Chapter 5: Ancient
Greece
Lesson 9: Late Classical & Hellenistic
Warm-up 10-17-14 Respond to the following:
1. What is the narrative of this work?
Ch.5 L10 Greece
Obj: SWBAT
describe the context
and significance of
the Battle of Issus
2. What are the stylistic
characteristics? Why are they
significant?
Announcements:
1st quarter Grades Due
Next Friday Oct 24th
 Late work due by
Monday Oct 20th at
5pm


Monday: Quiz on Greece &
ALL cue cards due
Agenda:
Warm-up
 Announcements and
Reminders
 Review Acropolis
structures
 Crash course video
 Notes
 Think-pair-share

Office Hours
Tuesday 3:00-4:00
Thursday 3:00-4:00
Philoxenes of Eretria, Battle of Issus
Narrative:
• Battle between Alexander the Great and Persian king Darius III
• Alexander impales an enemy but gazes at Darius
• Alexander battles without a helmet
• Darius flees in humiliating defeat, his charioteer whipping horses and speeding away
• Darius reaches toward Alexander in a pathetic gesture
Philoxenes of Eretria, Battle
of Issus
Significance:
• New notion of what painting
should be—beginnings of the
Renaissance style
• Psychological intensity and
drama of the moment captured
• Use of light and shadow
(shading) and clear presentation
of figures against the
background
Works you must
research on your
own
Details of the Panathenaic Festival procession frieze
Grave stele of Hegeso
Krater
NIOBID PAINTER, Artemis
and Apollo slaying the
children of Niobe
3-Quarter Profile
Late Classical
Hermes and the infant Dionysos
Early vs. Late Greek painting
How has Greek painting changed over the
course of the archaic/classical eras? What
are the reasons for these changes?
• (What are the stylistic differences and
between these works? What cultural
changes happened to cause these
differences? )
Geometric krater, from the
Dipylon cemetery, ca. 740 BCE
Philoxenes of Eretria
Battle of Issus (detail) ca. 310 BCE
Hellenistic Art
Early
Classical
Hellenistic
Hellenistic Era Context
• Death of Alexander the Great in
323 BCE
• Era ends with death/suicide of
Queen Cleopatra and her consort
Mark Antony
3 Major Kingdoms emerge:
1. Alexandria in Egypt
2. Antioch in Syria
3. Pergamon in Asia Minor
• Hellenistic Kings are immensely
rich
• Indulging in libraries, art
collections, scientific pursuits,
being critics and connoisseurs
Hellenistic Era Context
3 Major Kingdoms emerge:
1. Alexandria in Egypt
2. Antioch in Syria
3. Pergamon in Asia Minor
• Hellenistic Kings are immensely
rich
• Indulging in libraries, art
collections, scientific pursuits,
being critics and connoisseurs
Artistically:
• Art becomes dramatic
• Rejection of Polyklietos concepts
of statues—no longer ideally
proportioned or self-contained
Altar of Zeus, Pergamon
Altar of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey
Context:
City of Pergamon is given to Rome, which is the greatest power
in the world
The Attalids -Kingdom of Attalos, after Alexander’s empire
Function:
Temple/worship
Altar of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey
Stylistic Characteristics:
• Elevated platform with sculpted frieze 400 ft long
• Ionic Colonnade
Narrative/Figures
• Gigantomachy --Zeus and the gods battle the giants
• Epic conflict for control of the world
Significance
• Narrative of the gigantomachy represents the Attalid victory over
the Gauls of Asia Minor
Athena battling Alkyoneos, Altar of Zeus
gigantomachy
Athena battling Alkyoneos,
Gigantomachy frieze, Altar
of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey
Narrative/Figures
• Athena (similar to Parthenon pediment Athena), Gaia (Earth Goddess)
remerges from the ground—looks on in horror
• Athena grabs hair of the Alkyoneos
• Nike flies over to crown Athena
Stylistic Characteristics
• Battle is violent and emotionally intense with sweeping draperie
• Deep carving = dark shadows  more dramatic
• Described as “Baroque” from 17th century European sculpture
• Work is ahead of its time
Nike alighting on a warship (Nike of Samothrace)
Location:
Sanctuary of Great Gods on island of
Samothrace, atop a fountain
Narrative/Figures
Winged goddess of Victory
Would raise her missing arm to crown a
naval (on a ship at sea) victor
Nike alighting on a warship (Nike of Samothrace)
Stylistic Characteristics
• The wind appears sweeps the drapery
• Dress has thick folds and bunches, is
pulled tight across the abdomen
• Placement on fountain adds to theatrical
quality of rushing waves
• Reflection in water, sound of splashing
water
• Statue interacts with its environment
• Statue is like a living, breathing, emotive
human
Significance:
Rejection of Polyklietos concepts of
statues—no longer ideally proportioned
or self-contained
Seated boxer
Exit Slip
What cultural beliefs do these pieces represent about the classical Greek era? Use 3
examples of VISUAL evidence from these works to justify your answers.
The Parthenon/Doryphorous was constructed with..
The function of the Parthenon/Doryphorous was..
Visual Evidence
Cultural meaning
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Exit Slip—No
Notes Allowed
• List the 3 unusual
characteristics about
the Temple of Hera I
Paestum, Italy