Nine Muses From Elis

 I'm posting this artifact found in Elis in Greece to remind people that the identification with the Muses with certain symbols isn't just a Roman or Renaissance invention.

Its interesting also to note that the artifact shows both a LYRE and a KITHARA  and also for Apollo a very old tortoiseshell lyre rather than Eratos version which has a sounding board or sound box? 

Note that there are two different types of books with both a Scroll and a folding Tablet being shown.

I think this is a folding tablet rather than an early codex because of the black pages. The black could be slate or wax with dye added ? 

 Urania is shown as a star chart. 

Despite the damage there seems to be both types and possibly a third type of theatre mask: comedy tragedy and well the third is too damaged ....Melpomene is probably a Tragic Mask but but that leaves us with the question of whether Polyhymnia is a mask or a womans face. Her image could possibly be a reference to the use of women's choirs for some events such as religious festivals with associated choral competitions open to women.

You can get a larger version of this image from Wikipedia but there are very few comments on context.

This seems to be Hellenistic to me or late Classical given the limited color range?

Muses on a Sarcophagus

 #muses #sarcophagus 

I have no particular reason for sharing this expect its March which starts with an M and I have bits and piece sof left image files in a folder from prior websurf 

Enjoy 

REVERSE GREEK and Xenophon

 XENOPHON REVERSE GREEK

Here are the opening words of Xenophon's Anabasis transliterated into Roman ABC

dareiou kai parusatidas gignontai paides dou

 presbuteros men artakserksees neooteros de kuros 

My suggestion is that you test yourself or students by either reading it aloud or getting them to write it with Greek letters for practice? 

Welcome to Sophoklea's Garden

 NEWS

 I have added something new to my METOUSIA  #patreon

Its called 

SOPHOKLEA'S GARDEN

Lessons in Classical Greek 

These will be aimed at Absolute Beginners  who might not have any knowledge of other languages or grammar or linguistics.

Come and visit and review or make suggestions 

There will be still be separate pdfs you can use for yourself or students

Meanwhile I will be doing more Reverse Greek texts on this blog .

GREEK NUMBERS 1- 4

 In NOVEMBER I have NUMBERS AS A THEME 

#ARITHMOI #GREEK NUMBERS

Arithmetic is a word of Greek origins coming from the word  ἀριθμοι - numbers.

Here are the First Four Cardinal Numbers in Greek

ONE

Masculine εἱς Feminine μία Neuter ἕν

Masculine Nominative εἱς Accusative ἕνα Genitive ἑνός Dative ἑνί

Feminine Nominative μία Accusative μίαν Genitive μιᾶς Dative μιᾷ

Neuter Nominative ἕν Accusative ἕν Genitive ἑνός Dative ἑνί

TWO

There are no differences. All genders follow this declension pattern

Nominative and Accusative δύο Genitive and Dative δυοῖν

THREE

Masculine Nominative τρεῖς Accusative τρεῖς Genitive τριῶν Dative τρισί(ν)

Feminine Nominative τρεῖς Accusative τρεῖς Genitive τριῶν Dative τρισί(ν)

Neuter Nominative τρία Accusative τρία Genitive τριῶν Dative τρισί(ν)

FOUR

Masculine Nominative τέτταρες Accusative τέτταρας Genitive τεττάρων Dative τέτταρσι(ν)

τέτταρες τέτταρες τέτταρες

Feminine Nominative τέτταρες Accusative τέτταρας Genitive τεττάρων Dative τέτταρσι(ν)

Neuter Nominative τέτταρα Accusative τέτταρα Genitive τεττάρων Dative τέτταρσι(ν)

Check my  METOUSIA PATREON

 for a A4 pdf version of this later this month!

Ornate October - # Greek Brooches

 #ornateoctober

Back at the beginning of the month I suggested an alternate theme for October might be Ornate October for those not doing Inktober or Classicstober.

Greek Jewellery Ranges from the indeed "classically" severe and plain through  to very ornate objects.

Brooches - personai - for pinning clothing and capes looked more like a very simple twisted pin at use but became increasingingly ornate and there was a time when wealthy Ionian Greeks whether  Islanders or Mainlanders living in Asia Minor were noted for long flowing robes and hair and GOLD brooches on their clothing. 

Personally I think despite claims everything was pinned that there was some seams at the sides and shoulders for some garments but I base that on NOT seeing pins depicted in paintings and the way some garments draped and the fact constantly inserting metal pins into linen or wool could have lead to rips and holes in garments! 

Here's a very early pin 2200 BCE

and this is what I meant by brooches / pins looking like safety pins.

and from the Archaic era one last example.

Griffin Lebes

 GRIFFIN LEBES

This #griffin #lebes or #urn dates from the Hellenistic era probably about 350 BCE.

The griffins seem also plain compared to the florid "Corinthian" ornamentation on the base.

I wonder if perhaps the heads were using for hanging floral memorial wreaths from?

And why Griffins? 

Enjoy!

THREE SPHINXES

 THREE SPHINXES

I've arranged these in chronological order to illustrate style changes 

Archaic

CLASSICAL 

Roman Empire 120 AD

Greek Alphabet on a Bowl

 GREEK ALPHABET ON A BOWL 

#greekalphabet #ceramics 

I was actually looking for examples of early Greek inscriptions and came across this.

Our modern "Classical" forms took an while to become the standard forms of written Greek!

That Archaic Smile

 THAT ARCHAIC SMILE 

doesnt appear only on freestanding statues.

This youth's image is carved onto the side of a memorial stele.

 Scroll down for further close-ups and zoom in for a view of the small girl who accompanies him.

He seems to be holding a flower and definitely is carrying a small container perhaps of oil slung from one wrist.

Notice how the rough strokes of carving still visible in the background bring further emphasis to the polished smoothed facial features?  There does not seem to be any traces of painting though apart from the pupil of the eye and that could simply be texture or grain of the stone? 

I hope you have enjoyed this Archaic Smile series? 

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.

The Archaic Smile Two

 The Archaic Smile

#Greeksculpture #kore #chios 

The Chios Kore is one of those sculpture that retained traces of the original coloring and inspire debates about the painting of ancient sculptures.

Personally I think any tinting would have been a bit more delicate but look at the faded original and compare the reconstruction and decide for yourself and enjoy that fabulous archaic smile !

The Archaic Smile - One

 THE ARCHAIC SMILE - ONE 

If there's one thing that particularly stands out about Archaic Greek Sculptures its the SMILE !

Assyrian sculptures tend to have rulers and courtiers who seem to be almost sneering and with Egyptian sculpture the smile seems to say I a powerful mortal have ascended to become a god but human or mortal the first large Hellenic statues SMILE.

This first example is from Cyprus and while her head-dress and choker style necklace show the influence of the Near art probably Phoenician art she has that look that distinct upturn of the lips that shows both confidence and happiness.

My first theme this month will be the archaic smile. Join and follow me as I seek for more images to share with you.

Diadem Crowns

 #Diadem #crown

Diadems and Crowns

The word diadem is often translated as crown into English from Greek however they were cloth or metal bands often decorated like this one. Notice the two holes for inserting ribbons or perhaps adjustable closures.Being gold the metal could be bent around a head 

This coin depicting Antiochus the 3rd shows a diadem actually being worn.

This last example is Phillip the 3rd wearing a very plain version of a diadem which may be an actual ribbon of cloth.

Simmias and Pattern Poems

 

#Simmais #patternpoem

This is the earliest known example of a pattern poem created using the Greek Alphabet created by Simmias of Rhodes. Well a copy anyway. You can find more of these in the Greek Anthology.

Remember its metrical not rhyming! Let me know if you would like me to transacribe more or redo this poem in a more modern font? 

Heracles had that bull First

 #Heracles #cretanbull #greekceramics 

The Bull Theseus caught at Marathon was supposedly the same one Heracles caught in Crete and shipped to Tiryns. It allegedly escaped and somehow wandered north all the way to Attica possibly because it had been dedicated to Poseidon and no one dared to kill it expect Theseus who offered it up as a sacrifice to dear maybe dad Poseidon or maybe just to annoy the Minoans who were supposed to give sacrificed it earlier. 

  

We know this is Heracles and not Theseus as he is bearded and has tied his archers quiver to the branch of a nearby tree. Heracles favorite weapon apart from his club was his bow.

You might want to compare this to the famous Vaphio cup.

Note the bull is lassoed and bound by the hind legs not the horns or neck. 

This black figure vessel has been dated to about 510 BCE so early Classical

YET MORE ALPHAS !!!

 YET MORE ALPHAS 

#cursive #greekcursive #greekcursiveAlpha #alpha 

Yes this is a cut and paste job but the images are from an old thoroughly out of print book 

The Athena Painter and what else this year 2021

 Okay Happy Epiphany and New year Greetings 

Google Blogger Stats tells you that many of you like a previous post featuring an artist known as the #AthenaPainter so I will try to find more works by him to share 

What else do I have planned? 

In the Asian calendar it the year of the metal Bull so I may do some posts of Bovines in Greek Art 

Going through my files I have found some almost but not yet finished poetry translations with notes to share plus more word studies plus there will be updates on what longer pieces I am going to post to my Metousia Patreon

Comment if you have more suggestions?

SIDE SADDLE SIRENS

 #nereids #thetis 

Reviewing my collection of images of Nereids and Thetis it suddenly occurred to me how odd it is that they are shown riding "sidesaddle".

 The Nereids are usually the only examples we see of females swimming and yet they do not ! 

They cling to or ride seahorses or tritons! 

Yet other goddesses and women on land or sea are not shown riding any form of mount except for some Amazons. 

So why the side saddle position perhaps  to show they had feet rather than fins unlike their male cousins the Tritons?

This selection of images covers several centuries and areas of Greek art.

I have never yet seen an image of a nereid on a seahorse or Triton in which they are in an actual riding position. Okay so goddesses have perfect balance but the artists would have seen male riders on cavalry and surely known how impossible the positions they depicted were?

Unless they had seen some women riding side saddle perhaps sitting in a white horse in some kind of procession of priestesses or royalty? I note also hippocampi are rarely dark or speckled usually white.

These may all just be matters of style but possibly what else?

Ideas anyone ? 

Athena the Warrior

 #Athena the Warrior 

No Comments Just Athena on a particularly elegant oil flask sharing so you can admire the beauty.