V. Minoan Civilization- Equality

            

Female Character on Minoan Fresco

       Sexual equality exists among the Minoans. Glotz thinks that the Minoan women have many rights because from some Cretan seals, he have found out that artisan was not a profession limited to males. In addition, pieces of frescoes have proved to us the existence of female toreadors and pugilists in Crete and the freedom for women to show up in public events. In summary, both Phaeacian and Minoan women have high status in their society (Aegean Civilization, 143).

Minoan Goddess

Minoan Goddess

Well, this is my last blog on the Minoan Civilization. Hope you find them interesting!!!

Female characters in Minoan Art

Reference

Glotz, Gustave. The Aegean Civilization. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1968. Print.

IV. Minoan Civilization- Artistic Techniques

As mentioned in the previous blogs, the Minoan art stood out from the art work of different civilizations at that time. In addition to the naturalistic representations of the art work, the Minoan artists were characterized by their decorative principles such as torsion, and symmetry and polychromy (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 123-134) . 

Minoan fresco is rich in colors

Remarkably, the use of a variety of colors (like white, orange, orange-yellow and red) and designing techniques in Minoan pottery or frescoes marked the achievement of Minoan art and promoted their unique artistic perspectives. Often, the artists used a technique (ex: hanging spiral) and combined it with an object (ex: a cluster of berries) to show their creativity in art (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 133). 

the Minoan jewellery was famous for their fine details

Furthermore, the Minoan jewellery was famous for their fine details and harmonized design. The most well-known of them all was a golden pendant in form of two bees joined together by heads and tips (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 196). The symmetrical position demonstrated nature’s harmony and balance and the decorative balls on the pendant might symbolize either honey drops or berries. Another example of artistic representation of harmony is a seal with an ibex (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 178). The design is composed by elements like Cretan ibex, native rocks and tree (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 136), which together make the scene a symbol of the balance in the Nature. In summary, the Minoans and the Phaeacians have had outstanding achievements in art.

Reference

Hutchinson, Richard Wyatt. Prehistoric Crete. London: Penguin Books, 1965. Print.

III. Minoan Civilization- peace & love

The Minoans share the spirit of peace and love of life in their art. Hutchinson also states in his work Prehistoric Crete that the palaces are characterised by a lack of fortifications and weapons like battle-axes, which are created for artistic and religious purposes, are rarely found there (187). 

The human figures in Minoan frescoes are often peaceful, joyful, and no scene of war or violence has ever appeared in their art. An example of a fresco with human characters is a piece dated to the Late Minoan period (1550 – 1500 BC), which illustrates a delightful girl dancing in circles with her curly hair flying in the air (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 277-278). Moreover, the Minoan frescoes are more natural and fluid but less “photographically correct” as compared to the Egyptian wall-paintings of the same period, which seemed too “stiff” and lacked emotions (131). 

In fact, the naturalism was a common theme in most Minoan art works: pottery, seals as well as frescoes. For instance, the Minoan artists loved to draw animals (ex: cat, monkey), plants (ex: rose, lily, myrtle, vetch), rocks (ex: river pebbles)… anything that related to nature (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 131, 276). The best and finest of the Minoan frescoes, according to Hutchinson, is the one depicting  a natural scenery of a Cretan dell, found in Hagia Triada, Mesara: “The scene shows two cats stalking a pheasant and the hindquarters of a roebuck leaping over rocks…” (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 276-277). In the light of these naturalistic and non-violent frescoes, readers could see how much the Minoans loved life and Nature.

Reference:

Hutchinson, Richard Wyatt. Prehistoric Crete. London: Penguin Books, 1965. Print.

II. Minoan CVivilization - Art

            In art, the Minoans used precious materials like gold, silver and ivory in the fabrication of decorating objects. For example, Minoan craftsmen were able to make very beautiful ivory seals. These seals were not only used for business purpose, but also are “articles of luxury” (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 135); they were finely made and the best among them (the Middle Minoan II B ones) were surpassing in grace in the ancient times (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 135). 

Minoan Art Galary:

Minoan Vase

Vase with design of Octopus

Vase with design of natural plants

Minoan Girl

Minoan gold ring

Fresco- Ringed Islands of Thera

Copper piece

Reference

Hutchinson, Richard Wyatt. Prehistoric Crete. London: Penguin Books, 1965. Print.

I. Minoan Civilization - Palace

        Starting from today, I will write blogs about the Minoan Civilization.From the indices and traces that the Ancient Minoans have left us, it seems that both societies are prosperous because they have marvellous palaces, splendid art pieces and jewelleries made with precious materials. The societies are peaceful and the people are living in harmony with the Nature. The artists have made remarkable achievements in art. And finally, the status of the women in the Minoan society is very high and sexual equality seems to exist among the group.

        
              Signs of prosperity can be found in the Minoan architecture, seals and jewellery.  In fact, the Minoans had opulent palaces where archaeologists have found beautiful frescoes and fragments of exquisite jewels.

Fall of the Minoans

         
   


       Adding to the splendour of the buildings, the palaces are marked by their functions and the excellent adaptation to nature. 

Knossos Palace

The effective communication between rooms was approved as well as the distribution of light and the advance draining system (Glotz, Aegean Civilization, 119).      

       

Minoan Jewellery

Minoan Board

          Furthermore, the Minoans had precious jewelleries to decorate themselves. From Mesara, historians had found fragments of very “small golden disks of thin leaf” that the Minoans attached on their garments as well as variant shapes of “beads”, “finger rings” and “golden rivet heads” (Hutchinson, Prehistoric Crete, 195). 







The main reason of their advanced techniques and creative design in the jewellery-making is that the people were living in abundance, so they would have time to stay focused on making more and more beautiful jewelleries with precious stones and wore them on different occasions.


Reference:

Hutchinson, Richard Wyatt. Prehistoric Crete. London: Penguin Books, 1965. Print.

V.The Phaeacian World- Artistic Culture

 The Phaeacians had great achievement in the field of art and performance.

Songs

In the Book Eight of The Odyssey, Homer develops the role of a talented bard named Demodocus in order to highlight the importance of the professional singer in the Phaeacian civilization. In The Odyssey, Demodocus is described as a famous and divine singer who is honoured and respected by all Phaeacians; He is particularly loved by Muse the goddess of music (De Jong, Narratological Commentary on the Odyssey, 191).

Demodocus the bard is singing during the feast.

Dance

The Phaeacians are very good dancers. In Book Eight, Homer vividly illustrates an interesting Phaeacian dance with a purple ball:

“After showing [the ball- throwing skill] at this high play, [the dancers] began tossing the ball quickly to and fro as they moved in their dance on the bountiful earth…” (Homer, Odyssey, 103-104).

Their artistic achievement is even approved and praised by the heroic Odysseus (Homer, Odyssey, 104), who has traveled in many places and must have seen many dances. Ultimately, the poet explores the Phaeacians’ superior place in the skills of singing and dancing.

This Roman relief shows two Phaeacian dancers. 

IV. The Phaeacian World -- Palaces

The Phaeacians are good architects. Homer claims that King Alcinous’ splendid palace is well built and decorated; the doors, the posts, the lintel and the guarding dogs are made of either gold or silver (Homer, Odyssey, 87). The objects which the Phaeacians use are finely made. For example, the “seats” in their assembly place are “of polished marble” (Homer, Odyssey, 94) and the “chair” on which Demodocus the bard sits is “silver-studded” (Homer, Odyssey, 95). These descriptions may also give readers an idea how rich King Alcinous is and thus emphasizing that the Phaeacians are living in leisure.

Alcinous holds a feast for Odysseus in his palace.

There are certain similarities between the Phaeacian and the Minoan architecture. The Minoans too had opulent palaces where archaeologists have found beautiful frescoes and fragments of exquisite jewels. Adding to the splendor of the buildings, the palaces are marked by their functions and the excellent adaptation to nature. The effective communication between rooms was approved as well as the distribution of light and the advance draining system (Glotz, Aegean Civilization, 119).

The opulence in Minoan palace can be compared  to the Phaeacian ones

Unfortunately, the world which Homer presents in his poem still remains unknown. It is true Phaeacian and Minoan cultures share many similarities, but we cannot draw any conclusion or direct connections between the two groups.People hope one day that archaeologists will find more evidence to Homer’s stories and thus reveal the mystery of the Phaeacians.

                          Coming up...Phaeacian Artistic Culture  ^0^

III. The Phaeacian Society

The Phaeacian society demonstrates the ideal Utopian society in Homer’s mind, which can be characterized by its

• Prosperity
• Peace
• Sexual equality

Prosperity

The Book Eight of The Odyssey demonstrates a day of entertainment in Scheria. Odysseus, who initially comes to the land as a stranger, is welcomed and invited to a feast by King Alcinous of the Phaeacians (Homer, Odyssey, 95). In this chapter, Homer is not interested in describing any sacrificing ceremonies that generally take place before an important feast, but rather focusing on the number of animals that would be slaughtered to prepare the feast:

“Alcinous sacrificed for them a dozen sheep, eight white-tusked boars, and two shambling oxen” (Homer, Odyssey, 95).

In summary, the Phaeacians are characterized by hospitality, generosity and they are living in prosperity.. If the Phaeacians were living in misery and suffering from starvation and disease, Homer would not highlight the “lavish supply” (Homer, Odyssey, 95) of food and the king would not hold such a big meal for a stranger (Homer, Odyssey, 94).

The Phaeacian society in marked by prosperity.

Peace

The Phaeacians do not like fighting and warfare. They are not very skilful in violent sports like wrestling and boxing, but rather in running (Homer, Odyssey, 100). Even today, wrestling and boxing are considered to be violent sports and related to aggression. On the other hand, running is less violent, dangerous, and it can be thought as a defensive strength as compared to boxing. Also, the Phaeacians follow the codes of sportsmanship. In Book Eight, even though Euryalus’ verbal insult towards Odysseus is not an action that respects Xenia, readers should notice that their argument does not end up in a fight; both men agree to take their quarrel in the form of a sporting competition (Homer, Odyssey, 98-99). In the end,Euryalus accepts Odysseus’s winning without any resentment, but rather he respects Odysseus and hands him his valuable sword as a gift (Homer, Odyssey, 104).

Odysseus is engaged in a phaeacian
sportive competition.

Sexual equality

Among the Phaeacians, equality between men and women seems to exist because women can take leading roles in the country. In Book Eleven, when Odysseus has finished talking about the female heroines what he met in the House of Hades, Queen Arete breaks the silence and takes the leading role. She is respected by the Phaeacians and is addressed by the prestigious lord Echeneus as “our wise Queen”. Her power in the palace indicates that women can be as important as men in the Phaeacian society (Homer, Odyssey, 148-149).

Phaeacian Women

Women have very high social status in Scheria.

                                                  Coming up...Phaeacian Palaces  ^0^

II. The Phaeacian World -- Main Phaeacian Characters in The Odyssey

Phaeacian Nobles

An understanding of the main characters in Homer's work will help in the understanding of his literature and also of the Phaeacian society. Here is a list of the main Phaeacians that appeared in The Odyssey

Alcinous Arete Demodocus Echeneus Eurylaous Halius Laodamas Nausicca Nausithous

---

Alcinous:

• King of the Phaeacians
• Son of Nausithons, grandson of Poseidon the Earthshaker
• Husband of Arete
• Alcinous is a wise king and a good ruler. In ancient Greek, Alcinous means powerful mind. Homer’s underline meaning of the name is that the Phaeacians are governed by powerful thought andvirtue.

Arete:

• Phaeacia princess
• Daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete
• Princess Nausicaa is described by Homer as tall, beautiful and is compared to Artemis the goddess of women. In Book Six, she finds Odysseus on the beach and directs him to her father’s Palace.

Demodocus:

• The royal bard
• Favorite of Muse the goddess of music
• Demodocus is gifted in songs and poems and respected by the Phaeacians. His talent is praised by Odysseus in Book Eight. He has sung two songs in the book: the love of Ares and Aphrodite and Odysseus’ victory in the Trojan War (Homer, Odyssey, 102, 111).

Eurylaous:

• Young Phaeacian noble
• Good in wrestling. He has beaten other challengers in the game in Book Eight (Homer, Odyssey, 105).

Echeneus:

• Phaeacian noble
• Oldest phaeacian man in the story
• In Book Eleven, he praises and supports Aretewhen she speaks (Homer, Odyssey, 149).

Halius:

• King Alcinous’s son
• Best dancer among the Phaeacians

Laodamas:

• King Alcinous’s son
• Best dancer among the Phaeacians
• Best boxer
• In Book eight, Laodamas and Halius has shown a Phaeacian dance to Odysseus. (Homer, Odyssey, 108).

Nausicca:

• Queen of the Phaeacians
• Daughter of of Phexenor
• Niece of Alcinous
• Arete’s father got killed by Apollo and thusAlcinous takes her as his queen. Arete is wise, sympathic and warm-hearted. She earns high status in the country and is praised by her people. In ancient Greek, Arete means excellence andvirtue.

Nausithous:

• First king of the Phaeacians, founder of Scheria
• Son of Poseidon the Earthshaker and Periboea (the daughter of Eurymedon the King of the Giants)
• King Nausithous has two sons Rhexenor and Alcinous, who become the next king after his father.

Phaeacian Prince

                          Coming up...Phaeacian Society  ^0^

I. The Phaeacian World

Introduction

The Odyssey is one of Homer’s most famous epic poems, and also one of my favorite books. Written in around 750 BC, this classical text demonstrates a heroic world that interests many historians, philosophers as well as writers. In this poem, Homer introduces the Phaeacians, a mysterious group of people living in the land of Scheria. Since I am so interested in their history, in the coming series of blogs, I want to introduce some main characters of the story, as well as the Phaeacian architecture, society, lifestyles,  and artistic achievements. ^.^

Geographics

                                    ↑ Geographic Location of Scheria

                                    

Homer's Interpretation of the World

Coming up...Main characters in the Odyssey ^0^

References 

“Adventures of Odysseus: Part II: The Odyssey: Chapter III.”N.d. Sacred-Texts. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Antikensammlungen, Munich. “Nausicaa & Odysseus Vase.”450 B.C. WisdomPortal. Web. 24 April, 2011.

“Before The Greeks.” N.d. KidsKnowIt Network. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Bookfreak82. “Phaeacia.”N.d. Glogster. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Canova, Antonio. “The Dance of the Phaeacians.” N.d. Flickr.Web. 24 April, 2011.

De Joung, Irene. A Narratological Commentary on the Odyssey. New York: Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2001. Print.

Francesco Hayez. “Odysseus at the palace of Alkinoös.” N.d.iReference. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Frederic Leighton. “Nausicaa.” 1878. iReference. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Glotz, Gustave. The Aegean Civilization. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1968. Print.

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by E. V. Rieu. Toronto: Penguin Classics, 2003. Print.

“Homer, The Odyssey. Ulysses (Odysseus) follows the car of Nausicaa, daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians.” Lebrecht Music & Arts. 2008. Web. 24 April, 2011.

“Mythological Map of Greece: Cercyra (Scheria or Land of Phaeacians).” N.d. Sigma Publications. Web. 24 April, 2011.

Pieter Lastman. “Odysseus before Nausikaa.” 1619.iReference. Web. 24 April, 2011.

"The World according to Homer." 1895. iReference. Web. 24 April, 2011.

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