicions about his ties to the Cult of Kosmos. 
Lesya shrugs, not taking her gaze away from the neighboring island. “He’s a coward mostly,” she tells Kassandra. Silanos was not a man of repute even amongst the Cultists, relying on deception to climb through the ranks of Kosmos and the Peloponnesian League. “Deimos and I disposed of the previous Parian leader and cemented the way for his rise to power,” Lesya explains. 
From the corner of her laurel eyes, she watches the Eagle Bearer’s face pinch —she often wore such an expression when hearing of Lesya’s exploits for the Cult. “They did not say why we had to do it, but now I know.” Installing Silanos as the Parian leader meant they could keep a chary watch on Myrrine of Sparta.
GUARDIANS WATCH THE docks of Piraeus when a lone merchant vessel arrives in the night, and the Cult’s Champion disembarks, striding forth in only a dark chiton and the Damoklean sword at his waist. Kleon sent a small army through the plague ravished city in search of Deimos in the days following Perikles’ death after discovering his bloody armor at Hermippos’ villa. The coward playwright claimed to know nothing when questioned. Three of the Cult guardians step into Deimos’ path, pointing toward the Acropolis in the distance, shrouded by low-hanging clouds and the night. 
He pauses on the steps below the propylaea. The blood painting the white marble was scrubbed away, yet he still could see Lesya’s blood on his hands. Flexing his scarred hand, Deimos continues through the gateway and toward the Arrephorion, where Kleon now resides after desecrating the House of Athena’s maids. Kleon looks up from the piece of papyrus before him when Deimos enters, setting down a reed pen next to a small pot of wet soot. “Where did you go, boy?” He asks, dry lips curling.
Deimos tilts his head to the side, counting and sizing up the Athenian psiloi posted around Kleon’s quarters on the Acropolis. The small force numbers ten, not counting the ones posted at the temple and treasury. He would not even need the sword on his hip to dispatch them. “Does it matter?” Deimos bites back in the same patronizing tone. 
Kleon grits his teeth at the champion’s defiance and rises from his desk. Hermippos may not have confessed the truth, but with enough persuasion, his servants had. Deimos fled the city aboard a pirate trireme with her. The old hag, Chrysis, had been right to call for Enyo’s execution —if she lived the Cult would never be able to control Deimos again. “You don’t see it,” the new Athenian leader begins, hands clasped behind his back, “but she makes you weak.” Weakness could not be allowed to grow within the ranks of Kosmos. “A demigod groveling for the approval of a woman,” Kleon sneers. 
Deimos cannot help but laugh, his dark gaze a silent threat. In Enyo’s absence, many seemed to have forgotten what she had done for the Cult and what she was still capable of doing. Midas’ mangled corpse in Argolis should have served as a bitter reminder of the weapon they helped create. “You once trembled in fear and called her a demigoddess,” he reminds Kleon before turning and taking his leave of the Athenian general’s presence. 
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