Dionysia

Dionysus was one of the lesser gods, but still very important. He was the god of fertility and wine. He was the creator of wine. Dionysus can either bring extreme happiness and joy or extreme rage and displeasure; “Thus reflecting both sides of wines nature” (Greek Mythology.com). He was also the god of the strange and uncontrollable powers of nature, and later became associated with wine later on (Dionysus).

http://www.theoi.com/image/K12.6Dionysos.jpg

Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. Semele was a human woman that Zeus appeared to in the middle of the night in a hidden form. Semele knew that the person she slept with was indeed a god; however, she had no idea which god she had slept with. They slept together, and soon news spread to Hera. She was extremely angry, and so she decided to spite the two lovers. She told Semele that she should insist on seeing who her true lover was. So eventually Zeus came back to Semele because he was madly in love with her. Semele made Zeus swear an oath that he would show her his true form; he did so and the woman died the moment she laid eyes upon him. Thankfully, Zeus knew that Dionysus was inside her and he took him and sewed him into his thigh until he was ready to be born. This granted him immortality. Dionysus is the only god who has a human parent. However, Hera was still despised this child so much because he was not hers, she forced the Titans to kill him. They ripped him to pieces, but he was then brought back to life by Rhea and handed over to the nymphs for protection (Greek Mythology.com). After living with the mountain nymphs he became extremely powerful with nature

This resurrection from death is one of the most important parts of Dionysus’ life, and what made him on the most important gods. This resurrection related Dionysus to many things in Greek life. The first, rebirth after death; his ripping apart by the Titans reflects the ideas of taking care of the vines. The vines must be destroyed during by the winters, but then they are ready to produce the wine that people can drink. The second idea is that under the influence of wine a person can feel possessed by a stronger higher power and would do things that they normally wouldn’t do (Greek Mythology.com).

Dionysia is a major festival that is thrown in Dionysus’ honor. Dionysia consists of two parts, the Rural Dionysia and City Dionysia. There are many festivals that held all over Greece but they all have the same premise and usually encompass all the same festivities. The major characteristic of the festival is merriment and joy. Lots of times people connected Dionysus with nature and the people of the nature such as: nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs. The people at the festival dress up as satyrs, in order for them to break away from their dreary life, and be reborn into something greater. Not only do people dress up as different people, but they cover themselves “with plaster, soot, vermilion, and different sorts of green and red juices of plants” (Schmitz). Other common festivities included drinking and the loud music using flutes, cymbals, and drums (Schmitz). Another important part of Dionysia includes theater. Many of the greatest Greek tragedies and comedies were created and to be performed at Dionysia; anyone who participate in the plays for Dionysus were considered to be his greatest servants at that time (Greek Mythology.com)

The City Dionysia is usually held in the springtime; this is also very important to the meaning of Dionysus and his connections to the lives of the Greeks. More specifically this festival was held from the 9^th to the 13 of Elaphebolion, which is March to April (Goldhill). When spring comes around in Greece, the leaves begin to reappear on the vine, and that promotes the major Dionsyian idea of rebirth (Greek Mythology.com)

"Dionysus." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.

"Dionysus." Greek Mythology.com. Greek Mythology.com, n.d. Web. 21 Feb 2014. <http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Dionysus/dionysus.html>.

Goldhill, Simon. "The Great Dionysia and Civic Ideology ." Journal of Hellenistic Studies. 107. (1987): 58-76. Print.

Long, H. S. "Dionysus, Cult of." New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 753. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.

Schmitz, Leonard. "Dionysia." Greek and Roman Religion. LacusCurtius, 30 Jun 2013. Web. 21 Feb 2014. <http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Dionysia.html>.

Tragic Flaw: Breaking Down Heroes (Literally)

 WHO?

            Heroes seem to be cast as perfect and impenetrable, but they can be human and even flawed. The plays and writings of Classical Greece hosted faulty and ill-fated tragic heroes.  We recognize these characters for their power, prestige, strength, and heroic charm. They would be perfect if it was not for one majorly flawed characteristic that leads them to a tragic death.

WHAT?

            The stories of these heroes end in tragedy because of a tragic flaw. A tragic flaw is a characteristic that marks a good or moral character for failure (Hyde). A good example is Achilles’ heel; an arrow to a heel ruins a strong, indestructible soldier. To create his strength, Achilles’ mother “dip[ped] him into the River Styx, but she was careless and did not see to it that the water covered the part of the body by which she was holding him” (Hamilton 278). She unknowingly creates a major flaw, making this valiant hero vulnerable. A shot in the heel ends in Achilles’ tragic death. Whereas Achilles’ fatal flaw is physical, these flaws can also be mental such as hubris (pride/arrogance) or obsession (think Gatsby from The Great Gatsby).

            Except, tragic flaws aren’t that simple. There is actually a controversy in defining ‘tragic flaw’. Tragic flaw, fatal flaw, and hamartia are used interchangeably but, as the article “The Tragic Flaw: Is it Tragic Error?” suggests, they should be used separately. “Hamartia means an error which is derived from ignorance of some material fact or circumstance” (Hyde). Let’s clarify Achilles’ flaws. While the actual weakness of his heel physically kills him, it is Achilles’ vengeful nature and temper that put him in the line of fire. His tragic flaw is his heel, his hamartia is his anger.  Both are fatal flaws.

[Vase of Achilles- You can see how respected and adored Achilles is as a hero at his funeral] 

[Picture of Oedipus- The many reactions of the characters show the tragedy of the situation]

            For another focus, let’s look at the story of Oedipus. [Oedipus in Fruit]

Oedipus, after surviving abandonment in the mountains, unknowingly fulfills a prophecy when he kills his dad (King Laius) and marries his mom (Jocasta). Oedipus has four kids (one being Antigone) and has a decent life until a plague hits Thebes. The plague will end when the murder of Laius is punished. A blind prophet plants the seed of doubt in Oedipus. Despite his refusal to accept what he sees, the truth eventually unravels. In shock and anger, Jocasta commits suicide and Oedipus carves his eyes out and deems himself to exile. (Hamilton 376-383)

His hamartia is his “…ignorance of his true parentage [and] his strength and weakness of character, namely his courage and intelligence and his hastiness” (Hyde). His tragic flaw would be the inescapable prophecy.

WHEN, WHERE AND WHY?

            So, why do heroes fated to these outcomes entertain us?  Why are we still enthralled by the fall from greatness, from Romeo’s tragic love to Amanda Bynes’ dissent from career to crazy? Aristotle surmises our devotion to tragic heroes and flaws with

“Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; …in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and feat effecting the proper purgation of those passions” (Noyes).

            Essentially, we get a kick out of feeling fear and pity. Aristotle explains that there are four scenarios in theatre, with the most enjoyable being “the fall of a perfectly good man into adversity” (Noyes).  While happy endings make us happy, it is tragic endings that amuse.

This is important because it says a lot about society. Dryden, from the article “The Tragic Flaw: Is it Tragic Error?” states that, “a play is a just and lively image of human nature, representing its passions and humors, and the changes of fortune to which is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind” (Noyes). Our delight in watching the fall of heroes due to their flaw or hamartia suggests we see these shortcomings as relatable.

Bibliography

"Black-figure Hydria Depicting the Nereids Mourning Achilles, C.560-550 BC." The Bridgeman Art Library Archive. N.p.: Bridgeman, 2008. N. pag. Credo Reference. 3 Nov. 2008. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Edith Hamilton. New York: Spark Pub. 2003. Print.

Hyde, Isabel. “The Tragic Flaw: Is It a Tragic Error?” The Modern Language Review, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Jul. 1963), 321-325. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.

"Jocasta, Queen of Thebes, from 'Des Hommes Illustres'" The Bridgeman Art Library Archive. N.p.: Bridgeman, 2008. N. pag. Credo Reference. 3 Nov. 2008. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.

Noyes, George. “Aristotle and Modern Tragedy.” Modern Language Notes, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Jan, 1898), 6-13. Web.

Classical Greece: Burial Customs

In Classical Greece, social status was an especially important part of Greek life during and after life. It was customary for the dead to be buried and celebrated for a long period of time and to be celebrated elaborately. The term burial rituals describes the rites performed on behalf of the dead at the time of the funeral and also on certain days after the burial thus giving to the living the opportunity to honor the dead through the socially accepted channels. (Vlachou)

During this time, women primarily took care of the grave and decorations surrounding the body or grave. The body was to be separated form the material world (Dubisch). Jill Dubisch writes in the Anthropological Quarterly that death is "...an opportunity for a material display which emphasizes the continuing social identity of individual and family," or as the "...occasion for the affirmation of broader communal values and for the assertion of the transitoriness of the material world." She describes the mourning process after someone has died as lasting from three to seventeen days that include elaborate memorial services that the deceased person can still be connected to the real world. (Dubisch).

The Greeks treated death like this as to stay connected with the material world, and they also had burials to correlate their elaborate memorials to their social status.

In the "Burial and the Polis," Ian Morris says that a formal burial was "...the exclusive prerogative of adults who possessed social rank..." He also states that political and social developments were included during life and when burying someone because of the obligation to have a formal burial for a deceased person. (Morris)

More specifically, the proper burial custom included three main steps:

1. Ekphora, or the funeral procession. The body was then prepared for burial or cremation (Department of Greek and Roman Art)
2. The body was dressed after being washed and anointed with oil for sanitary and ritual purposes (Akmenkalns) The body was then placed on a high bed within the house so that the next step could take place. (Department of Greek and Roman Art) The body was put on a high bed in honor of the Greeks' association between sleep and death. (Akmenkalns)
3. Prothesis: when relatives and friends come to mourn the body and pay their respects. (Department of Greek and Roman Art) It was believed by the Greeks that the dead could "...listen to the laments of the living" (Akmenkalns).

During this process, the women were responsible. At the gravesite, there was an epitaph that contained a verse about the person's life. As the years carried on, more things were added including personal possessions in or surrounding the grave, images of a servant, a dog, and inscriptions from families. Large vases were used as grave markers like the vase pictures below. (Department of Greek and Roman Art)

 The vase is an example of a grave marker that has funerary representations. This vase represents the procession point at which the deceased person is laid on a high bed to be mourned by friends and family. (Department of Greek and Roman Art)

Grave stele with a family group, 360 B.C. It is unclear in this picture who the deceased person was; the inscription has since worn away (Department of Greek and Roman Art)

Ultimately, the Greeks were obligated to have sophisticated and intricate memorials for the deceased. Each funerary process was different for each family, and each process expressed the social class of a family. Even though a person may have died, their soul is kept alive through the memorial and the person's life is described through the items put in their grave, the statues or vases surrounding their graves, and the care that women took over during the process.

Sources:

Akmenkalns, Jessika. "CU Classics. Greek Vase Exhibit Essays. Burial Customs. Colorado University, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Department of Greek and Roman Art. "Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.

Dubisch, Jill. "Death and Social Change in Greece."Anthropological Quarterly 62.4, The Uses of Death in Europe (1989): 189-200. JSTOR. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

Morris, Ian. "Burial and the Polis." The Classical Review 39.01 (1989): 66-67. Print.

Vlachou, Vicky. "Join Academia.edu & Share Your Research with the World." ThesCRA VIII Add. VI 1 E: Death and Burial in the Greek World; Greek Funerary Rituals in Their Archaeological Context. J. Paul Getty Museum, 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Nudity in Greek Art

Many people tend to associate nudity in Greek art with the heroic, handsome man representative of “arête”; ideal perfection of both body and spirit (Bonfante). The strapping athlete, the conquering warrior, the beautiful youth, and the powerful god are certainly all stock characters in the world of ancient Greek nudes, but their presence is only the surface layer of a complex realm. Nudity in Greek culture and art served as a costume that denoted a specific character role or trait to its subject depending on the context. These characteristics shifted and overlapped as customs, norms, and beliefs changed over time.

Historian Jeffrey Hurwit discerns several specific categories of the male nude in archaic and classical Greek art, including heroic, realistic, distinguishing, bestial, and pathetic nudity.

Heroic nudity represented the ideal human form elevated its subject’s status. Heroic male nudes were youthful, beautiful, and noble; often warriors and conquerors from Greece’s history and mythology, kings, or gods. In later works of art, they were sculpted, painted, or carved using mathematical equations to portray what the Greeks at that time regarded as perfect bodily proportions.

Realistic nudity is very similar to heroic nudity and the two were often overlapped and combined in works of Greek art. This type of nudity served to illustrate real-life activities and conventions in archaic and classical Greece. Because men exercised and competed athletically while nude, it was natural for Greek artists to portray athletes as such (McDonnell). Similarly, because nudity typically accompanies sexual acts, erotic art depicted the male nude. Realistic nudity was often idealized in the same manner of heroic nudity, most likely because athletes and paramours naturally fit the youthful, physically beautiful mold of the heroic nude.

Distinguishing nudity served to differentiate individuals in art from one another. The Greeks regarded male nudity as a defining cultural characteristic, seeing themselves as superior because they celebrated their bodies while other (implicitly inferior) cultures saw nudity as a “sign of degradation or shame” (Hurwit). Many works depicting Greeks and foreigners together often portray the Greeks nude, while the outsiders are covered. On the other end of the spectrum, nudity was also used in art as a tool to indicate that a figure was a slave; being property, they were not worthy of clothing. How distinguishing nudity was utilized depended heavily on the context of the art work.

 An example of heroic, athletic nudity, used to showcase an ideal of male beauty and power. 

“Distinguishing” and “heroic” nudity, used to differentiate between the noble, unclothed Greek and his barbaric, covered opponent. 

This distinguishing nudity serves to denote these hard-working individuals as low-class slaves. 

Bestial nudity was often used in depictions of centaurs, satyrs, and other half man/half animal beings. Animals are naturally naked, so these mythological creatures often were as well. Similarly, uncivilized, animal-like men were portrayed nude, often to comic effect. Male worshippers of Dionysus often sported absurdly large phalluses in order to symbolize their beastly, brutish natures.

A satyr with an erect phallus is an example of bestial nudity

Pathetic nudity, in direct opposition to the ideal of heroic nudity, was utilized by Greek artists to weakness or defeat. In several works, such as the Dexileos stele, a hero in flowing robes is shown conquering a naked, battered opponent; Hurwit hypothesizes that this originated as a way to make archaic and classical Greek art more palatable to outside cultures. In any case, this disparity illustrates the complex nature of the male nude in Greek art.

Here the noble Greek is defeating an opponent, who is shown naked to emphasize his vulnerability and weakness. 

Female nudity in Greek art has a less convoluted history, though it is nonetheless fascinating. During the early archaic period, the female nude was all but absent. The Greeks at this time saw female nudity as a flagrant display of sexuality and, unlike the early Mesopotamians who revered this fertile power, felt threatened by and sought to repress it. Because of this, any nude female figures were depicted as vulnerable, weak, and pathetic; often they only existed in art depicting rape. One popular motif was that of Kassandra, a Trojan princess of Greek mythos who was raped by Ajax in the temple of Athena. In early artwork, Kassandra is depicted as a disproportionately small, prepubescent girl, even though she is a sexually mature woman in the myth. Female nudes were often represented in this manner; in making them childlike, Greek artists were able to emphasize their weakness while simultaneously deemphasizing their sexuality (Cohen).

This early depiction of the Rape of Kassandra shows the princess (center) as a prepubescent girl in order to highlight her vulnerability and hide her sexuality. 

Later, female nudity took on a different meaning; the Knidian Aphrodite by sculptor Praxitele is one of the first notable examples of a powerful, beautiful female nude in Greek art. The goddess of love and sexuality had previously been portrayed as clothed; in showing her as fully nude, the role of female nudity in Greek art shifted to serve as a portrayal of powerful fertility, noble dignity, and idealized form. As with the heroic male nude, artists began utilizing mathematics to discern their female nudes’ ideal body proportions, making female nudity a representation of perfect beauty (Sorabella). This change was illustrated in later depictions of the Rape of Kassandra; instead of portraying a childish, humiliated princess, these works showed Kassandra as a “tragic, noble heroine” still in possession of her power, sexuality, and dignity (Cohen).

The Knidian Aphrodite helped establish the role of the female nude in art as a beautiful, dignified, life-giving character. 

Kassandra is sexually mature in this mid-archaic work and is adorned with a cloak in order to show that she is not pathetically naked and still possesses her dignity. 

As female nudity became more accepted as a fixture in Greek art, it began making appearances in erotic works. Prostitutes and slaves were often seen dancing or performing nude, and sexual acts, both homosexual and heterosexual, were depicted not only to titillate viewers, but to glorify and amplify the power of female sexuality and fertility.

This piece of pottery, depicting female lovers, was likely designed to titillate viewers and to exalt the power of female sexuality. 

Sources:

Bonfante, Larissa. “Nudity as a Costume in Classical Art”. American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 93, No. 4 (Oct., 1989), pp. 543-570

Cohen, Beth. “The Anatomy of Kassandra’s Rape: Nudity Comes of Age in Greek Art.” Notes in the History of Art, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Winter 1993), pp. 37-46

Hurwit, Jeffrey M. “The Problem with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art”. American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 111, No. 1 (Jan., 2007), pp. 35-60

McDonnell, Myles. “The Introduction of Athletic Nudity: Thucydides, Plato, and the Vases”. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 111, (1991), pp. 182-193

Sorabella, Jean. "The Nude in Western Art and its Beginnings in Antiquity". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (January 2008)

The Parthenon: A Symbol of Masculinity

Thirty years after the Persian War victory, Pericles commenced a monstrous construction project—four major buildings on the Acropolis.  With the unbending support of the Athenians, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the temple of Athena Nike, and the Parthenon stood to indorse municipal pride, generate employment, and honor Athena for their victories (Parthenon). 

Between 447 and 438 BCE, architects Ictinus and Callicrates completed the eastern-style Dorice temple in the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, and smaller room to hold the Delian League treasury.  In regards to the Parthenon, Perciles, the man assigned to the creation of the frieze (sculptures within the top of the building), was a cultured man in philosophy, literature, and the search for human meaning.  With the help of master frieze sculptor Phidias, he depicted two groups of cavalcade (men and horses) led by chariots, ministrants, sacrificial animals, and heroes and gods that met in the middle with Athena with two smalls girls with stools and a man helping a small child (Adair).  While the design of the spiritual center of Athens appeared simple and straightforward, the architects used curved lines and ratios, often 4:9, to perfect the design of the building (Matthew).  If intricacy of the frieze, size of the structure, or harmony of the columns do not impress, the wooden statue of Athena covered in gold and ivory surely generates a feeling of magnificence.

Before discussing interpretations of the frieze, let us appreciate the engineering that went into constructing the Parthenon.  George Georgopoulos and Telioni Elisavet studied the curvature of the surface of the stylobate, the upper step of the crepis, the four-stepped platform of an ancient temple, upon which stand the columns (Georgopoulos 154).  This curvature was “established at the temple’s foundation, or the stereobate, due to the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the stylobate” (Georgopoulos 155).  Furthermore, to determine the kind of mathematical curve that best describes the curvature of stylobate, the study uses least squares techniques and their correctness checked through correlation coefficients to conclude two types of models—a circle and a parabolic curve (Georgopoulos 154).  Through the Parthenon, the architects hoped to achieve balance and harmony to the eye of a spectator.  While one would intuitively propose a design with strictly straight lines, the architects used curved lines in addition to ratios to create stability and harmony to the human eye.

On the topic of stable structures, just as an innocent sailor sailing by Athens noticed the durable columns in 400 BCE, people of today also associate the Parthenon with the bold columns.  These columns are referred to as the Doric column, one somewhat heavier than the Ionic.  Muscular and swollen are words psychoanalyst Mark Adair used to describe the Doric column because the entasis, bulge along the line of taper, exhibits a muscular quality and the unnecessarily massive width of the columns shows a swollen characteristic (Adair).  According to Adair, the Greeks were sensitive to issues of masculine pride, and, also, honor was accepted as a masculine trait.  Thus, the purposes of the Parthenon—to demonstrate civic pride and to honor Athena—contained masculine tendencies, even though the building contained a temple for a goddess.  Other instances of male sexuality persist in the depictions of Athena; she holds a snake in the eastern frieze, and the 40 foot statue of Athena inside wears war gear, depicting Athena.  (I will let you use your own imagination to figure out the symbolism behind the snake.)

Lastly, scholars purse further understanding in the frieze, especially in regards to the ranks of cavalry.  For example, Nelis argues that the north cavalcade can be divided into ranks of seven or eight riders because the naked leader, looking back over his shoulder, distinguished the ranks; however, Osada thinks the northern horsemen are divided into 10 ranks of six riders each because military groups often consisted contained multiples of six (Osada 538-546).  The debate over the meaning of the frieze—such as the role of each Olympian God that is portrayed on the east side (above the front entrance)—creates constant discussion among academic professionals.

Although the Parthenon traditionally represents the democracy, art, and literature, the building also displays masculine attributes, maintains a balanced appearance, and captures a story.

                                                Works Cited

Adair, Mark J.  “A Dream in the Parthenon.”  American Journal of Art Therapy 29.1 (1990): 1-14.  Academic Search Premiere.  Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

Building of the Parthenon. 20 June 2007.  Image. 18 February 2014.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVgfAd1Yz6M.

Georgopoulos, George and Elisavet Telioni.  “Approximation of the Curvature of the Parthenon Stylobate Using Least Squares Techniques.”  Journal of Surveying Engineering 138.3 (2012): 154-159.  Academic Search Premiere.  Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

Georgopoulos, George and Elisavet Telioni.  Figure 1. 2012.  Photograph of online source.

Matthew, Roy, Thomas Noble and F. DeWitt Platt.  The Western Humanities. 1992.  New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.  Print.

Matthew, Roy, Thomas Noble and F. DeWitt Platt.  Figure 3.23.  2011.  PDF.  The Western Humanities. 1992.  New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.  Print.

Osada, Toshihiro.  “Also 10 Tribal Units: The Grouping of Cavalry on the Parthenon North Frieze.”  American Journal of Archaeology 115.4 (2011):  537-548.  Academic Search Premiere.  Web.  17 Feb. 2014.