Spartan Art

SPARTA : 

SPARTA A Society of Cultured Warriors?

The myth : 

The myth When most people think of Sparta, they think of a society that was preoccupied with war and discipline. In cultural terms, it was the opposite of Athens – writing and philosophy were replaced by fighting and exercise. The Spartans themselves said they produced their monuments ‘in flesh’. However, Sparta did still produce cultural relics of real significance...

art : 

art Spartan art consisted of: Painted vases Bone/ivory carving

Vases : 

Vases Laconian pottery was sought after all over the Mediterranean, for its high quality and artistic value. It reached its artistic peak c.650-550BC. Design themes included hunting, horseriding, religious rituals, banqueting, plants/animals, and the military.

Couple. Laconian black-figure kylix, 590–550 BC : 

Couple. Laconian black-figure kylix, 590–550 BC

Boar hunt. Laconian black-figure kylix, 590–550 BC : 

Boar hunt. Laconian black-figure kylix, 590–550 BC

Laconian black-figure krater, 590–550 BC. : 

Laconian black-figure krater, 590–550 BC.

Heracles fighting the Cretan bull, while a siren perches on a branch. Laconian black-figure kylix in the manner of the Arkesilas Painter, ca. 550 BC. : 

Heracles fighting the Cretan bull, while a siren perches on a branch. Laconian black-figure kylix in the manner of the Arkesilas Painter, ca. 550 BC.

sculpture : 

sculpture The Spartans created many sculptures, usually of bronze. They usually depicted religious figures, and have been found at shrines such as the Amyklaion.

Slide 10: 

Bronze sculpture of dancing girl

Slide 11: 

Bronze sculpture found at Shrine of Apollo

carvings : 

carvings Laconian ivory/bone carvers were some of the best in Greece. Ivory was imported from Egypt and was very valuable.

Slide 13: 

Ivory carving of Artemis Orthia

Slide 14: 

Ivory carving of Artemis Orthia

architecture : 

architecture This is the ‘art’ of producing functional, beautiful buildings. Sparta never compared to Athens in this respect, and most Spartan ruins are exactly that – ruins. But religious buildings tended to be more impressive than Spartan houses.

amyklaion : 

amyklaion A shrine in Amyclae Dedicated to Apollo and Hyakinth A throne to Apollo – not a temple Designer: Bathykles Built in Ionic style Carvings of lotus flowers Many resources devoted to building it.

MENELAION : 

MENELAION A shrine to Helen and Menelaus (Iliad) Overlooks Mt Taygetus and Eurotas Valley Square step-pyramid structure Hero shrine

Sanctuary of artemis orthia : 

Sanctuary of artemis orthia Close to Eurotas River Consisted of a temple and an altar Site of a festival held in AO’s honour

Writing : 

Writing Spartans were not illiterate, as many used to believe Plutarch says that Spartans were taught a certain degree of reading and writing Private reading, however, was not encouraged

alcman : 

alcman Alcman was a choral lyric (informal, singing with lyre) poet from the C7th BC He wrote at least six books of poetry, most of which are lost Many papyri fragments containing his verses have been discovered His poetry celebrates Spartan festivals, religion, and nature

Nature’s calm : 

Nature’s calm THE mountain brows, the rocks, the peaks, are sleeping, Uplands and gorges hush! The thousand moorland things are stillness keeping; The beasts under each bush Crouch, and the hivèd bees Rest in their honeyed ease; In the purple sea fish lie as they were dead, And each bird folds his wing over his head.

tyrtaeus : 

tyrtaeus Tyrtaeus was an elegiac (formal, accompanied by pipe) poet from the middle of the C7th BC. About 12 fragments of his poetry survive His themes were usually martial, and celebrated Spartan military success Soldiers would sing his poems around their campfires

tyrtaeus : 

tyrtaeus But we will combat for our fathers' land, And we will drain the lifeblood where we stand, To save our children: -- fight ye side by side, And serried close, ye men of youthful pride, Disdaining fear, and deeming light the cost Of life itself in glorious battle lost. Leave not our sires to stem the unequal fight, Whose limbs are nerved no more with buoyant might; Nor, lagging backward, let the younger breast Permit the man of age (a sight unblest) To welter in the combat's foremost thrust, His hoary head disheveled in the dust, And venerable bosom bleeding bare. But youth's fair form, though fallen, is ever fair, And beautiful in death the boy appears, The hero boy, that dies in blooming years: In man's regret he lives, and woman's tears; More sacred than in life, and lovelier far, For having perished in the front of war.