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Archaic Greece 1 Archaic Greece The Archaic period in Greece (800 BC 480 BC) is a period of ancient Greek history that followed the Greek Dark Ages. This period saw the rise of the polis and the founding of colonies, as well as the first inklings of classical philosophy, theatre in the form of tragedies performed during Dionysia, and written poetry, which appeared with the reintroduction of the written language, lost during the Dark Ages. The term archaic covers these cultural aspects as well. The termini of the Archaic period are defined as the "structural revolution", meaning a sudden upsurge of population and material goods, which occurred c. 750 BC, and the "intellectual revolution" of classical Greece. [1] The end of archaism is conventionally defined as Xerxes' invasion of Greece in 480 BC. The sharp rise in population at the start of the Archaic period brought with it the settlement of new towns and the expansion of the older population centres. The Archaic period is also characterized by the spread of colonization along the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts that began about 800 B.C. The reason for this phenomenon is described by Greek authors as stenochoria, "the lack of land", but in practice there were a great number of reasons: rivalry between political groups, the need for adventure, expatriation, the search for trade opportunities and so on. [2] Etymology The term archaic describes things belonging to ancient times and is derived from the Greek word archaikos which means primitive. [3] This term arose from the study of Greek art, where it mainly refers to styles of surface decoration and sculpture, placing it chronologically between geometric art and the classical Greek art. In the sense that it contained the seeds of classical art, it is considered "archaic". Modern historians think of the term archaic as a misnomer. [4] The archaic period in Greek history is considered to be one of the most fruitful periods of Greek history. [5] Crisis and consolidation of the polis Mycenaean Greece of the Bronze Age had been divided into kingdoms each containing a territory and a population distributed into both small towns and large estates owned by the nobility. The kingdom was ruled by a king claiming authority under divine right by descent from a heroic ancestor and physically established at a palace situated within a citadel, or acropolis. During the Greek Dark Ages the palaces, kings and estates vanished, population declined, towns were abandoned or became villages situated in ruins and government devolved on minor officials and the tribal structure. By the middle of the 8th Century the societal structure of Greece had come under immense pressure and the polis was at risk of collapse. Three distinct stressors developed for each strata of archaic society. By 750 B.C. these stressors became impossible to reconcile due to an explosive growth of population in Greece, about 4% per year. These three factors were in many ways connected and tended to reinforce one another. [6] The farmers of Greece lived under a susbsistence lifestyle and were frequently subject to crop failures. Hesiod writes of many different circumstances that could befall an archaic greek farmer, all of which would force him to borrow goods from his neighbors. Failure to pay back these goods could lead to loss of the farm, debt, or enslavement of the people affected. Due to the sharp increase in population, arable farmland, which had always been scarce, now became insufficient to support all the people in Greece. 750-600 B.C. in Greece was marked by widespread famines. By 600 B.C. almost all of the farmers in Athens had been dispossessed of their property and worked as slaves on the same. The aristoi, aristocratic familes, were in constantly competing against one another to gain territory, money, or status. The elegant clothes, jewelry, pottery, artworks etc. from the archaic period were by and large made to the tastes of this part of greek society. Aristoi in the archaic period existed in a closed community of symposion, festivals, lavish

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Page 1: Archaic Greece - · PDF fileArchaic Greece 1 Archaic Greece The Archaic period in ... and written poetry, ... The archaic period in Greek history is considered to be one of the most

Archaic Greece 1

Archaic GreeceThe Archaic period in Greece (800 BC – 480 BC) is a period of ancient Greek history that followed the GreekDark Ages. This period saw the rise of the polis and the founding of colonies, as well as the first inklings of classicalphilosophy, theatre in the form of tragedies performed during Dionysia, and written poetry, which appeared with thereintroduction of the written language, lost during the Dark Ages. The term archaic covers these cultural aspects aswell.The termini of the Archaic period are defined as the "structural revolution", meaning a sudden upsurge of populationand material goods, which occurred c. 750 BC, and the "intellectual revolution" of classical Greece.[1] The end ofarchaism is conventionally defined as Xerxes' invasion of Greece in 480 BC.The sharp rise in population at the start of the Archaic period brought with it the settlement of new towns and theexpansion of the older population centres. The Archaic period is also characterized by the spread of colonizationalong the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts that began about 800 B.C. The reason for this phenomenon isdescribed by Greek authors as stenochoria, "the lack of land", but in practice there were a great number of reasons:rivalry between political groups, the need for adventure, expatriation, the search for trade opportunities and so on. [2]

EtymologyThe term archaic describes things belonging to ancient times and is derived from the Greek word archaikos whichmeans primitive.[3] This term arose from the study of Greek art, where it mainly refers to styles of surface decorationand sculpture, placing it chronologically between geometric art and the classical Greek art. In the sense that itcontained the seeds of classical art, it is considered "archaic". Modern historians think of the term archaic as amisnomer.[4] The archaic period in Greek history is considered to be one of the most fruitful periods of Greekhistory.[5]

Crisis and consolidation of the polisMycenaean Greece of the Bronze Age had been divided into kingdoms each containing a territory and a populationdistributed into both small towns and large estates owned by the nobility. The kingdom was ruled by a king claimingauthority under divine right by descent from a heroic ancestor and physically established at a palace situated within acitadel, or acropolis. During the Greek Dark Ages the palaces, kings and estates vanished, population declined,towns were abandoned or became villages situated in ruins and government devolved on minor officials and thetribal structure.By the middle of the 8th Century the societal structure of Greece had come under immense pressure and the poliswas at risk of collapse. Three distinct stressors developed for each strata of archaic society. By 750 B.C. thesestressors became impossible to reconcile due to an explosive growth of population in Greece, about 4% per year.These three factors were in many ways connected and tended to reinforce one another.[6]

The farmers of Greece lived under a susbsistence lifestyle and were frequently subject to crop failures. Hesiod writesof many different circumstances that could befall an archaic greek farmer, all of which would force him to borrowgoods from his neighbors. Failure to pay back these goods could lead to loss of the farm, debt, or enslavement of thepeople affected. Due to the sharp increase in population, arable farmland, which had always been scarce, nowbecame insufficient to support all the people in Greece. 750-600 B.C. in Greece was marked by widespread famines.By 600 B.C. almost all of the farmers in Athens had been dispossessed of their property and worked as slaves on thesame.The aristoi, aristocratic familes, were in constantly competing against one another to gain territory, money, or status. The elegant clothes, jewelry, pottery, artworks etc. from the archaic period were by and large made to the tastes of this part of greek society. Aristoi in the archaic period existed in a closed community of symposion, festivals, lavish

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Archaic Greece 2

meals, and athletic games that had nothing to do with the commonwealth or farmers of Greece. However an aristoi'sstatus was predicated on his wealth - if he were to lose it he would also lose his nobility. The advent of sea traderoutes placed the aristoi at risk of losing everything through failed overseas investements. [6]

The commonwealth the aristoi governered were repeatedly drawn in to the conflicts of the aristoi as soldiers,disrupting their lives with every new power struggle between nobles. They levied much critcism at the aristoi forneglecting the farmers and at the extravagant lifestyle which the nobility led. As overseas trade become morecommon in Greece some commoners found themselves very wealthy. Increasingly the newly rich common peoplechallenged the authority of the aristoi, posing a political threat to their regional monarchies.[6]

Reaction 1: ColonizationAs a reaction to the overpopulation, economic problems and rising political tension within Greece, between 750 B.C.to 600 B.C. many Greeks from all parts of Greece left mainland Greece by ship to establish new colonies. Somecolonists went freely to escape the current tensions in Greece and some were sent there as exiles. Any givenexpedition consisted of about 100-200 people, mostly young men and was led by a Greek noble, searching to gainmore power and wealth outside of Greece. A citizen who left Greece to go to one of these colonies gave up hiscitizenship in Greece in exchange for citizenship in the new colony.These colonies were widespread, creating greek settlements in Southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the southcoast of what is now France, around the coast of the Black Sea, and Cyprus, to name a few. These colonies were notprovinces of the polei from which they came but independent cities entirely, who traced their heritage back to amother polis within Greece proper. Relations between colonist Greeks and the indigenous populations of thecountries they governed were mixed - some cultures met in harmony and others were conquered and enslaved by theGreeks. An important consequence of Greek colonization was the spread of Greek culture, religion, and designthroughout the mediterranean, including sites that would come to great importance later in history.[6]

Reaction 2: TyrantsThe exceptional success of the move to colonize the rest of the Mediterranean happened in harmony with aconsolidation of the Greek polis into a cohesive city-state with social and political order. This process was howeverfrequently interrupted between the 6th and 7th centuries B.C. by numerous aristocrats. These tyrants, a greek wordmeaning 'unrightful ruler' tended to set up a dictatorship within the polis, raise an army, and attack other polei in abid to extend their influence. Tyrants were not social reformers, but in the context of their rules were forced to makelaws and arbitrate disputes. A rising Greek distaste for tyrants led to the creation of alternative systems of selfgovernment, which eventually led to the Athenian Democracy. Tyrant rulers were never directly followed by puredemocracies, however their behavior created the political will among the Greeks to develop a more efficient and fairsystem of governance. [6]

Reaction 3: Reorganisation and consolidation of AthensFrom the beginning of the 6th century B.C. onwards many changes in the social structure and government in Greecewere formalized in order to administer to the growing needs of the polei. Certain aspects of the Athenian democracywere formalized and as Athens consolidated itself into a formal city-state political tensions grew within it.Towards the end of the Archaic period, the power of the basileus, or king, was reduced as aristocratic gatherings such as the council of elders increased in power. The sharing of power among powerful families occurred in many poleis which saw oligarchies established. The Archaic is also a period marked by tyrants, strong rulers who seized power from the aristocracy and ruled as central, dominating figures.[7] A new form of government had evolved, the city-state, which Hellenes termed the polis. The kingdoms were not restored even though in many cases offshoots of the royal families remained. Instead each major population center became autonomous and was ruled by a republican form of government. The ancient Greek term is synoikismos, from which comes the term synoecism "conurbation",

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meaning the absorption of villages and the incorporation of their tribes into the substructure of the polis. Theakropoleis became the locations of public buildings, typically temples.[8]

Art

Archaic kouros from Thebes

Orientalizing style

Black-figure style

The period takes its name from what, in art history, was considered thearchaic or old-fashioned style of sculpture and other works of art andcraft that were characteristic of this time, as opposed to the morenatural look of work made in the following Classical period (seeClassical sculpture).

Sculpture

Sculpture in limestone and marble, terra cotta, bronze, wood and rarermetals were used to adorn temples and funerary monuments bothfree-standing and in relief. The themes were mythical or from dailylife. Life-size statues began suddenly at about 650 BC Three periodshave been identified:[9]

• Early Archaic, 660 BC - 580 BCDuring the period, the major sculptural forms were the kouros andits female equivalent the kore.

• Middle Archaic, 580 BC - 535 BC• Late Archaic, 540 BC - 480 BC

Ceramics

In pottery, the Archaic period sees the development of the orientalizingstyle, which signals a shift from the geometric style of the later DarkAges and the accumulation of influences derived from Phoenicia andSyria.

Pottery styles associated with the later part of the Archaic age are theblack-figure pottery, which originated in Corinth during the 7thcentury BC and its successor, the red-figure style, developed by theAndokides painter in about 530 BC.

Some notable distinctions an observer can use to determine if a piece isfrom the archaic period are the Egyptian-like "left foot forward", the"archaic smile" and the very patterned and conventionalized hair or"helmet hair".

Conflicts

• First Messenian War (Approximately 750-730 BC)• Lelantine War (End of 8th century BC)• Second Messenian War (640-620 BC)• Periander's destruction of Epidaurus (approx. 600 BC)• First Sacred War (595-585 BC)• Thirean War (mid-6th century BC)• Spartan invasion of Samos (529 BC)

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Reconstructed colour kore statue from the archaicperiod of Greece

• Arcadian Wars• Athenian Republic Wars• Greco-Persian Wars

Important people

Statesmen• Aristomenes• Cleisthenes• Cleisthenes of Sicyon• Cleomenes I• Cypselus• Draco (lawgiver)• Lycurgus (Sparta)• Peisistratos (Athens)• Periander• Pheidon• Polycrates

• Solon• Teleclus• Theagenes of Megara• Theopompus (king of Sparta)• Thrasybulus (tyrant)Epic poets• Homeros• HesiodosPhilosophers• Anaximandros• Anaximenes of Miletus• Herakleitos• Pythagoras• Thales• XenophanesLyric poets• Alkaios• Alkman• Anakreon• Sappho• Stesikhoros• Ibykos• Simonides of Ceos• KorinnaLogographers• Kadmos of Miletos• Ekataios of Miletos• Akusilaos

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Fabulists• AisōposSculptors• Butades• Ageladas• Antenor• Arkhermos• Aristokles• Bathykles• Bupalos• Kanakhos• Dipoinos and Skyllis• Endoios• Hegias of Athens• Rhoicos• Smilis• TheodorosPainters• Aglaophon• Exekias• Anakles• Antidoros• Archikles• Ergoteles• Glaukytes• Hermogenes• Kaeltes• Kleitias• Lydos• Nearchos• Paseas• Psiax• Sakonides• Sikelos• Sophilos• Sosimos• Teisias• Xenokles• Andokides Painter• Apollodros• Epiktetos• Euthymides• Hypsis• Makron• Pheidippos• Phintias

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• Psiax• Sikelos• Skythes• SmikrosTragic poets• Thespis• Phrynikhos• Khoirilos• PratinasComic poets• Susarion of Megara (~580 BC)• Epikharmos of Kos (~540-450 BC)• Cratinus (~520-420 BC), also classical• Khionides (also classical) 486 BC

ReferencesCitations[1] Snodgrass, pp. 13, 23.[2] Robin Lane Fox, Tavelling Heroes in the Epic Age of Homer, 2008.[3] Watson 1976, p. 52[4] Snodgrass, p. 13.[5] Grant, Michael (1988). The Rise of the Greeks. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. xii.[6] Peter Funke et al.. Alte Geschichte, ein Studienbuch.. Verlag J.B. Metzler, Weimar. pp. 106-187.[7] A Brief History of Ancient Greece[8] Snodgrass, pp. 28-34.[9] Richter, pp. 47-83. The overlap of dates recognizes transitions.

Bibliography• Pomeroy, Sarah (2009). A Brief History of Ancient Greece. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press.

ISBN 9780195392678.• Richter, Gisela M.A. (1963). A Handbook of Greek Art: Third Edition Newly Revised. Phaidon Publishers Inc..• Snodgrass, Anthony (1980). Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment. London Melbourne Toronto: J M Dent &

Sons Ltd. ISBN 0460043882.• Watson, Owen (1976). Owen Watson. ed. Longman modern English dictionary. Longman.

ISBN 978-0582555129.

Further reading• George Grote, J. M. Mitchell, Max Cary, Paul Cartledge, A History of Greece: From the Time of Solon to 403

B.C. (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=MH_ueO8yfN8C& printsec=frontcover), Routledge, 2001. ISBN0415223695

External links• Archaic period: society, economy, politics, culture (http:/ / www. fhw. gr/ chronos/ 04/ en/ ) — The Foundation of

the Hellenic World• The Archaic Period of Greek Art (http:/ / www. infoplease. com/ ce6/ ent/ A0858474. html) – Columbia

Electronic Encyclopedia

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• Ancient Greece: The Archaic Period (http:/ / www. wsu. edu:8080/ ~dee/ GREECE/ ARCHAIC. HTM) — byRichard Hookero

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Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and ContributorsArchaic Greece  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=444603972  Contributors: 2tuntony, 83d40m, A Macedonian, Alastair Swift, Aldux, Alphaknave, Antandrus, Antipastor,Arjun01, Athinaios, BalkanFever, Biglovinb, BlastOButter42, Bolinstephen, Caerwine, Calliopejen1, Captain Screebo, Catalographer, Closedmouth, Cnadolski, Correct-corrections, Cplakidas,DOG41, Dbachmann, Dd42, Deucalionite, Dfrg.msc, Dimboukas, Djnjwd, Dmitri Lytov, Dorieo21, Earthlyreason, Emperorbma, Erutuon, Espoo, Fabullus, Ferengi, Florian Blaschke,Fordmadoxfraud, Freekuh, Gaius Cornelius, Gary King, Gfoley4, Gigaman, Gurch, Heastada, Heilingetorix, Henryhartley, Hiya555hiya, Hmains, ImPods, Ipodamos, Isokrates, J.delanoy,Jastrow, John254, Johny 1982, Kagredon, Kallejojo, Kimon, Koavf, La Pianista, LizardJr8, Locofbo, Lousyd, Ludde23, Mahhag, Mattis, Mel Etitis, Michael Hardy, Mottenen, Novacatz,Nprose14, Phil1988, Postmodern Beatnik, Pruy0001, Rampage Ruins, RetiredWikipedian789, Rob117, Ruslik0, Sardanaphalus, Search4Lancer, SilverbackRon, Spartan198, Stambouliote,Stephenchou0722, Theelf29, Tide rolls, Tulaniac, Twospoonfuls, Ulric1313, VSimonian, Versageek, VladLazar, Wetman, Wikiklrsc, Woohookitty, 116 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:kouros from thebes.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Kouros_from_thebes.jpg  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Original uploaderwas 3dnatureguy at en.wikipediaImage:Loutrophoros Analatos Louvre CA2985 n2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Loutrophoros_Analatos_Louvre_CA2985_n2.jpg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution 2.5  Contributors: User:JastrowImage:Amphora warriors Louvre E866.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Amphora_warriors_Louvre_E866.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:BibiSaint-PolImage:Istanbul - Museo archeologico - Mostra sul colore nell'antichità 02 - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006.jpg  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Istanbul_-_Museo_archeologico_-_Mostra_sul_colore_nell'antichità_02_-_Foto_G._Dall'Orto_28-5-2006.jpg  License: Attribution  Contributors:user:G.dallorto, user:G.dallorto

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