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Lecture 7 Meaning in the Site, The Greek City. Homes, in direct contrast to civic buildings were rudimentary structures , either grouped together by chance, in organic growth districts, or rigidly organized along basic gridiron lines.
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Homes, in direct contrast to civic buildings wererudimentary structures, either grouped together by chance, in organic growth districts, or rigidly organized along basic gridiron lines. Early dwellings were rude huts, confirmed by the traditional burial containers of the Archaic Period. Housing
City Street, Herculaneum Typical city street in Herculaneum.
These climatic conditions encouraged an open-aircommunally orientedattitude to life, which assisted in the development of Greek democracy. • In direct contrast, however, the domestic Greek world was that of privacy within the ubiquitouscourtyard house. • Planning based on idea that city’s form reflected its inhabitants. The Greek city is the “polis.”
More immediate impact on the physical character of Greek cities, was the availability of qualitybuilding materials. Worked to fine detail,marblewas the medium by which Greek architecture attained its standards of perfection, but the forms remained evocative of the original wooden structures. The important civic buildings were conceived asthree-dimensional, free standing sculptural objets d’artin whose construction neither expense nor effort was spared. Construction Materials
Early Athens Originally, the city-state started as an area ofhigh groundon which the inhabitants of the countryside would take refuge in case of attack, but later it spread out and was generally surrounded by aprotective wall. A distinction began to be made betweenthe upper city, oracropolis, where the inhabitants could seek a final refuge and where the temples of gods were situated, and the lower city, orastu, in which commerce and the business of civil administration were conducted. Nevertheless, they both formed part of a single entity, because thecity community acted as sole administrator, whatever political system it subscribed to.
The original hilltop nucleus of the older Greek cities and the fortified citadel of many of the colonial foundations. Beginning as the site of the whole urban area, the acropolis either gradually evolved into into the religious sanctuary of the city (as with the most famous example at Athens), or became deserted, left outside the city limits, (as at Miletus.) Acropolis
Early Helladic 3000 - 2000 BCE Early Helladic period of Minoan civilization. 2000 - 1550 BCE Middle Helladic period of Minoan civilization. _____________________________________________________________________ Middle Helladic 1900 - 1100 BCE Mycenaean (Greek) civilization. c. 1550 BCE Apparent invasion of Crete by Mycenaeans. _____________________________________________________________________ Late Helladic 1550 - 1380 BCE Late Helladic I and II periods of Minoan civilization. c. 1500 BCE Linear B tablets written in Crete containing Archaic Greek . c. 1380 BCE Fall of Knossos. c. 1200 - c. 1000 BCE Dorian Invasions of Greece. c. 1196 - c. 1186 BCE Trojan War (dates very approximate and in dispute). ______________________________________________________________________ “Dark Age” c. 1050 - c. 800 BCE Greek "Dark Age". 800 - 479 BCE Greek "Archaic Age" ______________________________________________________________________ Archaic Period 760 BCE Cumae (in Italy) founded. c. 725 BCE The Iliad and Odyssey written down. . • Hellenic Period • c. 600 BCE Massalia (Marseilles in Gaul) founded. • Early 6thc. BCE Archonship of Solon (traditional date). c. 495 BCE Pericles born • 479 - 322 BCE Greek "Classical Age" • c. 470 BCE Socrates born. • 431 BCE Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta starts. • 429 BCE Pericles dies. • c. 427 BCE Plato born. • 404 BCE Peloponnesian War ends with Spartan victory. • 399 BCE Socrates executed. • 384 BCE Aristotle born. • 347 BCE Plato dies. • 336 BCE Philip II of Macedon murdered; Alexander the Great becomes ruler of Macedon and dependencies. ______________________________________________________________________ • Hellenistic Period • 323 BCE Alexander dies. • 322 Aristotle dies. • 322 BCE Greek "Hellenistic Age" Begins • 4th – 3rd c. BCE Hellenistic influence throughout the Mediterranean world • c.168 BCE Final Roman defeat of the remnants of the Alexandrian Empire at Pydna. • Roman Influence Time line from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
Mycenaean Athens c. 1050 - c. 800 BCE Greek "Dark Age". c. 800 - 479 BCE Greek "Archaic Age" Area of Expansion of the Mycenaean City: The Areopagus from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
Archaic Athens Archaic Shrines ? from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
(A) First Phase: 1200 BCE: In the first Phase (A). An altar called a Themele was set up in the village. After the consumption of a large quantity of wine, the villagers sacrificed a goat to the god (Dionysius). Depending upon the season, either a tragedy (from Tragodia = goat song in the Fall), or parody (from parodos = parade in the spring) was performed. In the parody, a large wooden phallus, representing the return of the god was carried in on a donkey and set on the altar. Participants circulated in rhythmic chant around the Altar. This represented the swirling chaos from which the god brought order. (B). Second Phase: c. 900 BCE: As the village grew, 40 to 50 of the most talented young men in the village were elected to participate in the ritual. The rest of the village formed a large circle around them. The participants were known as the Chorus. They chanted and the village responded. (C). Third Phase: 800-700 BCE: At some point, an inspired Chorister was allowed to Lead the chorus by assuming the position of the god On the altar. He chanted, and the Chorus chanted back. The `spectators" or other villagers could participate by chanting along with the choral response. This person became known as the Coryphaeus, or master of the Choir. When he spoke the dancing and chanting stopped. After which, the Chorus responded by resuming the dance. This became the `refrain" to the "verse" sung by the Choryphaeus. The Choryphaeus wore a mask to assume the alternate persona. Development of Greek Theater 1200 BCE to 500 BCE: Based on Daniel Boorstin, The Creators. New York, Random House, 1992. pp. 202-219 from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
Development of Greek Theater 1200 BCE to 500 BCE: Based on Daniel Boorstin, The Creators. New York, Random House, 1992. pp. 202-219 O R C H E S T R A (F). Final Phase: 500 BCE (Theatron) With the Dithyramb as formalized ritual and the orientation of the audience facing the altar and the Coryphaeus, the Greek theater as a formal architectural structure was established. The theater consisted of three main parts: the seating (Theatron) the Orchestra (dancing circle), and the stage. The stage was divided into two parts: a forward part called The Proskenion (Proscenium), and a rear, hidden part, called The Skene. From the Skene, (scenery) images of the exploits of Dionysius could be staged, while actors played the role of the Coryphaeus. The Chorus occupied the Orchestra. Seating was arranged in a 240 degree arc. The chorus entered the orchestra between the seating and the Proskenion via a corridor called the Parodos. (E). Fifth Phase: 600 BCE: With the Dithyramb in place and the preferred orientation of the spectator (the audience), the table is moved to the edge of the circle, and the Coryphaeus faces both the altar and the audience Eventually, wooden seats were placed on a hillside to accommodate the spectators, and the prototype of the Greek Theatron was formed. This occurs at the end of the Seventh Century. The Choryphaeus led a procession of the chorus into the orchestra from a ceremonial street called a Dromos. (D). Fourth Phase: 700-600 BCE: Sometime during the Eighth Century BCE, a table was placed near the altar. This allowed the Choryphaeus and the cult statue of the god to be present at the same time and in the same place. The presence of the two implied a "frontal" orientation rather than the 360 degree circle as before. Given the implication of orientation., the spectators tended to favor the side facing the Choryphaeus. Originally, the Choryphaeus improvised, but by the end of the century, the ritual was formalized as the Dithyramb. from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
The “Long Wall” to Piraeus from Doug Allen at Georgia Tech
