ANHS1600 Lecture 4: Lecture 4
15 May 2018
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Lecture 4 – Epic Cycle and Pictorial Narrative
09/03/2016
Images are only used in specific and limited contexts:
- Public Places → Buildings
- Burials → On the object that marked the grave itself
- Home → Everyday objects or gift objects
- Symposia → Quasi public drinking parties in their home but in a public context during this
What we get images on:
Ceramics, Bronze metal objects, Sculpture, Textiles, Painting, Wood, things that don’t survive.
In this lecture we look at:
- Return of figural imagery, Relation between figured scenes and epic poetry – questioning
whether it is as simple as it seems, Objects and imagery in context of use and purpose, How
to read figured scenes and strategies on pots.
Collapse of the Mycenaean Palaces:
- We see the disappearance of monumental architecture after the Palaces are destroyed
- Craft production to varying degrees (Limited) → Less massively organised things. This is because
the economy disappears and trade is reduced.
- Linear B and writing disappear.
- Yet, language, religion, music, poetry, stories continue.
- We see the disappearance of pictures of people.
After the Palaces: The Early Iron Age
- Homer and the rest of the Epic cycle had their origins somewhat here.
Middle of 8th century BC → Not the Re-appearance of writing but the Appearance of writing → The
collapse of the palaces cut of the natural development of the Linear B script. Yet, the later Greek
alphabet is a connection between the Phoenician script and the Greek spoken language. The
Phoenician was syllabic → The Greeks modified this into an alphabetic script. This allowed them to
precisely write out a word as it was spoken aloud. It was completely new. They took it and
completely modified it. The first preserved examples are all OWNERSHIP inscriptions that give voice
to objects which were meant to be read out loud.
It was said that the Alphabet was invented specifically to record the Iliad and the Odyssey → This is
complete shenanigans for a few reasons including:
1- Spread of the earliest Greek inscriptions appear among a lot of trade routes
2- Regional diversity in scripts and local letter forms
3- Character – most inscriptions = possession or dedication.
Document Summary
Lecture 4 epic cycle and pictorial narrative. Images are only used in specific and limited contexts: Burials on the object that marked the grave itself. Home everyday objects or gift objects. Symposia quasi public drinking parties in their home but in a public context during this. Ceramics, bronze metal objects, sculpture, textiles, painting, wood, things that don"t survive. We see the disappearance of monumental architecture after the palaces are destroyed. Craft production to varying degrees (limited) less massively organised things. This is because the economy disappears and trade is reduced. Yet, language, religion, music, poetry, stories continue. We see the disappearance of pictures of people. Homer and the rest of the epic cycle had their origins somewhat here. Middle of 8th century bc not the re-appearance of writing but the appearance of writing the collapse of the palaces cut of the natural development of the linear b script.
