6
The Aegean
Learning Objectives
The following summarizes what a student should have learned from reading this chapter of
A History of Western Art.
It is assumed that students can identify all works by title, artist (if known), culture (or
nationality) and time period, medium, and style. It is also assumed that students will look up and
be able to define the bolded key terms. In addition, further examples of what a student should be
familiar with are listed below.
After reading Chapter 6, students should be able to do the following:
1. Locate Mycenae, Sparta, the Cyclades, Crete, and Troy on a map of the Aegean.
2. Compare the female Cylcadic idol featured in the chapter with the Minoan Snake
Goddess.
3. Compare the Minoan and Theran painting styles with that of ancient Egypt.
4. Draw and label the plan of a Mycenaean megaron.
5. Compare the architecture of Knossos with that of Mycenae.
6. List the three types of construction systems used in the Lion Gate of Mycenae, and
explain the meaning of its relief sculpture.
7. Describe the structure and purpose of the tholos.
8. Relate the legend of Agamemnon.
9. Discuss the discoveries at Thera.
10. Discuss the emphasis on the sea in Minoan and Theran iconography.
Lecture Outline
A. Cycladic Civilization (c. 3000–11th Century B.C.)
a. Impressive examples of early Bronze Age human figures in marble
i. Female figures more numerous than male
ii. Purpose is unknown, but most were found in graves
iii. Composed mainly of geometric sections
B. Minoan Civilization (c. 3000–1100 B.C.)
a. The modern Greek island of Crete was the home of the most important Bronze
Age culture
b. Mythological home of King Minos and the story of the Minotaur
c. The Palace at Knossos
i. Knossos had been inhabited since early Neolithic times
ii. Palace was asymmetrical and meandering
IM – 6 | 1
iii. Construction was post-and-lintel
d. Minoan Fresco—pigments mixed in with plaster
i. Additional details painted over the buon fresco
e. Religion
i. Little is known about Minoan religious beliefs
ii. Recurring religious motifs: Bulls, double axes, trees, columns, outdoor
shrines, and goddesses holding snakes
f. Minoan Scripts
i. Linear A—developed about 2000 B.C.
ii. Linear B—used mainly for inventory lists and records
g. Pottery
i. Energetic designs and organic forms
C. Discoveries at Thera
a. Affluent ancient trading city with interior baths and toilets
b. Buried by a volcanic eruption 1700–1500 B.C.
c. The Frescoes
i. Adorned both public spaces and private residences
ii. Provide clues about life and culture in ancient Thera
1. Ship Fresco
2. Boxing Children
3. Crocus Gatherer
D. Mycenaean Civilization (c. 1600–1100 B.C.)
a. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann sought to prove certain Greek myths were
based on historical events
i. Discovered and excavated both Troy in modern-day Turkey and Mycenae
in the Peloponnese, based on tales from The Iliad and several plays about
Agamemnon’s family
b. Evidence of Minoan and Mycenaean contact
i. Mycenaean frescos similar to Minoan frescos
ii. Minoan-style columns used on the Lion Gate
iii. The gold cup is Mycenaean in execution but with iconography that is
Minoan
Key Terms
corbeling
faïence
frieze
megaron
repoussé
terra-cotta
tholos
IM – 6 | 2
Arts and Artists
This is a list of all the key works in this chapter.
6.1 Female Cycladic idol, from Amorgos, 2700–2300 B.C.
6.2 (Right) Female Cycladic idol (side view of fig. 6.1).
6.4 Ruins of Palace of Minos, Knossos, 1600–1400 B.C.
6.5 Toreador Fresco, Knossos, c. 1500 B.C.
6.6 Snake Goddess, from Knossos, c. 1600 B.C.
6.7 A spouted jar, c. 1800 B.C.
6.8 Octopus Vase, from Palaikastro, Crete, c. 1500 B.C.
6.9 Ship Fresco (left section), from Akrotiri, Thera, c. 1650–1500 B.C.,
6.10 Boxing Children, from Akrotiri, Thera, c. 1650–1500 B.C.
6.11 Crocus-Gatherer, from Thera, before 1500 B.C.
6.13 Reconstruction drawing of the Mycenaean megaron showing the front porch with two
columns and the interior hearth enclosed by four columns.
6.14 “Goddess,” from the citadel of Mycenae, approx. 1200 B.C.
6.15 Lion Gate, Mycenae, 13th century B.C.
6.16 Façade and dromos of the “Treasury of Atreus,” Mycenae, 13th century B.C.
6.18 Interior of a tholos tomb, showing the entrance lintel and a door to the side of the chamber,
“Treasury of Atreus,” Mycenae, 13th century B.C.
6.19 Reconstruction drawing of Grave Circle A, Mycenae, as it was in the late 13th century B.C.
6.20 Dagger with lion hunt, 16th century B.C.
6.21 “Mask of Agamemnon,” from Mycenae, c. 1500 B.C.
6.22 Minoan and Mycenaean cups from Vapheio, near Sparta, 16th century B.C.
IM – 6 | 3
Discussion Questions
1. Aegean civilization represented a distinct culture, yet it also borrowed liberally from its
neighbors. Analyze the influence of other ancient civilizations on Aegean culture. What
features of Near Eastern and Egyptian art did Aegean artists incorporate in their own
works? What techniques and styles did they borrow, and what unique elements of their
own did they add? Based on the similarities between Aegean art and that of other
civilizations, could one say that there were common elements that all ancient cultures
shared? What might such common element suggest about ancient civilizations generally?
2. Ancient art generally had a purpose beyond pure aesthetics. Often the purpose was
political or religious or a combination of the two. Analyze Aegean artwork in terms of its
probable function. How did Aegean art change from the Cycladic through the Mycenaean
civilizations? What types of artwork characterize each successive civilization? Based on
what scholars have conjectured, how did the function of Aegean art and architecture
change over time? What do these changes suggest about broader developments in Aegean
history?
3. Works of art are often treated as transcendent, timeless objects. How important is it to
understand the cultural context in which they arose? Can art be understood on its own, or
must it be situated in time and place? How important is the artist’s intention to
understanding a work of art? Might more be lost than gained if Linear A were
deciphered, and the meaning and purposes of Minoan artwork were known more
certainly?
IM – 6 | 4