Fantasic Beasts of Ancient Greece

Session Aims

1. To have chronological understanding of the Ancient Greek timeline
2. To study aspects Greek life and their influence on the western world
3. To understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed

Introduction

Ancient Greek civilization  was a period of political, philosophical, artistic, and scientific achievements which had a big influence on Western civilization. 


Time Line

Pre History

People have been lived in Greece for over 40,000 years. These early people mostly lived a simple hunter-gatherer or farming lifestyle.

2200BC and 1450BC

The Minoans were the first great Greek civilisation. They leaved on the island of Crete. They were known as the Minoans after their legendary king, Minos.

1450 BC -1100BC

Mycenaean civilisation. The Mycenaeans where from mainland Greece and where excellent soldiers, builders and traders. They famously fought in the battle of Troy. Homer, an important Greek writer, told stories of the Mycenaean age in his books The Iliad and The Odyssey.

1100BC - 800BC

The  Dark Age. It is known as a dark age because nobody knows much about what happened - all written language and art disappeared.

800BC - 480BC

The Archaic Period Greek civilisation slowly emerged again. The Greeks started trading more with the outside world, they held the first Olympic Games and they fought off the invading Persian army. During this time many of the cities in Greece were ruled by a king-like figure.

480BC

Classical Greece.Greece entered a golden age which lasted for 200 years. The people built fantastic temples, made scientific discoveries, wrote plays and founded the first proper democracy. Historians call this

323BC -30BC

Hellenistic period. the Romans took control of Greece. The Romans didn't destroy Greek life, though. They respected the Greeks and copied many things about their culture, including their buildings, beliefs and clothes

Activity: Create a timeline of Ancient Greece

Using the information above make a timeline of the Ancient Greek culture which lasted 1500 years excluding the prehistoric period. We suggest that you tape together 4 sheets of A4 paper into one long sheet, which should give you enough space to create your time line. If you have 4 sheets of paper taped together each 100 years on your time line can be 6cm long.



Activity - Placing objects on your timeline
Below are photographs of nine greek objects that the Museum holds in its collection. Can place these objects on your timeline, perhaps by drawing a picture of it and labelling it with the information provided.

Object One: Left
Cooking pot, with lid, reused to contain cremated human bones, from Athens dated between 500 BC and 400 BC

Object Two:Right
mall pottery flask with lug handles, from Cyprus, dated between 1900 BC and 1600 BC.

Object three: Left
Stemless cup from southern Italy dated between 350 BC and 300 BC.

Object Four: Right
Pottery flask or lekythos, from southern Italy about 425 BC

Object Five: Left
Votive figure of a bull. Small models such as this were left at altars as gifts for the gods, from Cyprus, dated between 1400 BC and 1200 BC

Object Six: Middle
Votive figure of a horse and rider. Small models such as these were left at altars as gifts for the gods, from Cyprus, dated between 1000 BC and 700 BC

Object Seven: Right
Votive figure. Small models such as these were left at altars as gifts for the gods, from Cyprus, dated between 600 BC and 500 BC

 

Object Eight: Left

Water jug or Hydria from southern Italy, dated between 340 BC and 320 BC

 

Object Nine: Right

Kotyle or drinking cup from southern Italy dated between 425 BC and 350 BC

 

 

Question: What do you notice about the objects on your timeline? Are there any differences between the older objects and new objects?




 

Answer

 You can see a difference in the style between the older objects made in Cyprus and the newer objects from southern Italy.

 

 Question: What can you learn about ancient Greek culture from the objects above?

 

 

 

Answer

1. The Ancient Greeks sometimes cremated their dead
2. The left offerings to the gods
3. They were skilled craftsmen able to make highly stylised objects

 

 

Greek Myths and Legends

The Greeks believed that gods and goddesses, who were a bit like humans but immortal ad much more watched over them from their home above Mount Olympus. They felt human emotions, like love, anger and jealousy, and they did not always behave themselves. From time to time, they would interfere with life on earth.

The tales of the gods, as well as hero's and monsters are what we refer to as Greek Myths, however many Ancient Greeks may have thought they were true and factual accounts. The fullest and most important source of myths about the origin of the gods is the Theogony of Hesiod (c. 700 bce). The Theogony traces the history of the world from its creation through the battle between the Olympians and the Titans to the ascension of Zeus as the absolute ruler of all of the Olympian gods.

We have also learnt a lot about Ancient Greek culture from the objects they have left behind such as their sculptures and pottery.

Here  are some Greek myths you might have heard of:

1. Theseus and the Minotaur
2. The Labours of Heracles
3. Perseus and Medusa
4. Bellerophon and Pegasus

 All of these myths tell the story of a hero who battles with a mythical beast or monster.

Activity: Create your own Chimera

The Chimera according to Greek mythology, was a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal.

You will need:

Scissors

Glue (a glue stick preferably)

an old magazine or pictures to cut up, a nature magazine would be best

A few sheets of paper

a pencil

Optional, tracing paper or baking parchment

Step one
Go through your magazine and select images to build you chimera

Select different parts of you choose images and collage them together to make your new creature, when you are happy with the composition stick them down

Step two

Using the tracing paper if you have it/need it, or free hand if you feel brave create a drawing of your new creation, why not give it a name too!