Art in Athens during the Peloponnesian War

Description

This book examines the effects of the Peloponnesian War on the arts of Athens and the historical and artistic contexts in which this art was produced. During this period, battle scenes dominated much of the monumental art, while large numbers of memorials to the war dead were erected. The temple of Athena Nike, built to celebrate Athenian victories in the first part of the war, carries a rich sculptural program illustrating military victories. For the first time, the arts in Athens expressed an interest in the afterlife, with many sculptured dedications to Demeter and Kore, who promised initiates special privileges in the underworld. After the Sicilian disaster, a retrospective tendency can be noted in both art and politics, which provided reassurance in a time of crisis. This is the first book to focus on the new themes and new kinds of art introduced in Athens as a result of the thirty-year war.

Olga Palagia is Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Athens, Greece. A member of the committee for the restoration of the Acropolis monuments and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, among many other distinctions, she is editor, most recently, of Greek Sculpture: Function, Materials, and Techniques in the Archaic and Classical Periods.

'Anyone who wants to know the state of current scholarship on this topic should consult this volume.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review 'Each of these essays provides a useful, thoughtful and up-to-date analysis of different aspects of Athens during the Peloponnesian War. But it is in their interaction ... that this book is at its strongest. As a result, this book ... offers a strong insight into the multiplicity and complexity of opinion and reaction to the Peloponnesian War within Athens.' Polis: The Journal for Ancient Greek Political Thought 'Palagia's book represents some of the latest ideas in understanding art in its political and cultural context.' American Journal of Archaeology