L.Barlow A2 Classical Civilisations
The Treasury of the Siphnos
- Constructed 525 BC
- Celebrates the discovery of a seam of silver on the island
- Island sacked by Samos in 525 BC, therefore treasury must date before then or else the island
would not be able to afford the monument
- Referred to by Herodotus and Euripides
- Fairly small sanctuary- cella, porch and caryatids
- Materials:
• Base made of Delphic limestone (cheapest)
• Walls made of Siphnian marble (cheap)
• Mouldings in Naxian marble (expensive)
• Frieze of Parian marble (most expensive)
- Why build it?
• The cost of the building displays the wealth of the island
• Quality of carving and design show the cultural ability of the island
• The building provides a place to display the gifts of the island
• The building and treasures provide an advert for the island on mainland Greece
- Why is it important?
• Early example of Ionic architecture- continuous frieze
• One of the earliest examples of Caryatid columns
• It is one of the best example of Archaic monumental art
• It has pictures of battles on it
- 65 cm high
- West (front) Frieze = Judgement of Paris
- West pediment = lost
- East frieze = Trojan war
- East (back) side pediment = Apollo vs Hercules for the Tripod
- North (Sacred Way) Frieze: gods vs giants (gigantomachy)
- South frieze = rape of Helen or Antiope
- North Frieze:
• 8.9m long
• Runs left to right/ East to West
• Easily visible from the Via Sacra
• Faces of gods face right, except Hera
• Hera acts as a divider
• Each Giant different = helmet/shield
• Names painted or inscribed - only ever done like that with vase paintings- sculptor probably
was a vase painter
• Holes for metal attachments- adorned- diadems and jewellery
• Continuous frieze
• Battle scene- so much it can be confusing
• Problem of depth/foreshortening
• Many parts of a scene - lead to confusion
• Names written next to or below characters - can be seen as a negative but with the Archaic
limitations it can be seen as good
• Generally regarded as the finest of the two
• Great number of gods/goddesses take part, each carefully characterised so easily recognised
• One of the lions, who drew Cybele’s chariot, taking bite out of terrified giant
• Tail of the lion is very stylised
• To the right of the lions- Apollo and Artemis marching side by side, shooting arrows at a group
of 3 giants facing them with overlapping shields
• Between the two groups- frightened giant tried to run away. Legs rush forward to right but
looks back anxiously to left
• Body turns improbably at the waist
The Treasury of the Siphnos
- Constructed 525 BC
- Celebrates the discovery of a seam of silver on the island
- Island sacked by Samos in 525 BC, therefore treasury must date before then or else the island
would not be able to afford the monument
- Referred to by Herodotus and Euripides
- Fairly small sanctuary- cella, porch and caryatids
- Materials:
• Base made of Delphic limestone (cheapest)
• Walls made of Siphnian marble (cheap)
• Mouldings in Naxian marble (expensive)
• Frieze of Parian marble (most expensive)
- Why build it?
• The cost of the building displays the wealth of the island
• Quality of carving and design show the cultural ability of the island
• The building provides a place to display the gifts of the island
• The building and treasures provide an advert for the island on mainland Greece
- Why is it important?
• Early example of Ionic architecture- continuous frieze
• One of the earliest examples of Caryatid columns
• It is one of the best example of Archaic monumental art
• It has pictures of battles on it
- 65 cm high
- West (front) Frieze = Judgement of Paris
- West pediment = lost
- East frieze = Trojan war
- East (back) side pediment = Apollo vs Hercules for the Tripod
- North (Sacred Way) Frieze: gods vs giants (gigantomachy)
- South frieze = rape of Helen or Antiope
- North Frieze:
• 8.9m long
• Runs left to right/ East to West
• Easily visible from the Via Sacra
• Faces of gods face right, except Hera
• Hera acts as a divider
• Each Giant different = helmet/shield
• Names painted or inscribed - only ever done like that with vase paintings- sculptor probably
was a vase painter
• Holes for metal attachments- adorned- diadems and jewellery
• Continuous frieze
• Battle scene- so much it can be confusing
• Problem of depth/foreshortening
• Many parts of a scene - lead to confusion
• Names written next to or below characters - can be seen as a negative but with the Archaic
limitations it can be seen as good
• Generally regarded as the finest of the two
• Great number of gods/goddesses take part, each carefully characterised so easily recognised
• One of the lions, who drew Cybele’s chariot, taking bite out of terrified giant
• Tail of the lion is very stylised
• To the right of the lions- Apollo and Artemis marching side by side, shooting arrows at a group
of 3 giants facing them with overlapping shields
• Between the two groups- frightened giant tried to run away. Legs rush forward to right but
looks back anxiously to left
• Body turns improbably at the waist
