1.6 Symbols of Power - Revision

• Ancient History
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

1.6 Symbols of Power- Revision

Describe the battle between the Centaurs and the Lapiths.

• Pirithous and Hippodamia getting married, with Theseus invited as well as Centaurs
• Centaurs got drunk and laid hands on the women
• Lapiths killed some centaurs on the spot, overcame the rest in war and expelled from the country
• Theseus either fought at the banquet and in the war, or (as Herodotus said) war was already in progress when Theseus came to help

Why was the Centauromachy used to decorate the Parthenon?

Represented civilised Greeks overcoming barbaric Persians at battle of Plataea. Involvement of Theseus would give even greater importance.

Describe the two great battles between the Greeks and the Amazons.

1. Heracles and Hippolyte - she freely offered her belt to him, but Hera took form of Amazonian and spread rumours that Heracles wanted to steal the queen, not the belt. A bloody battle followed where Heracles killed Hippolyte and took the belt.
2. Attic War - Heracles brought back an Amazonian bride for Theseus as a gift, so they declared war. Theseus and Heracles led army against them.

Why was the Amazonomachy used to decorate the Temple of Apollo at Bassae?

Again, represented Greece's triumph over foreign people. They built the temple here due to the help Apollo gave them in a time of plague.

How successfully has the sculptor depicted the Amazonomachy in this scene?

1. Create a scene that could be easily recognisable - clearly one man against two women, recognisably Amazons as they have one bare breast.
2. Create realism in the scene - drapery depicts movement of woman, low relief vs. high relief to create sense of perspective.
3. Fill the space so as not to leave big blank areas - used action, with woman on the floor reaching up to the man, movement of woman on right filling up much of this space.

Describe the key features of the Prima Porta statue of Augustus.

• Similar to Doryphorus (spear-bearer) which was praised as depiction of ideal man, but with differences.
• Right arm raised in pose of general/emperor addressing army.
• Breastplate portrays him as soldier, but combined with senatorial toga. Gods depicted include Apollo (A's patron god), Artemis, and Tellus (holding cornucopia).
• Central figures representing return of Roman standards lost by Antony and Crassus.
• Cupid on dolphin at A's feet; representative of Venus.

How did the Prima Porta promote the power and authority of Augustus?

• Presents him as ideal man
• Simultaneously shows him as soldier and politician
• Stresses his link to the gods
• Demonstrates his military accomplishments
• Pax Deorum

Describe the key features of the Ara Pacis.

• Altar itself with depictions of sacrifice
• West frieze: tenuously linked to Lupercalia (shepherd discovering Romulus and Remus being suckled by she-wolf; plus either Aeneas sacrificing in front of his son with Penates at back, OR Numa, second king of Rome who built temple of Janus.
• East frieze: Tenuously linked to goddess Roma sitting on throne of weapons; plus either Tellus, Venus or Pax surrounded by animals.
• North and south frieze: religious procession to Ara Pacis; northern wall with senators and priests, south frieze with imperial family.

How did the Ara Pacis promote the power and authority of Augustus?

• Links Augustus with other founders of Rome (Romulus and Aeneas)
• If Numa is on west frieze, shares links with peace as he introduced temple of Janus - Pax Romana
• Goddess Roma helps to celebrate the city and link Augustus to this
• Recreating Golden Age of architecture
• Worshipping gods - Pax Deorum
• Emphasises Augustus' own links to the gods