In Greek mythology, the Minotaur is a mythical creature portrayed in Classical times

with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman
poet Ovid, a being "part man and part bull". He dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth,
which was an elaborate maze-like construction designed by the architect Daedalus
and his son Icarus, on the command of King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur was
eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.
GREEK ART
 CHRONOLOGY
• 1,050 – 900 BCE: Proto-Geometric
• 900 – 700 BCE: Geometric Period
• 700 – 600 BCE: Orientalizing Period
• 600 – 480 BCE: Archaic Period
• 480 – 323 BCE: Classical Period
– 480 – 450 BCE: Early Classical Period
– 450 – 400 BCE: High Classical Period
– 400 – 323 BCE: Late Classical Period
• 323 – 30 BCE: Hellenistic (Greek-like) Art
Mythology & Names of the Greek Gods and Goddesses
The major Greek Gods and goddesses of the pantheon are referred to as the Olympians and
according to Ancient Greek Mythology lived on the mythical Mount Olympus where they were
entertained by the Nine Muses. The Twelve Olympians gained power in their victory over the
Titans in the war of the gods. The Twelve Olympians were led by Zeus who is also known as
the king of the Greek divinities and deities. The names of the principle Greek Olympians,
were Zeus, Athena, Hestia or Dionysus, Apollo, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Artemis, Ares,
Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Hermes. Pluto, also known as Hades, was not generally included
among the Olympians because his realm was the underworld. Other important Olympians,
notably Eros, Selene, Hebe, Helios and Persephone are occasionally included in ancient
depictions of the twelve Olympians. http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/
Greeks are interested in the human figure the idea of perfection.

Greek Temples provide a foundation for European architecture and reflects the
idea of obtaining perfection with mathematical ratios.

The Greek time period starts at around 900 BCE, about 200 years after the
collapse of the Mycenaeans.

In the 5th century, the Greeks defeated the Persians, though it left Athens in
ruins (rebuilt by Pericles) = Start of the Classical time period

Polykleitos's canon of proportions: The head should be 1/7 of the body.

The chiastic stance that expresses the alternating relaxed and stressed
muscles.

The Peloponnesian War in 432 BCE (lasted about 27 years) devastated and
crushed Athens by the victorious Spartans = Start of the Hellenistic
Alexander the Great took over and united the Macedonians with the Greeks in the
4th century and after his death, his empire gave into Roman rule
GEOMETRIC
PERIOD

900 – 700 BCE

POTTERY
Artist: Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop
Title: Funerary Vase (Krater)
Medium: Ceramic
Size: height 42 ⅝" (108 cm)
Date: c. 750–700 BCE
Source: Dipylon Cemetery, Athens
ORIENTALIZING
PERIOD

700 – 600 BCE

Title: Pitcher (Olpe)
Medium: Ceramic with black-figure decoration
Size: height 11 ½" (30 cm)
Date: c. 600 BCE
Source/Museum: Corinth
ORIENTALIZING STYLE
Lion of Delos
ARCHAIC PERIOD

600 – 480 BCE

ARCHAIC STYLE
 Egyptians
created what
they knew.

Greeks created
what they
saw.
2000 llbs with skinny
ankles, left foot Title: Anavysos Kouros
forward. Base and Medium: Marble with remnants
name are missing. of paint
Tomb sculpture or as Size: height 6'4" (1.93 m)
a dedication in a Date: c. 530 BCE
sanctuary. Poise and Source/Museum: Cemetery at
nudity- visual Anavysos, near Athens
expression of
sovereignty

Modeling in the
Drawing or round
incising Grave marker for an
aristocrats son

The inscription on the base read:

“Stay and mourn at the monument of
dead Kroisos who raging Ares slew
Archaic as he fought in the front ranks.”
Kouros= Youth (nude)
plural – kouroi
Title: Standing Youth (Kouros)
Medium: Marble
Head band and braids
Size: height 6' (1.84 m) Perfected bady
Date: c. 600 BCE Hands to hip bridge that give
Source/Museum: Attica / The Metropolitan it stability.
Museum of Art, New York. 70 years difference.
Form: Context:
Extremely idealized male figure 6th century B.C.E.
• very muscular and lean Archaic period (700-480 BCE)
•Egyptian style stance First obtained iron Chisels in this period
• Tense and flexing his muscles Iron, being much denser than
•Completely naked anything earlier works were carved
• shows off the realistic and proportional with, allowed the Greeks to carve
anatomy out of harder stones like marble
•Neatly Braided hair Unknown artist
Found in the cemetery of Anavysos
Function: Grave marker for Kroisos
A Kouros was very popular in ancient Athens Died in a war, "Slain by the wild
Thousands were made and were used in a couple Ares”
different ways
Most commonly used as grave markers (like this Content:
particular Kouros) Slightly larger than life size
offerings to a god roughly 6'4"
less common but as a representation of god, Representation of ideal male youth
usually Apollo gives the work its name
This Kouros was set up by aristocratic family as a grave "Kouros" literally means youth
marker for their son
Is not a portrait but simply an idealized figure
Anavysos Kouros is a transition for this type of work
sculptures from earlier in the 6th century BCE
were more abstract
The focus on Realism indicates a society that revered
the human form, and desired to understand the natural
environment as a series of cause and effect arguments.
Differed from the Egyptian statues in this way
Contextc. 530 B.C.E.
Acropolis (ancient citadel on a hill) at Athens, Greece
Artist unknown

Content
Kore statue (young maiden)
Most likely one of the maiden goddesses
A peplos robe (not confirmed*)
Arm extended with the intent of holding something, breaks mold
of static Archaic statues
Object was lost to time (may indicate which goddess is
depicted)
Classical Egyptian stance (prior to Contrapasto)
Facial expression alludes to unearthly wisdom, association with
transcendance and being above humanly emotion

Form
Brightly pigmented paint
Much of which still remains (red of the hair and eyes)
Skirt formerly colored, designed with animals (such as the
sphinx, horses, and possibly goats)
Fine-grained Parian marble (white)
Missing left arm
Tightened waist
Breasts revealed beneath drapery
Rounded, naturalistic face
Hair falls naturally on her figure (natural theme)
Free-standing

Function (*interpretations)
To honor and depict a Greek goddess (likely Artemis)
Place holder for altar in Greek temple > Acropolis
Kore often used to mark graves, were offerings to the gods (6th-
5th c. B.C.E.)
Physical representation of a deity (specifically the goddess
Artemis or Athena), which is the most likely option as she is
clothed differently than all other korai found at the Acropolis
 Archaic
Kore= female (clothed)
(plural – korai)
Title: Berlin Kore
Medium: Marble with remnants of paint
Size: height 6' 3" (1.9 m) Title: Peplos Kore
Date: c. 570–560 BCE Medium: Marble
Source/Museum: Cemetery at Keratea, near Size: height 4' (1.21 m) Title: Kore (Athena)
Athens Date: c. 530 BCE Medium: Marble
Size: height 22" (0.55 m)
Source/Museum: Acropolis, Athens Date: c. 520 BCE
Offering to the goddess Athena or Source/Museum: Acropolis, Athens
Artemis given by men
"Kouros and kore figures stand frontally, bolt upright, and with squarish shoulders.
Hair is knotted, and the ears are a curlicue. Figures are cut free from the stone as
much as possible, although arms are sometimes attached to thighs. As in Egyptian
works, kouros figures have one foot placed in front of the other, as if they were in mid
stride. The shins have a neat crease down the front, as Egyptian works do."
--Greek Art, Content Area: Ancient Mediterranian, p. 105

Unlike its male counterparts, this Kore statue is clothed. She is assumed to be
wearing a peplos, a rich outer robe or shawl worn by women in ancient Greece,
hanging in loose folds and sometimes drawn over the head, which is where the name
comes from--although there really isn't a way to tell what it actually is.

Originally, she was painted in bright colors, and her arm was once extended,
presumably holding an object. Scholars say she was most likely Artemis or Athena,
but it's impossible to be sure because we don't know whether she held a bow or not.
Artemis is the most likely choice, due to how her appearance contrasts with the other
Kore figures, and the color and decoration of the figure's costume.

Overall, the Peplos Kore reflects the Classical ideal.

EARLY CLASSICAL
Title: Kritian Boy
Medium: Marble
Size: height 3'10" (1.17 m)
Date: c. 480 BCE
Source/Museum: From Acropolis, Athens
CONTRAPPOSTO
Zeus (or Poseidon?)
from the sea off Cape
Artemision, Greece
ca. 460-450 B.C.E.
bronze
82 in. high
Artist: Myron
Title: Discus Thrower (Diskobolos)
Medium: Marble
Size: height 5'11"
Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 450 BCE
Source/Museum: National Museum, Rome
Title: Warrior A (front)
Medium: Bronze with bone and glass
eyes, silver teeth, and copper lips and
nipples
Size: height 6'9" (2.05 m)
Date: c. 460–450 BCE
Source/Museum: Found in the sea off
Riace, Italy
CLASSICAL
Form: made of white marble, subtractive sculpture, life size, aprox. 84 in. (213 cm.)
Function:
Context: naked = celebrates the nature human body, its beauty, and its strength for enjoyment: to showcase the beauty
marks this as a Greek sculpture of the human body
one of the earliest examples of contrapposto
includes a strong a sense of harmony and counterbalancing:
left arm and right leg = relaxed
right arm and left leg = tensed
the man has with broad shoulders and thick torso and is just generally muscular
used to hold an iron spear
the face isn't individualized
he's made to depict everyone's ideal self

Content
found in a palestra (a place for athletes to work out in) in
Pompeii
one of the most copied Greek sculptures
everyone want Greek art because it was
representative of a luxurious and leisurely life + they
were super high quality and when they raided, they
got them for free!
created at time when the Greeks were in awe of the
mathematical perfection of the human body
Polykleitos created a canon (a set of guidelines) outlining
the ideal man based on ratios and measurements
experts believe the Spear Bearer was made to
represent the idealized version of the perfect Greek
man (men should aspire to be him even though it's
impossible) as outlined in Polykleitos' canon
extremely significant because of it's relative realism when
compared to the Anavysos Kouros
shows an ever-advancing understanding of the
human body
depicted normal life, a sculpture of a man walking
shows that human potential was/is hugely
important to this society
Artist: Polykleitos
Title: Spear Bearer (Doryphoros), also known as Achilles
Medium: Marble (tree trunk and brace strut are Roman
additions)
Size: height 6'11" (2.12 m)
Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 450–440 BCE
CONTRAPSSASTO
Title: Charioteer
Medium: Bronze, copper (lips and lashes), silver (hand),
onyx (eyes)
Size: height 5'11" (1.8 m)
Date: c. 470 BCE
Source/Museum: From the Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi
STANDARD SHAPES OF GREEK VESSELS
Scenes of the Persian War
Artist: Exekias
Title: Achilles and Ajax Playing A Game
Medium: Ceramic amphora with black-figure decoration
Size: height of amphora 2' (61 cm)
Date: c. 540 BCE
Source/Museum: Vatican Museums, Rome
 Artist: Exekias
Title: The Suicide of Ajax
Artist: Euphronios (painter) and Euxitheos (potter) Medium: Ceramic amphora with black-figure
Title: Death of Sarpedon decoration
Medium: Ceramic calyx krater with red-figure decoration Size: height of amphora 27" (69 cm)
Size: height of krater 18" (45.7 cm) Date: c. 540 BCE
Date: c. 515 BCE Source/Museum: Château-Musée, Boulogne-sur-
Source/Museum: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Mer, France
Method- sgrafito
Red Figure Black Figure
In his archaic role as bringer of diseases
and death, Apollo with his poison arrows killed
Niobe's sons and Artemis with her poison
arrows killed Niobe's daughters.
Cross-Cultural Comparisons:
- Beaker with ibex motifs
- The David Vases
- Martínez, Black-on-black ceramic vessel
Form:
- figures are stiff - early classical - severe style
- made of clay
- red figure bc bodies are part of red clay pot and then black
background — lots of detail allowed
- in the past: greek vases before this had only one "line"
- now figures occupy different levels
- sense of an illusion of space
- foreground and background but all figures are the same size
- suggesting depth
Function:
- Type of vessel: Calyx-krater:
- Large punch bowl
- used to mix water and wine
Content:
- 2 sides
- one side is of war almost
- the other is more peaceful
- kind of like the Standard of Ur?
Context
- Each period of time had its own technique
- Geometric Period (c. 900-700 B.C.E.) - geometric patterns
- Orientalizing Period (c. 700-600 B.C.E.) - animal processions and
Near Eastern motifs
- Archaic and Classical Periods (c. 600-323 B.C.E.) - vase-
paintings primarily display human and mythological activities
- painted scenes should not be thought of as photographs that
document reality
- aid in reconstructing the lives and beliefs of the ancient Greeks
ARCHITECTURE AND
ARCHITECTURAL SCULPTURE
ARCHAIC
How was the Agora used in Athens and what
crossed the Agora?
It was the center of the political, social, physical, and
commercial activities. The Panathenaic road crossed
the Agora.
What did the Panathenaic festival celebrate?
Victory over the Persian invaders.

Athens culture was shaped by its commercial ties to the

Mediterranean world both
by its being a commercial power with wide
ranging contacts
by its unusual form of government - which was a
kind of participatory government, direct
democracy
The Acropolis is where the famous buildings are, but the
Agora is where they pursued their daily lives
The Agora (/ˈæɡərə/; Ancient Greek: Ἀγορά Agorá)
was a central spot in ancient Greek city-states.
The literal meaning of the word is "gathering
place" or "assembly".
The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual
and political life of the city.
The Ancient Agora of Athens was the best-known
example.

The Agora was all about exchange, both of goods and
ideas
Panathenaic way - led to temple of Athena
Stoa - contained shops and also were primary meeting
place
Bouletarian and Tholos - where govt happened
The Agora was all about exchange,(transactional) both of
goods and ideas
Panathenaic way - led to temple of Athena
Stoa - contained shops and also were primary meeting place
remind you of anything? much later… mosques?
this is where Socrates hung out
Bouletarian and Tholos - where govt happened
Form:
See diagram and labellings for the specific name of each building (no sense in repeating it here)
Buildings originally made of marble
Pan-Athenaic Way goes through the center of the city → leads to the Acropolis
A lot of open space

Function:
Originally a burial ground (in Bronze and Iron Ages) → later converted into a public space
Started as a market → then became a place of government with administrative buildings and sacred spots
Once a year → procession through Agora and to the sacred mount
Dedicated to Athena

Content:
See diagram and labelling for the specific name of each building
Temples honoring gods
Athena → patron goddess of Athens
Increasingly substantial structures
The Stoa → business, political discussions, civic life

Context:
Was invaded by the Persians but rebuilt in the early Common Era
Athens
500 BCE → citizens start to be able to participate more in the government
Didn’t vote → participated directly
Offices held by rotation
Positions that were voted on required skills (like generals)
Citizens → had to be male and Athenian
Meritocracy and equality before the law

Themes: Cross Cultural Connections:

Urban life Other cities with monumental architecture,
Place of tra governance, and religious purposes (all within the
Cities and monumental architecture specific city)
Religion The Forbidden City
Manifestation in daily life Machu Picchu and Cusco
Separation or no separation from government Nan Madol
Democracy
 Architectural Components
• Greek Orders:
– Doric (oldest)
– Ionic (most commonly used)
– Corinthian
• Column & Entablature = Post & Lintel
Doric order Ionic order Corinthian order
 Architectural Terms To Know
1. Base—bottom; three steps
2. Capital—top of column
3. Column
4. Entablature—whole piece of frieze that rests on top of
column
5. Frieze—where the picture is
6. Pediment—triangular element that rests on top
7. Shaft—the body of the column
Title: Temple of Hera I, Paestum (Ancient Poseidonia) and Hera II (In Foreground)
Date: c. 550–540 BCE (Hera I) & c. 470–460 BCE (Hera II)
Source/Museum: Italy
Temple of Hera I
Paestum, Italy
ca. 550 B.C.E.

Columns in the
middle make this
an unusual
configuration as
well as the 9
pillars in the front
(odd numbers).
 Caryatids

Title: Reconstruction Drawing of the Treasury of the Siphnians, Delphi Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi. c. 530–

525 BCE
The Siphnian Treasury was a building at the Ancient Greek cult centre of Delphi, erected to host the offerings of the polis,
or city-state, of Siphnos. It was one of a number of treasuries lining the "Sacred Way", the processional route through the
Sanctuary of Apollo, erected to win the favor of the gods and increase the prestige of the donor polis. It was one of the
earlier surviving buildings of this type, and its date remains a matter for debate, with the most plausible date being around
525 BC.
Title: Battle Between The Gods and the Giants
Medium: Marble
Size: height 26" (66 cm)
Date: c. 530–525 BCE
Source/Museum: Fragments of the north frieze of the Treasury of the Siphnians, from the Sanctuary of Apollo,
Delphi
Excavations reveal that Delphi was first inhabited in late Mycenaean times (15th century BC)
and that priests from Crete brought the cult of Apollo to central Greece in the 8th century
BC. The version of Apollo worshipped on the island was Apollo Delphinios - the god in the
form of a dolphin - and it was from this that the holy city derived its name.

As the center of the world and the dwelling place of Apollo, Delphi was thronged
with pilgrimsfrom across the ancient world. Generals, kings, and individuals of all ranks
came to the Oracle of Delphi to ask Apollo's advice on the best course to take in war, politics,
love and family. After the inquirer made a sacrifice, a priestess uttered cryptic
pronouncements which were then translated by a pries

The 6th century BC saw the political rise of Delphi and the reorganization of the Pythian
Games, ushering in a golden age that lasted until the arrival of the Romans in 191 BC.
Numerous treasuries were built in the Sanctuary of Apollo to house votive offerings of
grateful pilgrims. In the 4th century BC, atheater accommodating 5,000 spectators was
constructed nearby. It was restored in 159 by the Pergamene king Eumenes II and later by
the Romans.

The famous oracles of Delphi were given in a small chamber in the Temple of Apollo called
the adyton, which only the Pythiacould enter. The Pythia (named for the Python slain by
Apollo) was a priestess who spoke as a possessed medium for Apollo, the god of prophecy.
Usually a middle-aged peasant woman, she was specially selected and trained for her role.
She practiced sexual abstinence and fasting before giving oracles.
Questions were submitted to the Oracle on a tablet, some examples of which survive. When
she was delivering oracles, the Pythia was said to be in a mild trance. The Pythia spoke for
Apollo in an altered voice and often chanted her responses. The response was then written
down and sealed by a priest and given to the inquirer. No copies of any answers have yet
been found.
Title: Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Athens; Acropolis in Distance
Size: Height of columns 55"5" (16.89 m)
Date: Building and rebuilding phases: foundation c. 520–510 BCE using the Doric order; temple designed by
Cossutius, begun 175 BCE, left unfinished 164 BCE, completed 132 CE using Cossutius’s design and the
Corinthian order
Title: Apollo with Battling Lapiths and Centaurs
Medium: Marble Size: height of Apollo 10'8" (3.25 m) Date: c.470– 460 BCE
Source: Fragments of sculpture from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, Olympia
Title: Athena, Herakles, and Atlas
Medium: Marble
Size: height 5'3"
Date: c. 460 BCE
Source/Museum: Metope relief from the frieze of the
Temple of Zeus, Olympia
THE ACROPOLIS
Archiac
 PARTHENON
Classical- Doric
Title: Photographic mock-up of the east pediment of the Parthenon
Size: The pediment is over 90 feet (27.45 m) long; the central space of about 40 feet (12.2 m) is missing
Title: Lapith Fighting A
Centaur
Medium: Marble
Size: height 56" (1.42 m)
Date: c. 447–432 BCE
Source/Museum: Metope
relief from the Doric frieze on
the south side of the
Parthenon
Title: Marshals and Young Women
Medium: Marble
Size: height 3'6" (1.08 m)
Date: c. 447–432 BCE
Source/Museum: Detail of the Procession, from the Ionic frieze on the east side of the Parthenon /
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Artist: Alan LeQuire
Title: Athena, the Parthenon, Nashville
Tennessee. Recreation of Pheidias’s Huge Gold
and Ivory Figure.
Medium: Gypsum concrete and chopped
fiberglass on structural steel, Painted to simulate
marble with lapis lazuli eyes by Alan LeQuire
and gilded under the direction of master gilder
Lou Reed.
Size: height 41' 10"
Date: 1982–1990
Classical- Iconic

Artist: Kallikrates
Title: Temple of Athena Nike
Date: c. 425 BCE
Source/Museum: Acropolis, Athens
Title: Nike (Victory) Adjusting Her Sandal
Medium: Marble
Size: height 3' 6" (1.06 m)
Date: Last quarter of the 5th century (perhaps 410–405) BCE
Source/Museum: Fragment of relief decoration from the
parapet (now destroyed), Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis,
Athens
Title: Erechtheion. View From The East. Porch of The
Maidens At Left; North Porch Can Be Seen Through
The Columns of The East Wall
Date: 421–406 BCE
Source/Museum: Acropolis, Athens

Corinthian
Title: Dying Warrior
Medium: Marble
Size: length 6' (1.83 m)
Date: c. 500–490 BCE
Source/Museum: Sculpture from the left corner of the east
pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina / Staatliche
Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Munich
Title: Theater,
Epidauros
Date: 4th
century BCE
and later
SCULPTURE OF LATE CLASSICAL
PERIOD
Artist: Praxiteles
Title: Aphrodite of Knidos
Medium: Marble
Size: height 6'8" (2.04 m)
Date: Composite of two similar Roman copies after the
original marble of c. 350 BCE
Artist: Praxiteles or his followers
Title: Hermes and The Infant Dionysos
Medium: Marble, with remnants of red paint on the lips and hair
Size: height 7'1" (2.15 m)
Date: Probably a Hellenistic or Roman copy after a Late Classical 4th-
century BCE original
HELLENISTIC PERIOD
SCULPTURE
Artist: Lysippos
Title: Alexander The Great
Medium: Marble fragment
Size: height 16 ⅛" (41 cm)
Date: Head from a Hellenistic copy (c. 200 BCE) of a
statue, possibly after a 4th-century BCE original.
Title: Gallic Chieftain Killing His Wife and Himself
Medium: Marble
Size: height 6'11" (2.1 m)
Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 220
BCE

Artist: Epigonos (?)

Title: Dying Gallic Trumpeter (front)
Medium: Marble
Size: height, 36½" (93 cm)
Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 220
BCE
Demosthenes
Artist: Alexandros of Antioch-on-the-Meander
Title: Aphrodite of Melos (Also Called Venus de Milo)
Medium: Marble
Size: height 6'8" (2.04 m)
Date: c. 150–100 BCE
Source/Museum: Musée du Louvre, Paris
Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and
Polydoros of Rhodes
Laocoön and his sons
1st century C.E.
marble
94 1/2 in. high
Title: Reconstructed west front of the altar from
Pergamon, Turkey
Medium: Marble
Size: Height of figure 7'7" (2.3 m)
Date: c. 175–150 BCE
Source/Museum: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,
Pergamonmuseum, Preussischer Kutturbesitz, Berlin
Title: Athena Attacking the Giants
Medium: Marble
Size: frieze height 7'7" (2.3 m)
Date: c. 175–150 BCE
Source/Museum: Detail of the frieze from the east front of the altar from Pergamon
THOLOI
Tholos
 Title: Grave Stele of Hegeso
Medium: Marble
Size: height 5'2" (1.58 m)
Date: c. 410–400 BCE
Source/Museum: National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Who is portrayed in this relief sculpture, and what was the purpose of
this stele?
A young woman (named Hegeso), and her servant or maid are portrayed, and
it was a grave stele, to mark a young woman's grave.
In what ways is the young woman's father present in the work?
His name is included in the inscription of Hegeso as the daughter or
Proxenos, and in the symbolism of her dowry (which represented her father's
wealth) in the jewelry box.
To which sculptor is the grave stele attributed, and what other Greek
artform shows influence in this work?
It is attributed to Kallimachos, and it shows a similarity to Greek vase painting,
in the flat background that forms negative shapes as it interacts with the
foreground subjects.
How is this work significant in its portrayal of a young woman in a
private setting?
Greek women were rarely allowed out of their homes or seen in public, so this
is a rare scene of the private life of a young woman in a culture where
women's lives were secluded and not usually considered worthy of recording
in art or writing.