Art History

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6. Trace the emergence of a distinctive style and approach to art and architecture during the early centuries of Greek civilization. Compare and contrast the black - figure and red-figure techniques of ceramic painting. And assess the differences between the three-order systems used in temple architecture.

Greeks, unlike Egyptian, were not afraid of nudity. The nude figurines escalated from males to females after a given time. Large-scale bronze works were treasured since they were lighter in weight. Greek art is an informal way of standing with knee bent and shoulders tilted, while immobile Egyptian art were replaced with figures that appeared to move.

The black-figure technique includes applying a slip to shape out the desired form, and the reduction approach to create details in silhouette form. With the metallic pigments added on to the slip, detail designs can be embellished. The red-figure technique however, the slip should be added to the negative space, because the piece without slip forms the shape. Details are through paint. Using the brush created a more 3-d figure than the black-figure did.

Doric style temples has simplified capitals and columns with tapered shafts that sits directly on the floor of the temple without a base. These temples have unadorned architraves and latter depicting episodes from Greek mythology. Greeks from Greece and Sicily preferred this style. Ionic styled temples had volute like capitals with columns that sit on bases, and friezes of sculptures placed along the entablature. The Greek island architects preferred this style. Finally, the Corinthian styled temples had capitals with leaves, and straight columns which transitioned to the floor. These architects were freely mixed.

7. What is the significance of Alexander the Great campaigns. What was his true purpose in invading Persia? Discuss how his campaign influenced the Western world, the Ancient Near East and how they affected Bible History?

The most important achievement of Alexander was the fact that he spread Greek culture and language. Alexander managed to unite the Greek states under his powerful command. He made an incredible campaign for 10 years and won every battle he fought! As mentioned above, the most important achievement was the spreading of the Greek culture. He fused Greek cultures with Asian elements creating a New Greek civilization which was later called Hellenistic. He founded nearly 70 Greek cities, and the most important of them was Alexandria of Egypt, which was the center of Greek culture. Greek language became so dominant that as a result the Old Testament was translated in Greek, and the New Testament was written directly in Greek. The Greek states became so powerful that, although the constant wars between them, they controlled the known word for 300 years. The Greek influence was so strong that even the Romans, although they were conquers, they were heavily influenced and their culture was called Greek/Roman. As a conclusion we can say that without Alexander the Greek civilization would have never became so powerful and without the Greek world the western civilization would have never existed!

Alexander the Great wanted revenge for the terrible attacks on Greece that the Persians had wrought under Darius the Great and Xerxes. When rumors had spread that Alexander was dead, Demosthenes assembled the Athenian to unilaterally consider the Corinthian League defunct and Athens independent. Alexander, very much alive, raced southward and besieged Thebes. In the name of the League, Alexander waged war against the rebellious members but still attempted to negotiate peace. When Thebes rejected Alexander's demands, he leveled the city, killed the soldiers, and sold the women and children into slavery, sparing only the temples and the house of the poet Pindar. Alexander destroyed the city to warn others of the price of rebellion. Athens revoked its declaration of withdrawal from the League, honored Alexander, and offered to surrender Demosthenes.

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