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Morris, Ian, and Barry B. Powell. The Greeks: History, Culture, and Society . 2nd ed., Pearson, 2010. All images come from lectures 2-12
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It was a fresco at Knossos, depicting a bull-leaping game that was played in the Minoan palaces. This artefact shows the strong fictional ties between the Minoan civilisation and the mythical stories of the Minotaur. History and fiction are often interwoven, and modern historians should be aware of this when examining historical evidences.
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It was a shipwreck found off the coast of Turkey carrying expensive goods and materials. This shows the importance of trade to the elites and regular people during the time. The artefact gives modern historians a rare glimpse into what the trade and craft industry was like in the Late Bronze Age.
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The Mycenaean citadels and other Near Eastern kingdoms were destroyed. This signifies a gradual end to the Late Bronze Age, and the rise of the Early Iron Age in Greece.
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It was a funerary site on Euboea, commemorating two people buried with expensive goods and four horses. This artfefact signifies that art and culture was gradually regaining importance in the Early Iron Age.
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One of the grave goods of the Athenian lady found in the Athenian Agora was a necklace decorated with Near Eastern techniques, filigree and granulation. Like the burial gifts at Heroon, crafts and trade became more prominent in a period when art was not popular. Furthermore, it shows the strong influence of the Near East on Greek culture, and how that influence continues into later periods.
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It was a series of athletic competitions held at the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Delphi, Olympia, Isthmia, and Nemea. This shows one way of competing (in a non-violent way) and showing off (winners were a source of pride and glory for the city-states) in Archaic Greece.
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c. 740-10 BC
It was a cup with jokes about the Homeric poems engraved on it, found in the settlement of Pithekoussai on island of Ischia (off the coast of Italy). This shows that the first use of the newly invented Greek alphabet was for frivolous matters, such as writing poetry. -
c. 735-700 BC
It is a Late Geometric krater made in the Athenian Agora. This artefact shows how display of wealth was limited to uniform grave markers. Showing off was characteristic of the Archaic period, but a socially tolerable of display emerged to assuage the elite competition. -
c. 550-540 BC
This pottery depicts a scene from the Homeric epics, where Odysseus blinds the cyclops Polyphemus. It destabilises the Spartan Mirage, and proves that Sparta did specialise in art and crafts. This artefact is a reminder not to confuse primary evidence with myth. -
It was an expensive building that was a votive offering from the city Siphnos, located at the Delphi Sanctuary. This artefact shows the display of wealth in a socially acceptable way during the Archaic period.
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It was the first battle between the Greeks and the Persians, led by King Darius. This event glorifies Athens as the saviour of Greece, and foreshadows the return of the Persians a decade later.
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When the Carthaginians invaded Sicily, Gelon of Syracuse and his father-in-law Theron of Acragas defeated them in battle. This signifies the power of the Sicilian tyrants. Also, it may be because of fighting the Carthaginian enemy that Sicily did not participate in Greece's battle against the Persians.
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Persian ships and the Athenian navy fleet battled it out in front of the island of Salamis; the latter is triumphant in the sea battle. Athens claims the victory, and this foreshadows the rise of the 'Athenian Empire.'
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479-474 BC
It was a victory monument dedicated by the tyrant of Gela, Sicily at the Delphi Sanctuary to celebrate a chariot race win. This artefact signifies the importance of showing off and commemorating victories in public spaces for people in the Greek world and beyond to see. -
A statue in the Athenian Agora honouring the tyrant-slayers, Harmodius and Aristogeiton, for putting Hipparchus, the Athenian tyrant, to death. This signifies the rise of democracy in Athens, and the involvement of the people in political affairs.
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The tributes of the 'voluntary allies' of the Delian League stored on the neutral island of Delos was moved to Athens. This signifies Athens seizing control of power and wealth, the beginning of their imperial democracy.
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450-404 BC
It was an internal Greek conflict between Athens (and her allies) and Sparta (and her allies). This event signifies a major divide between the Greek city-states that were previously unified against the Persian enemy. It also serves as an opportunity for Athens and Sparta to propagandise their political systems on cities they took over (the former is pro-democracy, the latter is pro-oligarchy). -
447-432 BC
It was a grand building on the Athenian Acropolis that was constructed during Athenian general Pericles' rule. This shows the visual representation of the city's dominance and affluence, and marks Athens as the top city of the Classical Period. -
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It was a grave stone located in the Kerameikos Cemetery in Athens, in honour of Dexiloas, a young man who died in battle at Corinth. This artefact is an extraneous effort to commemorate an individual, whose name already appeared on the public grave monument. Displaying the achievements of the individual relates to the idea of personal showing off in Classical Greece.
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King Philip II of Macedonia defeated the Greek army led by Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea, Boeotia. This signifies an important transition of Greece from independent city-states to a league under Philip's rule.
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At the second battle in Persia, Alexander the Great and his troops defeated the Persians, forcing King Darius III to escape. Despite being a small army, the Greeks compensated their numbers with discipline and organised strength. Historically, this signified that Persia was no longer a threat to Greece as it was a few centuries ago.
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305-281 BC
Lysimachus, king of Thrace, put the image of Alexander onto his coins. Lysimachus is drawing a connection to Alexander; thus, claiming his legitimacy as the ruler of his kingdom. -
197-159 BC
The Altar of Zeus was built at Pergamon by Eumenes II (descendent of Attalus I). The gigantomachy myth (Gods vs. Giants) on the altar signifies the importance of showing the civilised against the uncivilised barbarians. Furthermore, it legitimises the ruler's position with connections to the local land and Greek culture. -
It was a decree written in three different languages: ancient Greek, Egyptian demotic and hieroglyphs, on a slab of stone (it is now in the British Museum). This artefact shows assimilation of the local and Greek culture.
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This was the end of the Ptolemy dynasty (Cleopatra VII and Mark Anthony) when the Romans took over Egypt. This signified the end of the Hellenistic period.
