Ancient and Old

The Athenian Acropolis

2011-06-12T21:22:00.000+02:00

"There is but one entry to the Acropolis. It affords no other, being precipitous throughout and having a strong wall. The gateway has a roof of white marble, and down to the present day it is unrivalled for the beauty and size of its stones."

- Pausanias, A Description of Greece I.22.4
Trans. W.H.S. Jones 1918

Tower of Diateichisma

2011-05-04T16:42:00.002+02:00

The Tower of Diateichisma in Troezen, dated to the 3rd century BC.

This is one of the best preserved towers I know from the Greek period. You can find some others in Messene and the Athenian fortresses Eleutheria and Aigosthena. The upper part in brick is later than the original building.

Rhamnous

2011-03-11T22:58:00.003+01:00

Well, I went for a short trip to Rhamnous, a site in to the North-East of Athens.

The Acropolis of Rhamnous from the Temple of Nemesis. Too bad that the site is closed.

The Temple of Nemesis and a smaller sanctuary (joint between Nemesis and Themis).

A Necropolis on the way from the sanctuary of Nemesis to the city. Too bad it was closed off.

A statue (at the Marathon museum) from the Egyptian Sanctuary and Balneum at Brexiza. There was unfortunately nothing indicating it's date or which god/person it might depict.

Sounion, Menelaus and the Fall of Troy

2011-03-08T18:57:00.006+01:00

"When we [Nestor, Menelaus and their men] got to Sunium [Gre. Sunion], which is the point of Athens, Apollo with his painless shafts killed Phrontis the steersman of Menelaus' ship (and never man knew better how to handle a vessel in rough weather) so that he died then and there with the helm in his hand, and Menelaus, though very anxious to press forward, had to wait in order to bury his comrade and give him his due funeral rites."

Homer - Od. IX
Translated by S. Butler

The east bay of Sunion. This is probably where they ancient Greeks imagined that Menelaus landed. A shot of the so famous temple can be found here.

Cape Sounion, the southernmost point of Attica. This site has somehow always reminded me of a poem a read a long time ago, Achilles in the Trench by Patrick Shaw-Stewart. In it he very much captures the feeling of standing there, at the edge of the sea, on a short leave from hell, soon to return to battle. A battle in which he was to be killed. Did he know? It is perhaps this feeling of an impending doom, shared by Achilles and Shaw-Stewart alike, that makes me recall these lines as I imagine the many times near and dear must have stood here, searching the sea and awaiting the ships their beloved, hoping for their safe return – far too often to be disappointed.

I saw a man this morning
Who did not wish to die;
I ask, and cannot answer,
if otherwise wish I.

Fair broke the day this morning
Upon the Dardanelles:
The breeze blew soft, the morn's cheeks
Were cold as cold sea-shells.

But other shells are waitind
Across the Aegean Sea;
Shrapnel and high explosives,
Shells and hells for me.

Oh Hell of ships and cities,
Hell of men like me,
Fatal second Helen,
Why must I follow thee?

Achilles came to Troyland
And I to Chersonese;
He turned from wrath to battle,
And I from three days' peace.

Was it so hard, Achilles,
So very hard to die?
Thou knowest, and I know not;
So much the happier am I.

I will go back this morning
From Imbros o'er the sea.
Stand in the trench, Achilles,
Flame-capped, and shout for me.

The Acropolis Museum

2011-03-05T09:53:00.001+01:00

You would perhaps expect the Parthenon, towering over the city from the top of its cliff, to be the first thing you notice when you get up from the Athenian metro station called Ακρόπολι, Acropolis. But it probably isn’t. I am willing to bet almost anything that your eyes will fall on the (New) Acropolis Museum...

Read the full article by me here.

Artemis of the Laphira type

2011-02-22T19:46:00.005+01:00

Here's a statue that I've been unable to post for almost a year as the original RAW file was terribly overexposed thanks to a horrendous spotlight. Well, now it's here thanks to some photoshop magic.

Anyway, the statue is believed to be a Roman copy of 3rd century original of the Praxitelean school. I am ,however, very caution about the later - far too many ancient works are, in my opinion, attributed to specific artists and sometimes, even worse, to their "schools". The piece is,even so, beautiful and of high quality.

And a detail of the head.

An Ancient Athenian Tetradrachm

2011-02-09T10:35:00.002+01:00

Here's a so called Tetradrachm (thus the equivalent of four drachmae), an Athenian coin from the classical period. I reckon that one Drachma was the normal pay for a worker (depending on what he did and how skilled he was) and it might be of interest to compare it to the passage below.

"Do you think you are accusing Anaxagoras, my dear Meletus, and do you so despise these gentlemen and think they are so unversed in letters as not to know, that the books of Anaxagoras the Clazomenian are full of such utterances? And forsooth the youth learn these doctrines from me, which they can buy sometimes for a drachma in the orchestra and laugh at Socrates, if he pretends they are his own, especially when they are so absurd!"

Plato - The Apology 26d-26e
Translated by H.N. Fowler 1966

Mt. Hymettus

2011-01-26T11:34:00.003+01:00

This is Mt. Hymettus in Attica, known to archaeologists and historians for it's marble quarries and Sanctuary of Zeus. The ridge is abuot 19 km long and 1000 meters high at it's peak. Photo from the Philopappos.

The theatre of Dionysus

2011-01-20T10:38:00.002+01:00

The theatre of Dionysus where so many of the great plays were first shown.

Lysistrata addressing the women, explaining how they will be able to stop the war:

"We must refrain from every depth of love.... [i.e πέους (peous), or penis in Lat. and Eng.]
Why do you turn your backs? Where are you going?
Why do you bite your lips and shake your heads?
Why are your faces blanched? Why do you weep?
Will you or won't you, or what do you mean?"

Aristophanes - Lysistrata
Translated by J. Lindsay

Caesar Crossing the Rubicon

2011-01-10T21:17:00.004+01:00

Today, 2060 years ago (according to the old Roman calendar), Caesar crossed the Rubicon and uttered the so famous phrase alea iacta est – the die is cast. But what did really happen that day and how much do we really know about the event? I am by no means an expert on Caesar and the civil wars, but I will attempt to at least present our primary sources.

First of all, it seems as if the nobility had realised for some time that a civil war was to be. It is interesting to read Cicero's own words on the matter:

"I have often told you [M Caelius Rufus] in my letters that I see no chance of peace lasting a year; and the nearer the struggle comes, which must come, the clearer does that danger appear. The point, on which the men in power are bound to fight, is this - Cn. Pompeius has made up his mind not to allow C. Caesar to become consul, except on condition of his first handing over his army and provinces: while Caesar is fully persuaded that he cannot be safe if he quits his army."

Cicero - Letters CCLXXIX
Translated by E. S. Shuckburgh 1908-1909

The first person to describe the event was Caesar himself. He is, however, clearly aware of the fact hat to cross the river is to break the law and much more attention is given to explaining his motifs and reasons behind the act than to describe the event itself.

“What could all this [the actions of Caesars enemies] aim at but his destruction? That, nevertheless, he was ready to agree to any proposal, and expose himself to any danger, for the sake of his country.”
Caesar - Commentarii de Bello Civili I.9
Translated by W. Duncan 1856

He even mentions how the soldiers were enraged by the behaviour of the senate:

“The soldiers of the thirteenth legion, who were present, and whom he had sent for in the beginning of the troubles, (the rest not being yet arrived,) cried out, that they were determined to maintain the honour of their general, and to revenge the wrongs done to the tribunes.”

Caesar - Commentarii de Bello Civili I.7
Translated by W. Duncan 1856

The crossing itself was, however, all but omitted - it is quite possible that Caesar had no intention of drawing attention to it:

“He [Caesar] [...] sent Antony to Arretium [on the other side of the Rubicon], with five cohorts; remained himself at Rimini, with two, where he resolved to levy troops; and seizing Pisaurum, Fanum, and Ancona, left a cohort in each for a garrison.”

Caesar - Commentarii de Bello Civili I.11
Translated by W. Duncan 1856

Later authors were, on the other hand, very interested in the event and it soon became myth. It is unfortunate that Livy's 105th book is lost and we must turn to a somewhat later source for our next accound; Plutarchos' Parallel Lives.

“He [Caesar] himself spent the day in public, attending and watching the exercises of gladiators; but a little before evening he bathed and dressed and went into the banqueting hall. Here he held brief converse with those who had been invited to supper, and just as it was getting dark and went away, after addressing courteously most of his guests and bidding them await his return. To a few of his friends, however, he had previously given directions to follow him, not all by the same route, but some by one way and some by another. He himself mounted one of his hired carts and drove at first along another road, then turned towards Ariminum. When he came to the river which separates Cisalpine Gaul from the rest of Italy (it is called the Rubicon), and began to reflect, now that he drew nearer to the fearful step and was agitated by the magnitude of his ventures, he checked his speed. Then, halting in his course, he communed with himself a long time in silence as his resolution wavered back and forth, and his purpose then suffered change after change. For a long time, too, he discussed his perplexities with his friends who were present, among whom was Asinius Pollio, estimating the great evils for all mankind which would follow their passage of the river, and the wide fame of it which they would leave to posterity. But finally, with a sort of passion, as if abandoning calculation and casting himself upon the future, and uttering the phrase with which men usually prelude their plunge into desperate and daring fortunes, "Let the die be cast," he hastened to cross the river; and going at full speed now for the rest of the time, before daybreak he dashed into Ariminum and took possession of it.”

Plutarchos - Βίοι Παράλληλο (Parallel lives) Caesar XXXII. 4-8
Translated by B. Perrin

You can clearly see how Plutarchos either had better sources than Caesar himself, wanted to portray it in a different manner or embellished the story.

Suetonius, another very famous Roman author, publish another version of the event around 120 AD, some 50 years later than Plutarchos.

"[...] when word came that the veto of the tribunes had been set aside and they themselves had left the city, he at once sent on a few cohorts with all secrecy, and then, to disarm suspicion, concealed his purpose by appearing at a public show inspecting the plans of a gladiatorial school which he intended building, and joining as usual in a banquet with a large company. It was not until after sunset that he set out very privily with a small company, taking the mules from a bakeshop hard by and harnessing them to a carriage; and when his lights went out and he lost his way, he was astray for some time, but at last found a guide at dawn and got back to the road on foot by narrow by-paths. Then, overtaking his cohorts at the river Rubicon, which was the boundary of his province, he paused for a while, and realising what a step he was taking, he turned to those about him and said: "Even yet we may draw back; but once cross yon little bridge, and the whole issue is with the sword."

As he stood in doubt, this sign was given him. On a sudden there appeared hard by a being of wondrous stature and beauty, who sat and played upon a reed; and when not only the shepherds flocked to hear him, but many of the soldiers left their posts, and among them some of the trumpeters, the apparition snatched a trumpet from one of them, rushed to the river, and sounding the war-note with mighty blast, strode to the opposite bank. Then Caesar cried: "Take we the course which the signs of the gods and the false dealing of our foes point out. The die is cast," said he."

Suetonius - Divus Julius 31-32
Translated by J.C. Rolfe

Appian, however, turns down some of the mythical content in his version, which was written in the middle of the 2nd century AD, another 30 years or so after Suetonius.

"Toward evening Caesar himself rose from a banquet on a plea of indisposition, leaving his friends who were still feasting. He mounted his chariot and drove toward Ariminum, his cavalry following at a short distance. When his course brought him to the river Rubicon, which forms the boundary line of Italy, he stopped and, while gazing at the stream, revolved in his mind the evils that would result, should he cross the river in arms. Recovering himself, he said to those who were present, "My friends, to leave this stream uncrossed will breed manifold distress for me; to cross it, for all mankind." Thereupon, he crossed with a rush like one inspired, uttering the familiar phrase, "The die is cast: so let it be!" Then he resumed his hasty journey and took possession of Ariminum about daybreak"

Appian - Bella Civilia XXXV
Translated by H. White 1912-1913

It is interesting that we find the same pattern in Dio Cassius histories, which were written roughly between 201 and 223 AD. The crossing has now changed again, from a mystical event to one out of many important affairs that had to be recorded.

"When Caesar was informed of this, he came to Ariminum, then for the first time overstepping the confines of his own province, and after assembling his soldiers he ordered Curio and the others who had come with him to relate to them what had been done."

Cassius Dio - Roman History XLI. 4
Translated by E. Cary 1914-1927

The Antikythera Mechanism

2010-12-13T14:19:00.002+01:00

I am sure that most of you have already heard of this device – it was found in the first years of the 20th century among many other impressive finds in the so called Antikythera wreck. This mechanism, generally accepted as some sort of astronomical instrument, is very likely to be the by far most advanced piece of technology that has survived since antiquity. For another find from the Antikythera wreck, see here.

I apologize for the bad quality pictures - they store the device in a terribly dark room.

The mechanism itself, these are the three main fragments.

The other side is somewhat better preserved. The device contain no less than 32 gear wheels.

This is a reconstruction made by Prof. Derek de Solla Price.

The other side of the reconstruction.

Fortunately we also have literary evidence for this kind of mechanisms, as Cicero, among others, tells us about them:

”we have learned to survey the stars, not only those that are fixed, but also those which are improperly called wandering; and the man who has acquainted himself with all their revolutions and motions is fairly considered to have a soul resembling the soul of that Being who has created those stars in the heavens: for when Archimedes described in a sphere the motions of the moon, sun, and five planets, he did the very same thing as Plato’s God, in his Timæus, who made the world, causing one revolution to adjust motions differing as much as possible in their slowness and velocity.”

Cicero - The Tusculan disputations I. 25
Translated by C.D. Yonge

”But if that sphere which was lately made by our friend Posidonius, the regular revolutions of which show the course of the sun, moon, and five wandering stars, as it is every day and night performed, were carried into Scythia or Britain, who, in those barbarous countries, would doubt that that sphere had been made so perfect by the exertion of reason?”

Cicero - The Nature of the Gods II. 34
Translated by C.D. Yonge

Villa Poppaea/Oplontis and a toilet in the Stabian Baths

2010-12-09T13:43:00.003+01:00

It has been argued that it should be possible to identify different painters and workshops in Campania, due to the large amount of remaining frescoes. I am, however, sceptic – it kind of strikes me about as ridiculous as when historians and archaeologists try to attribute red and black figure vessels to specific Athenian masters, or even worse, their pupils and co-workers.

I, however, found a very interesting example where I believe that a connection can be made as I noticed that the public latrine at the Stabian baths are decorated in the same very easily recognizable style as the perisyle and grand corridor at Oplontis/Villa Poppaea. I unfortunately cannot provide any pictures of my own from the Stabian baths as they are currently under reconstruction, but you can see how the latrine looks at Pompeii in Pictures. It should probably be noticed that I can not imagine that nobody else have recognized this already, it is simply too obvious to be overseen.

Anyway, the matter makes me terrible curious. What this possible connection could be made up by can of course be discussed – it could be as simple as an imitation, or the work of a specific workshop. It could also be speculated that this was a standard pattern (although I very much doubt that, considering that I’ve only seen it at two different places) or that the person who owned the villa liked the style and ordered it to be painted at other locations as well. The later explanation would, however, suggest that the owner of the villa at Oplontis had something to do with the Stabian baths - and that he, if this was the case, wanted to use the same style in a (presumably) public and important part of his own, very luxurious, villa and in a public latrine.

The Peristyle at Oplontis (Villa Poppaea). Notice the wall paintings.

Detail of the painting I'm interested in at the moment.

The same style can be found in the grand corridor somewhat further into the villa.

Pause

2010-11-21T15:46:00.002+01:00

I am unfortunately going to have to take a pause in my blogging. It's simply taking to much time and I a unfortunately haven't enough around anyway.

It is my hope that I will be able to continue posting in the future.

Thanks to everyone that has followed this blog.

Horse racing

2010-11-18T19:40:00.002+01:00

A mosaic depicting the four teams. Beginning of the third century AD.

Tertullian, an churchfather, tells us about the legendary beginnings of chariot racing in Rome:

"Chariots, being by such inventors brought into use, with good reason caused the charioteers also to be clothed in the colours of idolatry. For at the first there were two horses only, white and red. The white was sacred to the winter because of the white snow, the red to the summer because of the redness of the Sun. But afterwards, when luxury as well as superstition had advanced in growth, some consecrated the red to Mars, others the white to the Zephyrs, and a green one moreover to the Mother Earth or to the Spring, an azure one to the Heaven and the Sea or to the Autumn."

Tertullian - De spectaculis IX
Translated by Dodgson 1842

The origin of glass

2010-11-17T20:16:00.002+01:00

A Greek kantharos, drinking vessel from the 1st century AD.

"The story is, that a ship, laden with nitre, being moored upon this spot [the river Belus], the merchants, while preparing their repast upon the sea-shore, finding no stones at hand for supporting their cauldrons, employed for the purpose some lumps of nitre which they had taken from the vessel. Upon its being subjected to the action of the fire, in combination with the sand of the sea-shore, they beheld transparent streams flowing forth of a liquid hitherto unknown: this, it is said, was the origin of glass."

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) XXXVI.65
Translated by J. Bostock and H.T. Riley

Plinys garden

2010-11-16T21:50:00.002+01:00

A garden painting from Pompeii, Ins. II Reg. 3.3 (Casa della Venere in Conchiglia).

"The garden is chiefly planted with fig and mulberry trees, to which this soil is as favourable as it is averse from all others. Here is a dining-room, which, though it stands away from the sea enjoys the garden view which is just as pleasant: two apartments run round the back part of it, the windows of which look out upon the entrance of the villa, and into a fine kitchen-garden. From here extends an enclosed portico which, from its great length, you might take for a public one."

Pliny the Younger - Letters II. 17
Notice that the alternative numbering would make this letter nr. XXIII
Translated by W. Melmoth

Triplex inmissarium

2010-11-15T22:29:00.003+01:00

The inside of the Water reservoir (castellum) at Pompeii.

The passage below is a description of how a Castellum should work, according to the Roman architect Vitruvius. It doesn't fit very well with what has been found in the archaeological record, however, and it has been suggested that this is a theoretic suggestion rather than a practical solution.

"When they [The water channels] are brought home to the walls of the city a reservoir (castellum) is built, with a triple cistern attached to it to receive the water. In the reservoir are three pipes of equal sizes, and so connected that when the water overflows at the extremities, it is discharged into the middle one,

2. in which are placed pipes for the supply of the fountains, in the second those for the supply of the baths, thus affording a yearly revenue to the people; in the third, those for the supply of private houses. This is to be so managed that the water for public use may never be deficient, for that cannot be diverted if the mains from the heads are rightly constructed.º I have made this division in order that the rent which is collected from private individuals who are supplied with water, may be applied by collectors to the maintenance of the aqueduct."

Vitruvius - On Architecture VIII. 6.1-2
Translated by Gwilt 1826

Paestum at war

2010-11-13T18:41:00.002+01:00

A street at Paestum. It is impressive how relatively well preserved the place is.

This is one of the living blocks at Paestum, featuring Atrium houses from the 3rd century AD.

The event below took place at about 211 BC.

"[D. Quinctius at last,] by compelling the allied cities, Regium, Velliea and Paestum to furnish the ships which they were bound by treaty to supply, he made up the above-mentioned squadron of twenty vessels."

Livy - Ab Urbe Condita (From the Founding of the City) XXVI. 39
Translated by Canon Roberts

A lar

2010-11-13T00:08:00.002+01:00

This is the splendid lararium (altar to the lares) in Casa del Menandro, Pompeii.

This passage comes from an, even in Roman terms, quite old play. Here the lar tells us about himself and his role in the house.

"Lest any one should wonder who I am, I will tell you in a few words. I [the lar] am the household God of this family, from whose house you have seen me coming forth. It is now many years that I have been occupying this houses and I inhabited it for the father and the grandfather of this person who now dwells here. But beseeching me, his grandfather entrusted to me a treasure of gold, unknown to all. He deposited it in the midst of the hearth, praying me that I would watch it for him."

Plautus - Aulularia (Prologue)
Translated by H.T. Riley 1912

Warrior of Nestor

2010-11-11T17:09:00.002+01:00

A fresco from Pylos (the palace of Nestor). Is this a friendly soldier? Or perhaps an enemy? Late Bronze Age.

"The men of Pylos and Arene, and Thryum where is the ford of the river Alpheus; strong Aipy, Cyparisseis, and Amphigenea; Pteleum, Helos, and Dorium [...] These were commanded by Nestor, knight of Gerene, and with him there came ninety ships."

Homer - The Iliad II
Translated by S. Butler

A Hadrian coin and Domitians letter to Terentius Maximus

2010-11-10T11:55:00.002+01:00

A Hadrianic Sestertius (I am not 100% sure thou, Roman coins are really difficult to deal with unless you know what you are doing), thus minted only some 50 years after the letter cited below.

"Flavius Archippus the philosopher has prevailed with me to give an order that [1]six hundred thousand sesterces be laid out in the purchase of an estate for the support of him and his family, in the neighbourhood of Prusias, his native country. Let this be accordingly done; and place that sum to the account of my benefactions."

1: I would use this letter only with caution. This translation fix the number of Sestertii to 600.000 which seems to correspond with J. Earls, 1751, translation (even thou his edition actually reads fix hundred thoufand fefterces (it seems as if the the letter F is commonly mixed up with the letter S throughout the edition). The translation I normally use at home, however, reads till ett värde av ca 100.000 sesterier (translated by A. Mattsson 1983). It's unfortunately getting even worse when you look at the original Latin at The Latin Library as that edition is either missing a large chunk of the letter or simply rendering alternative tradition - I do not know which it is (even thou I suspect that they have simply miss typed/scanned the passage).

Pliny the Younger - Letters X. 58
Translated by W. Melmoth

A Boar Tusk's helmet

2010-11-08T17:58:00.002+01:00

Boar tusk's helmet

"Meriones found a bow and quiver for Ulysses, and on his head he set a leathern helmet that was lined with a strong plaiting of leathern thongs, while on the outside it was thickly studded with boar's teeth, well and skilfully set into it; next the head there was an inner lining of felt."

Homer - The Iliad X
Translated by S. Butler

Stymphelus

2010-11-07T22:00:00.003+01:00

The plain of Stymphelus.

"And those that held Arcadia, under the high mountain of Cyllene, near the tomb of Aepytus, where the people fight hand to hand; the men of Pheneus also, and Orchomenus rich in flocks; of Rhipae, Stratie, and bleak Enispe; of Tegea and fair Mantinea; of Stymphelus and Parrhasia; of these King Agapenor son of Ancaeus was commander, and they had sixty ships. Many Arcadians, good soldiers, came in each one of them, but Agamemnon found them the ships in which to cross the sea, for they were not a people that occupied their business upon the waters. "

Homer - The Iliad II
Translated by S. Butler

Cyrpus in the classical sources

2010-11-06T15:22:00.002+01:00

A plain on Cyprus, seen from the Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke.

"Cyprus, which lies opposite to the shores of Cilicia and Syria, running east and west; in former times it was the seat of nine kingdoms. Timosthenes states that the circumference of this island is 427 miles, Isidorus 375"

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) V.35
Translated by J. Bostock and H.T. Riley

A Roman Ring

2010-11-05T16:59:00.002+01:00

A Roman ring from Marion on Cyprus, ca 350 AD.

"The worst crime against mankind was committed by him who was the first to put a ring upon his fingers: and yet we are not informed, by tradition, who it was that first did so. For as to all the stories told about Prometheus, I look upon them as utterly fabulous [...] It was the hand, and a sinister hand, too, in every sense, that first brought gold into such high repute: not a Roman hand, however, for upon that it was the practice to wear a ring of iron only, and solely as an indication of warlike prowess."

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) XXXIII.4
Translated by J. Bostock and H.T. Riley

This is where you will found your city

2010-11-04T21:24:00.002+01:00

This relief from the Ara Pacis depicts the passage below.

"And that this nightly vision may not seem
Th' effect of fancy, or an idle dream,
A sow beneath an oak shall lie along,
All white herself, and white her thirty young.
When thirty rolling years have run their race,
Thy son Ascanius, on this empty space,
Shall build a royal town, of lasting fame,
Which from this omen shall receive the name."

Virgilius - The Aeneid VIII
translated by J. Dryden

Ghosts on the streets of ancient Athens

2010-11-03T22:00:00.003+01:00

An ancient Greek living quarter, next to what is now the Street of Dionysus. Could there be ghosts in these houses? The passage below is a ghost story as it was told by Pliny the Younger around 100 AD.

"I am extremely desirous therefore to know whether you [Sura] believe in the existence of ghosts, and that they have a real form, and are a sort of divinities, or only the visionary impressions of a terrified imagination.[...] There was at Athens a large and roomy house, which had a bad name, so that no one could live there. In the dead of the night a noise, resembling the clashing of iron, was frequently heard, which, if you listened more attentively, sounded like the rattling of chains, distant at first, but approaching nearer by degrees: immediately afterwards a spectre appeared in the form of an old man, of extremely emaciated and squalid appearance, with a long beard and dishevelled hair, rattling the chains on his feet and hands.[...]The noise increased and advanced nearer, till it seemed at the door, and at last in the chamber. He looked up, saw, and recognized the ghost exactly as it had been described to him: it stood before him, beckoning with the finger, like a person who calls another. Athenodorus in reply made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and threw his eyes again upon his papers; the ghost then rattled its chains over the head of the philosopher, who looked up upon this, and seeing it beckoning as before, immediately arose, and, light in hand, followed it. The ghost slowly stalked along, as if encumbered with its chains, and, turning into the area of the house, suddenly vanished. Athenodorus, being thus deserted, made a mark with some grass and leaves on the spot where the spirit left him. The next day he gave information to the magistrates, and advised them to order that spot to be dug up. This was accordingly done, and the skeleton of a man in chains was found there; for the body, having lain a considerable time in the ground"

Pliny the Younger - Letters VII.27
Translated by W. Melmoth

A Tree Climbing Octopus

2010-11-02T20:58:00.002+01:00

Fresco from Rome, 125-150 AD.

"Palisades were placed before them [the fish pickling tubes], but these the polypus managed to get over by the aid of a tree, and it was only caught at last by calling in the assistance of trained dogs, which surrounded it at night, as it was returning to its prey; upon which, the keepers, awakened by the noise, were struck with alarm at the novelty of the sight presented. First of all, the size of the polypus was enormous beyond all conception; and then it was covered all over with dried brine, and exhaled a most dreadful stench."

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) IX.48
Translated by J. Bostock and H.T. Riley

"Sparrow, favorite of my girl"

2010-11-01T20:11:00.002+01:00

A bird (sparrow?) from the villa at Oplontis, also known at Villa Poppaea (it is, however, far from certain that she owned the villa).

Sparrow, favorite of my girl,
with whom she is accustomed to play, whom she is accustomed to hold in her lap,
for whom, seeking greedily, she is accustomed to give her index finger
and to provoke sharp bites.
When it is pleasing for my shining desire
to make some kind of joke
and a relief of her grief.
I believe, so that her heavy passion may become quiet.
If only I were able to play with you yourself, and
to lighten the sad cares of your mind.

Catullus - Poem nr II
Translated by J. Fortaperus

Bathing and luxury in the Roman world

2010-10-31T17:53:00.002+01:00

Bathing was a popular form of relaxation in the Roman world, here's the atrium in the Suburban Baths at Herculaneum. The quote today is taken from Martialis epigrams and describe what could happen in and around the baths.

"When recently a miserable bow-legged slave need to carry Aper's linen to the bath for him, and a one-eyed old woman sat on his paltry toga to guard it, while a herniose bathing man supplied him with his drop of oil, he used to be a severe and unsparing censor of drunkards. "Break your cups, and throw away your Falernian," he would exclaim to any knight who drank anything on leaving the bath. But since three hundred thousand sesterces came to him from his old uncle, he cannot go home from the warm baths sober. Oh what power jewelled cups and a retinue of five long-haired servants have! Aper, as long as he was a poor man, did not suffer from thirst."

Martialis - Epigrams LXX
Bohn Edition 1897

Griffins

2010-10-29T16:17:00.002+02:00

A Griffin, executed in stucco in the apodyterium (changing room) of the Forum Baths at Pompeii.

"This race [Arimaspi] is said to carry on a perpetual warfare with the Griffins, a kind of monster, with wings, as they are commonly represented, for the gold which they dig out of the mines, and which these wild beasts retain and keep watch over with a singular degree of cupidity, while the Arimaspi are equally desirous to get possession of it."

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) VIII.2
Translated by John Bostock, H.T. Riley

Pliny and Graffiti

2010-10-28T11:19:00.003+02:00

A graffiti on a wall in the Casa della Nave Europa, Pompeii.

"Several villas, attracted by the beauty of this river, stand about on its borders. In short, every surrounding object will afford you entertainment. You may also amuse yourself with numberless inscriptions upon the pillars and walls, by different persons, celebrating the virtues of the fountain, and the divinity that presides over it. Many of them you will admire, while some will make you laugh; hut I must correct myself when I say so; you are too humane, I know, to laugh upon such an occasion. Farewell."

Pliny the younger - Letters VIII 8
Translated by W. Melmoth

Claudius

2010-10-26T23:18:00.002+02:00

Emperor Claudius, found in Cerveteri. The piece is believed to originate from the emperors reign (41-54 AD).

"He [Claudius] possessed majesty and dignity of appearance, but only when he was standing still or sitting, and especially when he was lying down; for he was tall but not slender, with an attractive face, becoming white hair, and a full neck. But when he walked, his weak knees gave way under him and he had many disagreeable traits both in his lighter moments and when he was engaged in business; his laughter was unseemly and his anger still more disgusting, p63for he would foam at the mouth and trickle at the nose; he stammered besides and his head was very shaky at all times, but especially when he made the least exertion."

Suetonius - Claudius 30
Translated by J.C. Rolfe 1913-1914

Caesar and Pompey

2010-10-25T22:10:00.002+02:00

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, more famous as Pompey the Great.

The letter cited here was sent from Marcus Caelius Rufus to Cicero and it discusses the, back then, recent events and the imminent risk of civil war.

"I have often told you in my letters that I see no chance of peace lasting a year; and the nearer the struggle comes, which must come, the clearer does that danger appear. The point, on which the men in power are bound to fight, is this - Cn. Pompeius has made up his mind not to allow C. Caesar to become consul, except on condition of his first handing over his army and provinces: while Caesar is fully persuaded that he cannot be safe if he quits his army."

Cicero - Letters CCLXXIX
Translated by E. S. Shuckburgh 1908-1909

A boundary marker

2010-10-24T13:36:00.002+02:00

This is one of the boundary markers from the Eleusinian way. Inscriptions are to a certain degree different from other classical texts: they are often randomly preserved (compared to texts, which has, or has not, been selected for copying during the millennia) and they talk very directly about something. This one simply states: boundary marker of the way to Eleusis. Ca 520 BC.

Memnon and the Epic Cycle

2010-10-23T15:15:00.003+02:00

Memnon, being carried away by Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death). You can also see his mother, the Goddess Eos who is standing over his dead body. The vessel (a Kylix) is from Attica ca. 490-480 BC.

Memnon was one of the last truly great Heros among the Trojans and was hailed as the saviour of Troy by Priam - he would however soon meet his fate at the hand of Achilles. This story is, although it must have been very popular in antiquity, not recorded in the so famous Iliad and Odyssey, but in other minor cycles.

"Still mid the corpses and the blood fought on those glorious sons of Gods, nor ever ceased from wrath of fight. But Eris now inclined the fatal scales of battle, which no more were equal-poised. Beneath the breast-bone then of godlike Memnon plunged Achilles' sword; Clear through his body all the dark-blue blade leapt: suddenly snapped the silver cord of life. Down in a pool of blood he fell, and clashed his massy armour, and earth rang again."

Quintus of Smyrna - Posthomerica (The Fall of Troy) II
Translate by A. S. Way 1913

Romulus and Remus

2010-10-22T15:08:00.002+02:00

An altar to Mars and Venus. Rome, ca 120 AD. Her you see the she-wolf nursing the twins, the national eagle of Rome, the Tiber (river god) and the shepherds that are to find Romulus and Remus.

"The tradition is, that when the water, subsiding, had left the floating trough, in which the children had been exposed, on dry ground, a thirsty she-wolf, coming from the neighbouring mountains, directed her course to the cries of the infants, and that she held down her dugs to them with so much gentleness, that the keeper of the king's flock found her licking the boys with her tongue. It is said his name was Faustulus; and that they were carried by him to his homestead to be nursed by his wife Laurentia."

Livius - Ab Urbe Condita I. 4
Translation by D. Spillan 1853

Antonius Pius

2010-10-21T10:35:00.002+02:00

Antonius Pius (138-161 AD) from Rome.

"Antoninus permitted all such [Provincial Roman citizens] to give to the children their heritage, choosing rather to show himself benevolent than to retain a law that swelled his riches. This emperor the Romans called Pius, because he showed himself to be a most religious man."

Pausanias - Description of Greece VIII.43.5
Translated by W.H.S Jones and H.A. Omerod 1918

Hesiodos on when to sail

2010-10-20T22:01:00.002+02:00

This pottery fragment originate from a krater (wine mixing vessel) painted by the Dipylon painter and here you see a war ship during a naval battle. The piece is dated to ca 760-650 BC.

This picture is combined with a slightly later quote by Hesiodos, who is believed to have been working around 700 BC. He is most likely talking about merchant vessels here, but the same rules would apply to war ships at this time.

"But if desire for uncomfortable sea-faring seize you when the Pleiades plunge into the misty sea4 [620] to escape Orion's rude strength, then truly gales of all kinds rage. Then keep ships no longer on the sparkling sea, but be sure to till the land as I bid you. Haul up your ship upon the land and pack it closely with stones [625] all round to keep off the power of the winds which blow damply, and draw out the bilge-plug so that the rain of heaven may not rot it."

Hesiodos - Work and Days (between line 615 and 630)
Translated by H.G. Evelyn-White

A Roman Mill

2010-10-19T16:53:00.002+02:00

A Roman mill from Pompeii Reg. VI Ins.3.3, House of the Baker or Casa del Forno. Another picture of a bakery (in Ostia) can be found in this post.

The text from today is from a book called Metamorphoses (sometimes The Golden Ass) where we find the hero, which has been turned into an ass, just as he has been sold to a bakery where he is to turn the mill.

"the next day following I was tyed to the mill betimes in the morning with my face covered, to the end in turning and winding so often one way, I should not become giddy, but keepe a certaine course, but although when I was a man I had seen many such horsemills and knew well enough how they should be turned, yet feigning my selfe ignorant of such kind of toile, I stood still and would not goe, whereby I thought I should be taken from the mill as an Asse unapt, and put to some other light thing, or else to be driven into the fields to pasture, but my subtility did me small good, for by and by when the mill stood still, the servants came about me, crying and beating me forward, in such sort that I could not stay to advise my selfe, whereby all the company laughed to see so suddaine a change."

Apuleius - Metamorphoses IX
Translated by Adlington 1566, ed. by M. Guy 1996

The temple of Athena Nike

2010-10-18T18:28:00.002+02:00

"On the right of the gateway is a temple of Wingless Victory. From this point the sea is visible, and here it was that, according to legend, Aegeus threw him self down to his death."

Pausanias - Description of Greece 1.22.4
Translated by W.H.S Jones adn H.A. Omerod 1918

Vesuvius Eruption 79 AD

2010-10-17T17:14:00.002+02:00

One of the many plaster casts of the victims of the eruption of 79 AD.

The text presented here was written by Plinius the younger as a letter intended for publication and I have picked out the passages that describe what the inhabitants of the area went through. The letter was formally addressed to Tacitus.

"He [Pliny the elder] was now so close to the mountain that the cinders, which grew thicker and hotter the nearer he approached, fell into the ships, together with pumice- stones, and black pieces of burning rock: they were in danger too not only of being aground by the sudden retreat of the sea, but also from the vast fragments which rolled down from the mountain, and obstructed all the shore. Here he stopped to consider whether he should turn back again; to which the pilot advising him, "Fortune," said he, "favours the brave; steer to where Pomponianus [A friend that Pliny the elder was trying to save] is." [...] They went out then, having pillows tied upon their heads with napkins; and this was their whole defence against the storm of stones that fell round them. It was now day everywhere else, but there a deeper darkness prevai1ed than in the thickest night; which howevcr was in some degree alleviated by torches and other lights of various kinds.[...] There my uncle [Pliny the elder], laying himself down upon a sail cloth, which was spread for him, called twice for some cold water, which he drank, when immediately the flames, preceded by a strong whiff of sulphur, dispersed the rest of the party, and obliged him to rise. He raised himself up with the assistance of two of his servants, and instantly fell down dead; suffocated, as I conjecture, by some gross and noxious vapour"

Pliny the Younger- Letters VI 16
Translated by W. Melmoth

The Trojan Horse

2010-10-16T19:03:00.004+02:00

Cassandra and the Trojan Horse, as it's being taken in to the city, sealing Troy's doom. From the Casa del Menandro in Pompeii.

The passage below comes from the Odysses - this is how Homer have the Phaeacians bard sing about the fall of Troy;

"For the Trojans themselves had drawn the horse into their fortress, and it stood there while they sat in council round it, and were in three minds as to what they should do. Some were for breaking it up then and there; others would have it dragged to the top of the rock on which the fortress stood, and then thrown down the precipice; while yet others were for letting it remain as an offering and propitiation for the gods. And this was how they settled it in the end, for the city was doomed when it took in that horse, within which were all the bravest of the Argives waiting to bring death and destruction on the Trojans. Anon he sang how the sons of the Achaeans issued from the horse, and sacked the town, breaking out from their ambuscade. He sang how they over ran the city hither and thither and ravaged it, and how Ulysses went raging like Mars along with Menelaus to the house of Deiphobus. It was there that the fight raged most furiously, nevertheless by Minerva's help he was victorious."

Homer - The Odyssey VIII
Translated by S. Butler 1898

Perseus and Medusa

2010-10-15T16:51:00.003+02:00

This vessel depicts Medusa (headless on the left) and her two sister gorgons, right after the point where Perseus left with the monsters (i.e. Medusas) head. It is dated to ca. 620-610 BC.

"I [Perseus] thence arrived to where the Gorgon dwelt.

“Along the way, in fields and by the roads,
I saw on all sides men and animals—
like statues—turned to flinty stone at sight
of dread Medusa's visage. Nevertheless
reflected on the brazen shield, I bore
upon my left, I saw her horrid face.

“When she was helpless in the power of sleep
and even her serpent-hair was slumber-bound,
I struck, and took her head sheer from the neck.—
To winged Pegasus the blood gave birth,
his brother also, twins of rapid wing.”"

Ovidius - Metamorphoses IV
Translated by Brookes, M., 1922

A new theme & Odysseus and the Palladium

2010-10-14T21:28:00.004+02:00

Odysseus, from the Antikythera shipwreck, the piece has been, although badly damaged by the water, dated to c. 100 BC. It was perhaps part of a group in which also Diomedes could be found.

Well, the blog has hit 20.000 visitors and it's time for a new theme. I've decided that I'm going back to the one I had around Christmas last year, i.e. combining a quote from a classical author with a picture.

"[...]there is Odysseus, a wheedling rascal, but bold enough indeed, [500] and of all men he has wrought most outrage on this country [i.e. Troy]. For he came by night to Athena's shrine and stole her image and took it to the Argive ships; next he came inside our battlements, clad as a vagrant in a beggar's garb, and loudly did he curse [505] the Argives, sent as a spy to Ilium; and then went out again, when he had slain the sentinels and warders at the gate. He is always to be found lurking in ambush about the altar of Thymbrean Apollo near the city. In him we have a troubling pest to wrestle with."

Euripides - Rhesus line 499-510
Translation by E. P. Coleridge 1891

Demeter (Ceres)

2010-10-13T19:09:00.003+02:00

A statue of Demeter from Eleusis, ca 420 BC.

Demeter is, by some reason, very rarely preserved in the form of a statue and you should thus consider yourself lucky if you run into her - not to mention how few complete statues of her there is.

Dionysos/Bachus

2010-10-12T16:17:00.002+02:00

Statues of Dionysos are both numerous, entertaining to identify and quite tricky, as the god can appear in three different forms (in statues, a fourth exist in coins). Quite a number of attributes should also be listed; the panther (sometimes dragging a wagon, as here), ivy, grapes, vine and so on.

As a herm, where you only see the head and an erected penis (herms are quite common; Hercules herm, a headless herm and a herm from the Athenian Agora.

As an old, manly god, resembling an eastern ruler with long curly hair, a beard and sometimes a diadem. Notice the wines in his hair.
This piece is from the 2nd century AD, Rome.

The infant Dionysos, such as seen in the very famous group Hermes and the Dionysos Child by Praxiteles. More information on this piece can be found here.

As a young god, with slightly female forms. From the 2nd century AD, Rome.

He can also be found with rams or bulls horns on coins.

Persephone (aka Kore; lat. Proserpina)

2010-10-11T19:01:00.003+02:00

Persephone/Kore from Eleusis, dated to 440-430 BC.

I've not seen very many sculptures of this goddess, but this relief is certainly famous. You'll see Persephone/Kore on the right in her normal, very serious mood and holding a torch in her hand. Other common attributes are a sceptre or box (cista mystica).

Charadros - a river god

2010-10-10T19:03:00.002+02:00

probably a personification of the river Charadros, 2nd century AD from Pythion at Oinoe

I thought that it could be useful to add a river god to the collection, as they are quite common (or at least not uncommon). You'll quite soon notice that they normally lie down as in the example above, also commonly carrying a cornucopia, i.e. Horn of lanty (not seen here). You can compare it to this one from Rome.

Tyche (Fortuna)

2010-10-09T19:27:00.002+02:00

Tyche, or Fortuna as the Romans identified her, is a very tricky one, as her attributes seems to change depending on where you find here.

Serapis

2010-10-08T18:00:00.000+02:00

Serapis from Gortyn, 180-190 AD.

The nature of Serpais is a very complicated question, I'll have to leave it for now with the note that he was a Hellenistic creation which spread over the Mediterranean from Egypt. His at least very easy to recognize in sculpture, he's looking very much like Zeus/Jupiter, but with a grain basket on his head and Cerberus at his feet.

Pan (Inuus and sometimes Faunus)

2010-10-07T18:26:00.000+02:00

A very calm version of Pan (2nd century AD, perhaps from Rome), here rendered without his most typical attributes - the give away comes in the Syrinx and the skin. The head and arms were restored (I do not know how heavily) when it was places in the Villa Giulia in Rome c. 1550.

This is a more relaxed view of Pan (100 BC), where he tried to make an advance upon Afrodite, one of his favourite activities. More on this group in this post.

Pan is always a fun character, and not only in myths and legends but also in sculpture. You’ll see him around now and then, he’s both quite common adn easy to recognize with his horns, goat-feet and puck nose. You can also see that he’s either dancing or playing his pipe, the Syrinx.

The muses

2010-10-06T18:39:00.000+02:00

Erato, the Muse of Poetry

Clio, the Muse of History

Polyhymnia, muse of Dance

The muses tend to show up in museums now and then, just when you least expect them. They are unfortunately very difficult to recognize as there's a number of them (not even the ancient Greeks and Romans them self could decide upon how many) and their attributes can be very discrete.

Nike (Victoria)

2010-10-05T18:25:00.002+02:00

Nike, as she was portrayed for a victory monument in Olympia.

Nike from the Stoa of Zeus, Agora of Athens. Dated to ca 400 BC.

Nike (Victoria) is one of my personal favorites among the gods in classical sculpture, no doubt partly due to the absolutely amazing Nike Samothrace that can be found in the Louvre.

This is however far from the only Nike statue that can be found in a modern museum, she’s, although not as common as Athena or Apollo, still a quite normal sight.

The goddess normally portrayed as a young winged female, often just about to touch the ground as she’s landing (presumably on a battle field). You might also recognize a hands gesture that looks like if she was once holding a wreath.

Kybele (Magna Mater, connected with Rhea)

2010-09-04T16:54:00.002+02:00

Well, I'm back from a very successful archaeological expedition in southern Italy and ready to start posting again.

Cybele is a terribly difficult goddess to work with, she is strongly associated with Rhea and worshipped under a large number of names. Statues of her are however, fortunately, both numerous and easily recognizable. You'll normally find the goddess seated, wearing the very typical cylindrical hat, commonly in the shape of a city wall, and with a feline next to her.

Away

2010-07-18T05:23:00.002+02:00

I'm going to Italy today to participate in excavations. I am not sure about if we're going to have an internet connection down there or not, so don't worry if there's no posts for 6 weeks or so.

Helios (Sol)

2010-07-16T23:21:00.002+02:00

Helios, found at the Esquiline in Rome. The piece is made from Carrara marble and dating from the 4th century BC.

Helios, or Hyperionides/Hyperion (by his father), is showing up now and then, even thou I've found more depictions in mosaics than in sculpture. The god is easily recognized by his sun rays which spread out from the head and he can also be seen with a torch or globe.

Be cautious though, the rays might have been broken off and they were commonly made out of metal (i.e. Bronze) in which case you'll find a series of empty holes around the head.

Mithras

2010-07-15T22:10:00.002+02:00

Mithras entered the scene as late as during the empire, but his cult is fascinating and still quite mysterious - there's a lot we do not know about it. Here's a short sumemry of what I've read about it, which shouldn't be taken as a full testemony: The cult came from the east and was open only to men. It was centred around ritual dining, seven spheres (it seems to have been a hierarchical religion) and the slaughtering of bulls. The sanctuaries are very easily recognized on the shape (long and thin, often with the spheres easily visible), the dining couches and most of all, they're almost always to be found underground. You can see examples from Ostia here and here to get a better grasp of the general shape.

Statues of Mithras are also easily recognized and quite common; The god, wearing a Phrygian cap, is seen slaughtering a bull which is also bitten by a dog, serpent and scorpion.

Hygieia

2010-07-14T21:24:00.002+02:00

Hygieia has quite commonly come down to us in classical sculpture, even thou I must admit that I only can reckon two museums where I've seen such pieces. She is portrayed as a virgin with a kind face expression, in a long robe with a snake which she is feeding from a bowl.

Hygieia from Zappeion, Athens, of the Hope type. From the second century AD, copy of a Greek original from the third century BC.

Hygieia from Epidaurus, no dating was offered but you can clearly see the snake, which is why I uploaded this shot.

Asklepius

2010-07-13T11:27:00.000+02:00

Asklepius is unexpectedly common in classicl sculpture and he is very easily recognized, even thou he can be confusd with Zeus from time to time unless you're cautius. It might be usefull to know that he is almost unexsistant in art (even as he is mentioned, as a hero, in the Iliad) before the 6th and 5th century BC as he made a rather late entrance on the scene.

The god is normally portraied as a bearded man, sitting on a throne or standing up, holding a staff which is encircled by a climbing snake. He can also be seen with his daughter, Hygiena.

Poseidon (Neptune)

2010-07-12T21:50:00.002+02:00

Poseidon is one of the great gods, but very much not the strongest of the three brothers. He's also in constant bad luck when it comes to persuade cities to come under his patronage (Athens is only one of many) and this might be one reason why we see less statues of this god than what we might expect, I can only come to think of two famous and easily identified pieces.

He is however easily recognized with his beard, trident and commonly a dolphin at his feet.

A highly polished statue of Poseidon, originating from the Roman period.

This piece, posted here earlier on, is a good example of hos Poseidon might look.

You might also remember this piece, which can be either Poseidon or Zeus (the later being popular nowadays).

Hermes (Mercurius)

2010-07-11T11:36:00.000+02:00

Hermes from Hadrianus Villa in Tivoli, Roman copy from the 2nd century AD of a Lysippos Bronze from 330 BC.

A quite atypical Hermes from a local workshop in Messene, 4th century AD.

This Hermes is the work of the Augustan period (27 BC-14 AD), perhaps inspired by older works.

Hermes is one of those gods you run into now and then while admiering classical sculpture. He's rendered as a young, beardless, man, sometimes with winged sandals (even though not as commonly as might be expected). Other easily recognized attributes are his heralds staff (the kerykeion, a detail which unfortunately seems to have been easily broken of and lost) and way farer hat. Yet, even with all those attributes, you'll have a though time recognizing him, as you might notice from the photos above, he could eb just any youth without them.

You can see another rendering of Hermes in Hermes and the infant Dionysus.

Artemis (Diana)

2010-07-10T20:44:00.000+02:00

Artemis, goddess of the hunt and closely associated with Apollo, is quite common in classical sculpture, but can still be tricky to identify as she appears in two different costumes.

Artemis Verailles, Roman copy of a 4th century original (attributed to Leochares).

The first, and easiest to recognize, is Artemis as the hunter. You'll easily recognize this type by the short skirt (she is one of few goddesses that ever wear a short skirt), bow and arrows and she's frequently accompanied by a stag.

Artemis from ca 100 BC, dressed in a chiton, peplos and himation.

Bronze from the 4th century BC.

The other type is Artemis as a maiden, as she can be found in e.g. Brauron. Here she's dressed in a long dress, but still with the arrows.

Ares (Mars)

2010-07-09T22:44:00.000+02:00

Here you see Mars as he was thought of in the 2nd century AD (If I remember this correctly).

This is a modern copy of a statue from at Hadrianus villa, but it's a good representation of Ares as youth.

The Greek Ares, associated with the Roman god Mars, is very rare in sculpture and you're really lucky if you run into him. I could only find two examples; one at Hadrianus villa (Tivoli) and one at the Monte Martini museum at Rome. It is however easy to recognize the god when you see him, he's portrayed in arms as bearded in early art (archaic) and as a naked youth from the classical period and onwards.

Athena (Minerva)

2010-07-08T20:07:00.000+02:00

Athena must have been one of the most popular gods to represent in sculpture during antiquity, it's not uncommon that large museums have not one but several different pieces - the national museum in Athens have a room with only Athena statues, Glyptoteket in Copenhagen have at least four pieces and so on.

It is also very easy to recognize Athena, which of course helps us noticing her. She's normally the only armoured female god, she's wearing an Aegis (a piece of armour covering the upper torso, with a gorgons head in the center) and commonly a crested helmet. She is also often seen with a shield at her side and sometimes a snake or owl.

You might want to compare the picture above with the one of Athena Parthenos (a 2nd century ad copy) or a Hellenistic bronze Athena from Piraeus.

Apollo

2010-07-07T15:47:00.000+02:00

Apollo, crudely dated by the Carlsberg Glyptotek to 30 BC-500 AD - I would guess narrow it down to 30 BC-235 AD.

Apollo from at temple at the Athenian Agora, 4th century AD, possibly a work by Euphranor.

You can be almost certain that you will find a statue of Apollo if you visit a museum of classical art or history - he is one of the gods that you'll keep running in to.

He's also easily recognized with his rather female forms and his lyre, an instrument that he almost always carry. There are however types that doesn't fit in to the norm, such as Apollo from Olympia, where we see him depicted in a stiff position, on top of the situation, as if he can't be seen by the fighting centaurs and Lapiths.

Apollo from Olympia (ca 460 BC).

Hera (Juno)

2010-07-06T17:43:00.000+02:00

Here (lat. Juno) is quite uncommon in sculpture, I can only come up with two examples that I have seen (I'm sure that I've forgotten a dozen thou).

It must also be admitted that Hera isn't the easiest goddess to recognize. You can however look for a royal female with a crown and sometimes a pomegranate.

Zeus (Jupiter)

2010-07-05T14:42:00.000+02:00

The Roman emperor as Jupiter (Zeus), 2nd century AD. Found next to the stadium in Isthmia.

Zeus (Jupiter) is, of course, the king of the gods and the son of Kronos (Saturnus). He's, however, not the most common god to be found in sculpture, even thou you'll see him from time to time - you might compare this with the fact that he has no major temples on any city acropolis and only a few festivals in his honour.

Zeus can be recognized by several traits: he's always bearded and you'll normally find him sitting quietly on a throne with a sceptre in his hand (probably on the model of Pheidias statue). You can also find him flanked by an eagle from time to time.

Other statues of Zeus:
Zeus and Ganymede
A throned Zeus with Cerberus (This is however most likely a Serapis in original, a god closely connected to Zeus).
Upper body of Zeus

The Gods in classical sculpture

2010-07-04T14:03:00.012+02:00

The gods going into battle vs. the giants, a so called gigantomachy. Here you see Heracles to the left (in his lions pelt), then Dionysoswith his panther skin and wagon drawn by the same animals and thereafter Apollo and Artemis with their bows. Many other gods are involved in this battle, but not seen in this shot. Relief from the treasury of the Siphnians at Delphi, late 6th century/early 5th.

Well it's time for a new theme, the last one has been going on long enough, and I would like to focus on the Greecoroman pantheon and how these are represented in sculpture - thus expect a lot of statues for a while. Remember that even as I use a lot of printed material as sources to write these posts (such as the Oxford Classical Dictionary, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology and a number of books written specifically on ancient religion and art) will much of what I present come from my own experience of ancient sculpture.

I would also like to add that I am perfectly aware of the dangers of talking about the Greek and Roman gods (as an example, Zeus and Jupiter) as the same entities, but it should be manageable as long as I do not wander of too far into mythological details - the focus is on the artistic representation in antiquity not on the origins, specific cults or epithets. Only gods that I've got found in classical sculpture will be represented here.

Apollo
Artemis (Diana)
Ares (Mars)
Asklepius
Athena (Minerva)
Charados (A greek flood god)
Demeter (Ceres)
Dionysos (Bachus)
Tyche (Fortuna)
Helios (Sol)
Hera (Juno)
Hermes (Mercurius)
Hygieia (Sirona)
Kybele (Magna Mater, connected with Rhea)
Mitheradates
Muses (connected with the Camenae)
Nike (Victoria)
Pan (Inunus or Faunus)
Persephone (aka Kore; lat. Proserpina)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Serapis
Zeus (Jupiter)

Amathous and the treatment of finds

2010-07-03T23:33:00.002+02:00

Some finds are very difficult to store. Here you see one solution used at Amathous where all the loose drains have been placed in one corner of the site - I really hope that the documentation was done properly.

A grave monument

2010-07-02T23:47:00.002+02:00

Funerary stele, 6th century BC, from the necroplois of Kition.

This stele is interesting as it is in the shape of a lotus flower, a fairly popular flower in ancient culture. You can, as one example, find it, being eaten by bulls, in pottery paintings.

An easily recognized style

2010-07-01T21:42:00.002+02:00

Head of a wreathed, bearded man. Limestone from Arsos, ca 480-450 BC.

It is always interesting to see how certain types of statues show up again and again. Here we see a head of a male, which is looking very much like the one posted about a month ago.

Another interesting feature is the very faint red colour on the beard and curls, could it be traces of the original paint?

The temple of Aphrodite at ancient Kition

2010-06-30T20:16:00.002+02:00

The temple of Aphrodite, the large wall in the foreground is claimed by the site to originate in the 12th century BC, something I find very very improbable.

Very few sites disappoint me, this was however one of them. It's very difficult to understand what anything once looked like, not to mention the very strange info sign.

Anyway, The Great Cypriot Goddess (later Aphrodite) is claimed to have been worshipped at this site from the 13th century BC while the Phoenicians associated her with Astarte during 9th century BC and onwards. It seems as if everything went well on the site until the 4th century when the city kingdoms on the island was dissolved and the area lost it's religious character.

An ancient Fish

2010-06-29T20:04:00.000+02:00

Mosaic from the 3rd or 4th century AD which can be found in the House of Eustolios in Kourion.

I keep coming back to ancient fish, you can find a quite large collection at this blog (a list is composed in this post or search). I'm however quite sure that it's symbolic here and used as a Christian insignia(other such symbols and even texts can be found in the mosaics).

The Selimiye Mosque

2010-06-28T19:12:00.004+02:00

Another important mosque at Cyprus is the very impressive former cathedral of Saint Sophia. It's amazing how strange it is to enter the building, seeing this very familiar shape in a completely different shell. You can compare it to the Duomo di Orvieto in Etruria (even thou the comparison might be unfair).

The Mosque at Hala Sultan Tekke

2010-06-27T21:08:00.002+02:00

There are, of course, other interesting objects and places than the ones from the Bronze Age and classical periods; here you see the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, said to be the third most important mosque in the world. The stories has it that this was the place where Muhammed's nurse died.

The natural conditions

2010-06-26T19:50:00.002+02:00

View from Kourion.

The natural conditions are always important when studying an ancient society. I therefore, even thou we cannot be sure that Cyprus looked the same during the Bronze Age and classical times as it does today, find it interesting to see how harsh the landscape actually is during the late spring - I can only imagine how it is during the later summer months.

A zoomorphic vessel

2010-06-25T16:09:00.001+02:00

Vessels can, of course, also be zoomorphic, as this one here that is in part shaped as a cow.

An anthropomorphic vessel

2010-06-24T20:13:00.003+02:00

Bichrome red figure jug, Cypro Archaic I period (750-600 BC).

Vessels from Cyprus are often anthropomorphic or zoomorphic. Here you see vessel with the traits of a woman, rendered in the surface.

Heracles

2010-06-23T18:55:00.002+02:00

Heracles, limestone from Kition, ca 470 BC.

I have previously talked a lot about Heracles and finding another statue of him will always make me happy. What's interesting here, in my opinion, is the cloth he's wearing - it reminds me of the one a Kore carries at the national museum. I would however need to have better knowledge on Cypriot art to draw any valid conclusions considering it.

A Mycenaean Squid

2010-06-21T17:43:00.003+02:00

Squids are a common motif on first Minoan and later Mycenaean pottery. It is fortunate that the way they are painted change with time, thus making them datable -the later they are the more stylized are they. This one can be dated to the 14th century BC.

A Plank Figure

2010-06-20T19:16:00.003+02:00

Plank figure, Red Polished Ware, from Dhenia. Ca 1900 BC (early Bronze Age).

You might remember that I talked about plank figures from Cyprus earlier on this year. The ones I saw back then were all made of stone and I assumed, by some reason, that they were always made in that material - I was obviously in error.

The ancient site of Hala Sultan Tekke

2010-06-19T17:34:00.003+02:00

This is a view from the very over grown area 8 at Hala Sultan Tekke. The rather big city excavated there seems to be from the late Bronze Age and here you see a water channel leading down to something that might be describes as a bathroom.

A bird from the Bronze Age

2010-06-18T17:41:00.002+02:00

Depictions of humans and animals from the distance past has always amazed people. Here you see a small bird, near the base at a position where it's easy to miss it. What was the reason to paint a bird? Why did the artist pick that place to paint it? Did he/she have any special intentions? Almost any ancient object can spark a large number of questions.

A carved stone

2010-06-17T19:47:00.002+02:00

This piece, a carved stone of special interest, was found at the Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke in 1972. It proved difficult to interpret and date the piece - no parallels have been found- , but it seems as it is a part of a stele or house model, probably from the 13th century BC, although it could date from any time between the 16th and 12th century BC. For more information on this stone, see SIMA (Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology) XLV:; Hala Sultan Tekke 8, p. 150-165.

Storage vessels - Pithoi

2010-06-16T16:07:00.002+02:00

Here's a so called Pithos, an ancient storage vessel. This one is so large that it can stay outside even today with no obvious risk of getting damaged or stolen.

A stirrup jar

2010-06-15T22:38:00.003+02:00

I've been stuck at the Roman Cyprus form a while now and feel like I should go back the the Cypriot prehistory. Here you see a beautiful Mycenaean stirrup-jar, this one from 1400-1230 BC, a ware that was exported in great quantities from main land Greece during the late bronze age. The type was, which seems strange considering it's shape and detailed decoration, used as a storage vessel for oil or luxury products such as perfume.

A small pyramid from Kourion

2010-06-14T15:38:00.002+02:00

Pyramids are almost exclusively associated with Egypt, but it should be remembered that they appear in other cultures as well. There's the famous Cestius pyramid in Rome (I have no idea why I've never posted a picture of it) and here's another from Kourion. I must unfortunately admit that I know very little about this monument, I can't find any decent book discussing it - I would however guess that it's from the the Roman period, rather early than late, say 0-200 AD, considering the context (notice that I cannot prove this in any way).

A Hypocaust from Kourion

2010-06-13T17:22:00.002+02:00

Kourion is an amazing site to visit not only if you enjoy mosaics. There's also a beautiful bath with where you can see a well preserved (or perhaps well restored) hypocaust.

A Christian message

2010-06-12T10:49:00.003+02:00

Mosaics can also contain written messages, here is one example from the House of Eustolios saying:

This house in place of its ancient armament of walls and iron and bronze and steel has now girt itself with the much venerated symbols of Christ.

Translation by the site authorities.

Another mosaic from Kourion

2010-06-11T20:37:00.002+02:00

Here you see another example on a pattern mosaic from Kourion, House of Eustolios (3rd or 4th century AD). It is interesting to see how different the different styles can be within one single house - the owner obviously enjoyed a spectrum of styles.

A mosaic

2010-06-11T00:30:00.003+02:00

You might get the impression, reading this blog, that all mosaics depicted humans or animals. That is most certainly not the case, patterns and geometrical figures are much more common. Here you see one such mosaic from the House of Eustolios in Kourion (the bath complex, 3rd or 4th century AD).

A mosaic from Kourion

2010-06-09T17:52:00.002+02:00

This is yet another mosaic from Kourin, from the 3rd or 4th century AD, one depicting a woman in a medallion. She's holding a Roman messuring rod in her measuring right hand and we can see the text ΚΤΙΣΙΣ (Ktisis, the C is how Σ looked during this period), which means foundation or creation.

How Achilles was dragged into the Trojan war

2010-06-08T17:35:00.003+02:00

The story around the Trojan war was once built upon a large tradition of epics where the Iliad and Odyssey was only two of many (even thou they were considered the greatest already during antiquity). It might be mentioned in this context that the Iliad only tell the tale of how Achilles was angered by Agamemnon, the Greek leader. neither the start of the war, nor the end is mentioned.

This mosaic depicts one of these other stories. It is said that Thetis, the mother of Achilles, hid her son in the house of Lykomedes where he was dressed a s girl to make sure that he never went to Troy to face his doom. Here you see the moment when the cunning Odyssey come in and manage to trick Achilles into revealing himself and thus forcing him to join the Greeks.

Mosaic form Kourion, the 3rd century AD.

A mysterious vault

2010-06-07T22:34:00.003+02:00

Everyone who has been on a site with me knows that I love caves, tunnels, cisterns, halls and holes on the ground. Here you see exactly one such opening that I would love to explore. The picture is from Amathous, just above the fountain/reservoir and reservoir.

Amathous - the Agora fountain

2010-06-06T22:29:00.003+02:00

Fountains are a common sight on an Agora; water is not only a necessary resource but also a symbol of wealth and power - it's not something that is easily acquired in large quantities.

Here is one such fountain, from Amathous. It's built in a square (9,9x9.9 m) surrounded by four corinthian columns (spiral thou) which probably supported a roof. Notice that the columns are not placed in their original position.

A water pipe (inverted Siphon) from Amathous

2010-06-05T13:45:00.000+02:00

This is a very rare sight (and one that most people would miss), a inverted Siphon. This device made it possible to transport water upwards (preferably to a tank from with the water could be distributed).

Amathous - an overview

2010-06-04T16:29:00.000+02:00

This is an overview of the ancient city of Amathous. It was founded during the 11 century BC by what could be an population originating from Cyrpus. It was to be conquered and ruled by foreign rulers several times, the Phoenicians during the 8th century BC, the Assyrians between 707 and 669,the Egyptians between 570 and 545, the Persians 545 and 332 BC. It sided, in the end, after the death of Alexander, with the Ptolemy rulers and the kingdom was abolished in 312. A last it was made a part of the Roman empire in 58 BC.

The city flourished for a long time, and the remains are impressive. It was finally abandoned when the Arabs destroyed it in 649-691 AD.

Inside the Kolossi Castle

2010-06-03T13:36:00.002+02:00

I figured that an picture from the inside of the castle might be useful. Here you see one of four larger halls (two at each floor level). The cellar was divided into three units.

Kolossi Castle

2010-06-02T12:46:00.002+02:00

This is the medieval Kolossi Castle, a very impressive building, near Kourion. I must admit that I know very little about the place, it's, as you may know, not from the period I study, but the site is beautiful, the castle a cool haven on a hot day and I would recommend you to visit it if you get the chance.