Synthesis Question #2

The Zeus of Artemision, which now lives at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, is a statue that towers 2.09 meters high. Because the item that the statue holds is not there, archeologists are unsure of whether the statue depicts Zeus, the god of sky and the “Father of Gods and men,” or Poseidon, his brother and the god of the sea; but, it is widely believed that the statue is Zeus. The religious aspect is also emphasized by the fact that the statue is made out of bronze—a representation of the gods’ perpetual reign of the world as metal can be preserved for an extremely long period of time.

The role of science in this era is also illustrated through this piece of art. With the creation of this statue, human anatomy was seen, for the first time, as worthy enough of being eternalized in bronze. Classic Greek sculptures almost always portrayed the gods, a move made solely to give the Greeks an excuse to study the human body. In this statue, Greek sculptors showcased human muscle groups and achieved balance in the stature of Zeus through the opposing forces of these muscles.

In the sculpture of Zeus of Artemision, the presence of aesthetics is also very clear. It was clear to the artists of that time period that harmony within parts of a piece of art was very vital. The beauty of an artwork depended on the harmony of the parts that composed it, and each part depended on each other to create harmony. Proportion, however, was the most important variable that sculptors and architects focused on. In the sculpture, there exists a clear ratio that relates the shoulders to the hips and the nose to the mouth as Greeks sought to find relationships—the ‘Golden Ratio’—in proportionality ratios to create the perfect harmonious balance.

by Asher Period 2, Team 1 (Jane Lu, Brianna Loo, Christina Yang, and Calvin Chan)

Wylie. Period 6. Team 2. Greek/Roman Synthesis Question (:

THE DYING NIOBID (450-440 BC)

Rome Museo Nazionale (National Museum of Rome)

The statue named The Dying Niobid stands strong as a representation of the consequences of excessive pride. The marble figure of Niobe’s daughter is one of antiquity’s most tragic mythic figures. The story of Niobe is an example of the consequences of boasting before a god or goddess. Niobe had offended the goddess of motherhood, Leto, who is also the mother of Artemis (goddess of hunting and the wilderness) and Apollo (god of the sun). Niobe compared herself to the Leto, saying she had given birth to 12 children while the goddess only had two children. Even so, with the two children, Artemis and Apollo, Niobe’s 12 children were killed. “Apollo… with his silver bow he killed the sons. The daughters, Artemis the Archer had slaughtered.” (Homer Iliad, Book 24) For this lesson to never be forgotten, The Dying Niobid, a daughter of Niobe, is sculpted in a moment where she is falling to her knees, trying to reach for the arrow that had been shot into her back. However, this tragic statue shows more than a lesson; as the sorrowful statue is pained and falling to her knees, her garments slip off, symbolizing the bareness and stripped purity of Niobe. Nudity in Greek culture is usually reserved for the gods and the male figures. Due to her mother’s arrogance, the daughter of Niobe had to suffer. To maintain respect and honor for the gods, Leto had to straighten Niobe’s code of honor; being the goddess of motherhood, Leto knew what pains a mother the most: the loss of her children. This consequential act by a goddess embodies the Greek culture during the Classical period of Greece. Although pride and vanity were not sins, the Greeks emphasized moderation. In the story, Niobe expressed excessive pride therefore committed hubris. Anything in the extremes was considered hubris, even excessive eating or drinking. Many of Greek’s respect for the nobility and morality exist today.

wyl.p6.t8.Greek/Roman Synthesis Question

When observing the Parthenon of Acropolis, Greece the immediate organization of pillars and profound floor plan display the Greeks' obsession with the perfection for the divine. The temple built to honor Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, also conveys the dedication and realization of the Greeks to their beloved Gods. The peculiar metopes added by the architects, Iktinos and Kallikrates, and the sculptor, Pheidias, create a variety of scenes on the outer-columns of the Parthenon. These events describing order and justice serve as a tribute to the honor of Greek culture and tradition. Additionally, the frieze of the Panathenaic Procession along the top of the inter-columns tribute to various religious festivals and the dominance of men. Surprisingly, the only women included in the frieze are the maidens and goddesses. This particular detail informs the observer that the Greeks held a patriarchal view and only honored men in their culture. The general consensus of the temple through its cultural, spiritual, and artistic meanings, can be synthesized as Greeks paying their repsects to their God of wisdom. Iktinos, Kallikrates, and Phedias truly committed themselves to this piece of art and lived up to the expectations set by their religion and society. The elegant and intricate aesthetics of the temple details the Greeks belief in their faith and tribute to their gods. Not only did this complex building protect the gold and ivory statue of Athena, but it also allowed for a smooth transition for the Greeks to travel “from earth to the divine world of Athena.”

by: Trent Kajikawa, Wilson Muller, Daphne Liu, Naomi Krieger

Asher. Period 4. Team 5 Greek/Roman Synthesis Question

Theatre, back in ancient Greek society, was a gathering place where people would crowd to see fascinating plays, specifically the popular tragedies. During the fall of the Ancient Greek government, however, comedies reigned. This social event brought thousands of viewers to experience the play’s morals and styles of the era. The chorus, as an important part of the play, purposely gave the audience further background information, frequently introducing scientific thoughts that were developed through the plot. Ancient Greek Theatre commonly included the themes of fate, religious faith, punishment, and love, as well as several others. They also portrayed a hero’s epic journey that showcased the character’s growth and deepened their knowledge. For example, the Cyclops, a side story in the Odyssey, includes the moral of courage of mankind but also an arrogance aspect. After Odysseus enters the Cyclops’ cave, he uses his cleverness and courage to help him escape, along with his crew, out of the cave and get back safely on board. However, when they’re about to sail away to their homeland, Odysseus yells at the Cyclops and angered the giant. Unfortunately for Odysseus, Zues heard the Cyclops’ plea and punished Odysseus. Due to Odysseus’ arrogance, he and his crew members ended being blown away towards the opposite direction from home, while the god of sea adds on the burden even more. The symbolism of the natural forces is to show how mankind cannot change one’s predetermined destiny. Thus, the Cyclops educates the audience of that time period’s religion, moral and aesthetics values. (254 words)

By: Sara Jan, Lia Lohr, Joanna Tung, and Tiffany Yin

Ash.p2.t4 Greek/Roman Synthesis Question

Though countless works of art and literature originated from ancient Greece, Homer’s epic poem the Iliad is particularly significant for its portrayal of the religion and culture of Odysseus’ time along with depicting the aesthetics of Homer’s time.

In the Iliad there is a recurrence of traditional Greek literary themes, one of which is “Nostos,” homecoming, which is spotlighted many times in the poem. The near-continuous warfare with other city-states made the homecoming of soldiers a very important and joyous event, but also led to difficulties due to the soldiers’ long absences, another theme explored in the poem. “Kleos,” glory earned in heroic battle, also plays a tremendous role in the poem- most notably, when Achilles chooses to stay and fight against Troy’s forces instead of going home and enjoying a long life. At the time, most Greeks used the idea of heroism as a way to become forever immortal and in some ways cheat mortality. Their religion also supported this idea by exalting those who died in battle in ‘heavenly’ ways.

Lastly, “Fate” plays a major part in the Iliad. Once set, gods and men abide with it, neither truly able nor willing to contest it. How Fate was set was unknown to the Greeks and their gods, but the Fates and Seers who made predictions about such things were blindly followed by many of the Greek people. The Greeks believed that they could not change their fate, which lead to a very structured society with little rebellion, and also compelled men to go to battle without question. Such a society was organized through religious beliefs, not scientific or aesthetic principals.

Greek/Roman Synthesis - Wylie Per.5 Team 1

Our group chose the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles to be the best reflection of the interplay of the different aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman society. The Greeks believed in the theory of Forms, that the world we see is but a shadow of reality and the true nature of things. In Oedipus, we see the characters blundering about the world, trying to interpret and follow the will of the gods, unable to discern the truth behind the imperfect events and actions they witness here on Earth. This belief in Forms lies behind religion, the quest for science, and aesthetics of these two ancient societies. Like Oedipus from the eponymous play, the Greeks and Romans strove to understand the will of the gods from the hazy messages they sent to Earth. Sometimes, like when Oedipus searches methodically for his father’s killer, some Greeks and Romans turned to science to logically bolster religion (never to deny it). However, in Oedipus, this scientific questioning angers the gods, and so mirrors the beginning of the rift between science and religion in Ancient Greece and Rome. Oedipus also typifies the art of the time, which was performed en masse and ascetically in order to please the gods. Many people came to see plays such as Oedipus, and the stage set and costumes were exaggerated but few in numbers, used only to augment the oral message of the play. Oedipus is also a political play, as it shows the Ancient Greeks’ distrust of monarchical rule, no matter how grand and righteous it may seem from the side. Oedipus also shows the importance of democracy through the unity and mediation of the Chorus.

asher2012.p2.t3.Greek/Roman Synthesis Question 2

Synthesis Question #2
In looking at Greek Architecture, we are able to discover many things
about Greek society and life during time periods such as the Athenian
Golden Age (480-404 B.C.). The greatest lasting examples of Greek
architecture from this time period are religious temples in the Doric
and Ionian style. This tells us that the Greeks really took religion
seriously, and held it in very high esteem. For example, the
Parthenon in the acropolis at Athens was adorned with beautiful woods
and precious metals, showing us just how important religion was.
Another thing that Greek architecture from this period tells us about
Greek society is that they had a strong understanding of mathematics.
The architecture of this time period was marked by symmetry, with
special attention to the straightness of lines. Shapes such as
rectangles, squares and triangles were used often, and these could
only be achieved through careful measurements and an understanding of
the mathematical definitions of these shapes. One last thing that we
can tell about ancient Greek society from their architecture is that
they took a great deal of pride in their attention to deal. The many
Greek temples and amphitheaters left over from this time period often
have extremely intricate frescoes adorning them. They are often built
to exact specifications that are easily measured. This tells us that
aesthetics and everything being orderly probably meant a great deal to
the ancient Greeks. We can see this attention to deal in other forms
of art such as literature, where we see that topics and human
creations were often cataloged into distinct groups, and made to
follow strict boundaries of order that were often well reasoned by the
great philosophers of the time.