The Smile of a Sphinx

 THE SMILE OF A SPHINX 

#sphinx #archaicsculpture #greeksculpture #archaicgreekart 

Its Not only Maidens and Youths who have THAT smile in Archaic Greek ART.

This statue is the top part of an Archaic Attic Stele (I'll show you the lower part in the next post) and the slender feline proportions and pose of the lower body suggest the  sculptor seems to have seen a cat (then an exotic import) about to bring upwards. Note the distinctive Archaic Smile. The lack of plumage yet detailed carving of the face suggests also the sculptor wanted onlookers looking upwards to notice the smile ? Such elegant refined curves!

The stele was discovered broken into pieces and this is a museum reconstruction.

Next post will include closeups of the youth below.

Ares god of War

This is the oldest vase painting image I could google showing Ares.
 Its Attic dating about 570 bc. Notice the eye depicted in Archaic Greek style.

Another detail of interest is the attempt to use slip to suggest a lighter hair color and that he seems to be carrying two spears not one.

Orderly Numbers

Orderly Numbers - the Greek ordinal  Adjectives One to TEN
plus the Adverb forms for Once Twice Thrice 

GREEK ORDINALS.

An Ordinal is a kind of adjective used to describe an item in a series or sequence.

Just as Cardinal Numbers are One Two Three so Ordinals are First Second Third …

One is A Number and Noun

First πρῶτος An Adjective

Once ἅπαξ An Adverb

All of the Ordinals end in τος or ος and so follow the ος η ον Adjective pattern.

One First πρῶτος Once ἅπαξ

Two Second δεύτερος Twice δίς

Three Third τρίτος Thrice τρίς

Four Fourth τέταρτος τετράκις

Five Fifth πέμπτος πεντάκις

Six Sixth ἕκτος ἑξάκις

Seven Seventh ἕβδομος ἑπτάκις

Eight Eighth ὄγδοος ὀκτάκις

Nine Ninth ἔνατος ἐνάκις

TEN Tenth δέκατος δεκάκις

The Cardinal Numbers have been listed in a prior post.