Tower of the winds

The tower of the winds is one of few structures that actually have been standing moer or less intact since antiquity, but one that relatively few studies has been done on. The tower is, as a result of this, rather unknown and even the constructuion date is being debated even though most scholars favour a date around the mid 1st century Bc.

The name comes from the motif, the eight winds, that cover the upper panels and the tower was probably used as some sort of clock (both water clock and sun dial has been suggested) but the ancient writings are dubious on the subject (foremost Vitruvius and Varro).

The Roman Agora

Here's a shot of what's left of the central square and colonnade, unfortonately not very much.

The Roman Agora

The original Agora in Athens was quickly loosing it's old function as a market/forum during the last century Bc due to all the new buildings and monuments being put up there. Caesar and Augustus thus so it fit to donate founds for the construction of a new Agora - this is the entrance to this new marketplace (constructed in Pentalic marble ca 11 Bc).

Greece under the Roman period

Greece soon came under the influence of Rome (Through many wars, revolts and other twists roughly between 216 and 146 Bc) and as the city quickly conquered the "known world" during the last centuries Bc. It might be interesting to know that you see almost as much from the Roman period in Athens as you see things that are "purely Greek". I will therefore spend some time going through important Roman pieces in Greece, most of the remains come from the Roman imperial period.



First out is Agrippas Odeon (from ca 15 Bc) in the central parts of the Athenian Agora, the building was once a "covered theatre" presumably used for recitations and music arrangements. Here we see what's left of the entrance, one of four pillars in the shape of men (or is it giants, tritons or something else?).

The seated boxer

I thought that a close-up would be useful. Notice the look on his face, the scars and blood.

[Edit 022010: read this post from 191209 for more information on boxing in antiquity]

The seated boxer

Yet another original bronze (the bronzes that has survived in a complete state are so few that the most important ones perhaps get too much attention), this time a late Hellenistic piece from around 100-50 Bc. Notice the grim realism, the bleeding, the broken nose and torn ears.

Aphrodite, Pan and Eros

This group goes under the name the slipper-slapper group and it depicts Pan who is pushing his luck with Aphrodite (notice how her stance is close to the one of the Knidian Venus, but the mood very different) while Eros is (smilingly) gently pushing Pan away . It was found at the house of a merchant association at Delos and dates to ca 100 Bc (which we know thanks to an inscription).

The dying Gaul

Many of antiquities most praised works of art comes from this period. Here we have the statue called the dying Gaul which once was a part of a larger group called the large Gauls. These were also bronzes in original, but not from Athens. As the 3rd century continued Athens was challenged as the main artistic and intellectual centre by two other cities; Pergamum and Alexandria. This piece is from the former and dates to ca 220 Bc.

Demosthenes

This statue of Demostenes (the famous orator from Athens, 384-322 Bc) is an example of a statue that did not survive as a bronze original. It was originally created by Polyeuktos in 280 Bc to stand in the Athenian Agora and was later copied in marble during the Roman period. The significant of this statue is the move towards the first true Greek portraits, earlier work were more idealising with only some distinct features representing the whole (as Socrates nose). Here we find a statue that actually could be recognized.

A jockey

Most bronze statues from this period (as from all of antiquity) are since long gone. Here is one of the few that actually made it, a jockey on his horse dating to the220-200 Bc. Notice the stance, a marble statue could never carry the weight like this and most Roman copies are therefore supplied with supports.