Tragedies and comedies
The greeks preformed plays in indoor theaters as part as their religious festivals. They devoloped two kinds of dramas--- comedies and tragedies. In a tragedy, a person struggles to overcome diffuculties but fails. As a result, the story has an un-happy ending. Early greek tragedies presented people in a struggle in life against their fate. Later, Greek tragedies showed how a person's character flaws caused him to fail.
In a comedy, the story ends happily. Today we use the word comedy, to mean a story filled with humor. The word actually means any drama that has a happy ending. Greek stories often dealt with big questions, such as:
- What is the nature of good and evil?
- What rights should people have?
- What role do gods play in our life?
In a comedy, the story ends happily. Today we use the word comedy, to mean a story filled with humor. The word actually means any drama that has a happy ending. Greek stories often dealt with big questions, such as:
- What is the nature of good and evil?
- What rights should people have?
- What role do gods play in our life?
Greek art & architecture
The arts of ancient Greece have exercised an enormous influence on the
culture of many countries all over the world, particularly in the areas of sculpture
and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek
models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several
centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in Greco-Buddhist art, with ramifications as far as
Japan.
Following the Renaissance in Europe, the humanist aesthetic and the high technical
standards of Greek art inspired generations of European artists. Well into the
19th century, the classical tradition derived from Greece dominated
the art of the western world.
In reality, there was a sharp transition from one period to another. Forms of
art developed at different speeds in different parts of the Greek world, and as
in any age some artists worked in more innovative styles than others. Strong
local traditions, conservative in character, and the requirements of local cults, enable historians to locate the origins
even of displaced works of art.
The Ancient Greeks made pottery for everyday use, not for display; the
trophies won at games, such as the Panathenaic
Amphorae (wine decanters), are the exception. Most
surviving pottery consists of drinking vessels such as amphorae, kraters (bowls for mixing wine and water), hydria
(water jars), libation bowls, jugs and cups. Painted funeral urns have also been found. Miniatures
were also produced in large numbers, mainly for use as offerings at temples. In
the Hellenistic period a wider range of pottery was produced, but most of it is
of little artistic importance.
At the end of the Geometric phase, the Orientalizing phase of vase painting saw the abstract geometric
designs replaced by the more rounded, realistic forms of Eastern motifs, such as
the lotus, palmette, lion, and sphinx. Ornaments increased in amount and
intricacy.
In earlier periods even quite small Greek cities produced pottery for their
own locale. These varied widely in style and standards. Distinctive pottery that
ranks as art was produced on some of the Aegean islands, in Crete, and in the wealthy Greek colonies of southern Italy and Sicily. By the later Archaic
and early Classical period, however, the two great commercial powers, Corinth and Athens, came to dominate. Their pottery was
exported all over the Greek world, driving out the local varieties. Pots from
Corinth and Athens are found as far afield as Spain and Ukraine, and are so common in Italy that they were first collected in the 18th
century as "Etruscan vases". Many of these pots are mass-produced products of
low quality. In fact, by the 5th century BCE, pottery had become an industry and
pottery painting ceased to be an important art form.
culture of many countries all over the world, particularly in the areas of sculpture
and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek
models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several
centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in Greco-Buddhist art, with ramifications as far as
Japan.
Following the Renaissance in Europe, the humanist aesthetic and the high technical
standards of Greek art inspired generations of European artists. Well into the
19th century, the classical tradition derived from Greece dominated
the art of the western world.
In reality, there was a sharp transition from one period to another. Forms of
art developed at different speeds in different parts of the Greek world, and as
in any age some artists worked in more innovative styles than others. Strong
local traditions, conservative in character, and the requirements of local cults, enable historians to locate the origins
even of displaced works of art.
The Ancient Greeks made pottery for everyday use, not for display; the
trophies won at games, such as the Panathenaic
Amphorae (wine decanters), are the exception. Most
surviving pottery consists of drinking vessels such as amphorae, kraters (bowls for mixing wine and water), hydria
(water jars), libation bowls, jugs and cups. Painted funeral urns have also been found. Miniatures
were also produced in large numbers, mainly for use as offerings at temples. In
the Hellenistic period a wider range of pottery was produced, but most of it is
of little artistic importance.
At the end of the Geometric phase, the Orientalizing phase of vase painting saw the abstract geometric
designs replaced by the more rounded, realistic forms of Eastern motifs, such as
the lotus, palmette, lion, and sphinx. Ornaments increased in amount and
intricacy.
In earlier periods even quite small Greek cities produced pottery for their
own locale. These varied widely in style and standards. Distinctive pottery that
ranks as art was produced on some of the Aegean islands, in Crete, and in the wealthy Greek colonies of southern Italy and Sicily. By the later Archaic
and early Classical period, however, the two great commercial powers, Corinth and Athens, came to dominate. Their pottery was
exported all over the Greek world, driving out the local varieties. Pots from
Corinth and Athens are found as far afield as Spain and Ukraine, and are so common in Italy that they were first collected in the 18th
century as "Etruscan vases". Many of these pots are mass-produced products of
low quality. In fact, by the 5th century BCE, pottery had become an industry and
pottery painting ceased to be an important art form.