Temples and Economics in the Archaic and Classical Period
During the Archaic and Classical periods in Ancient Greece, the technique and scheme of arts had dramatically developed, and temple buildings became more decorative and more complex. The development of the temple buildings, such as the painting and crafting skills, and the change in construction technique and building materials, indicated an increase of the local economy. Nearly all ancient complex societies built some forms of monumental architecture, for these buildings were not only religiously important, but also served the purpose as a deliberate symbol of power and wealth of the rulers and their poleis. Even though greater amounts of money and attention had been put into these constructions, it is hard to say that these buildings symbolized the concentration of social surplus of any Greek polis.
The idea of polis, or city-state, was developed in Greece in the ninth and eighth centuries BCE. A polis can be understood as an autonomous region, an urban centre which has its own political, religious, economic and culture centre (P108, Stokstad). According to Aristotle’s Politics, a polis is the union of several villages (Politics, 125b27). Although it lacks accuracy, we can get the impression that the Greeks consider a polis to be a community. As a community, the Archaic and Classical poleis were primarily a political and a military organisation, a male society from which women and children were excluded, not to speak of foreigners and slaves.
Although Childe considered monumental building to be one of the criteria of an urban centre, the monumentalization of the sacred architecture did not occur until sixth century BCE. The Temple of Artemis at Corcyra, dating ...
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During the Archaic Age of Ancient Greece, circa 776-500 B.C.E., the population growth in Ancient Greece called a need for more food supplies, and this demand was met by trade, establishing colonies, and by warfare to seize more land (Making Europe 71). According to Kidner, the Archaic Age “brought a revival of culture, the economy, and political significance to Greece” (71). As Greece began to overpopulate, methods for dealing with the overpopulation had to be found, once of these methods was to import food, which caused an expansion of Greek commerce and production of trade goods (Making Europe 71). Another solution to the overpopulation of Greece was to find new land somewhere else, and during the colonization that lasted from 750-550 B.C.E., Greeks colonized coastal cities because they wanted access to trade routes across the sea (Making Europe 71). The revival of Greek trade also brought Near Eastern culture into Greece, including new styles or art. According to Kidner, “Greek sculpture assumed a very Egyptian look, and Greek pottery depicted many eastern designs…and Greek potters and sculptors soon used designs from their own myths and legents”
The Greeks built temples, where they worshipped the gods. Each city had several temples, because each temple was used to worship one god. In each temple, there was a statue of a god that they worshipped. They had an extra big temple, and statue for the god that guarded their city.
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The development of an empire is a change strongly emphasized in the Archeology as a radical departure from the Hellenic tradition, and consequently a major source of conflict among the Greeks. Prior to the adven...
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Following from etruscan we need to understand the characteristics of a greek temple. the greek did not allow the people to enter the temple and thus their temple were designed to accommodate their needs. having freestanding columns with and a circu...
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This paragraph will concern the social structure of ancient Greece society. In ancient Greece society, only native-born men were granted citizenship and entitled to full protection of the law in a city-state (wikipedia.org/Ancient Greece). In the majority of city-states, social prominence did not include special rights. In some situations, families controlled public functions, but this did not exactly grant extra power for the government. In the state of Athens, the population was divided into four social classes which was based on wealth. A persons amount of income was able to determine of they were eligible to change classes. In Sparta, male citizens received the title of equal if they completed their education requirements. With this being
Throughout history, there have been several significant architectural movements. The last, and perhaps most enduring movement is that of Classic Greece. Although for centuries, the architecture of ancient Greece has been admired, mimicked, and replicated, its beginnings are somewhat surprising to one unfamiliar with the history of the region. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Classic Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate its form, function, and beauty. “Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general. The formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (metmuseum.org).
The Greek architecture exhibits the detailed recording of buildings and their components through the three main periods. Although the style and method have changed, the emphasis on the general context remains the same.