Ancient Greek Terracotta Sculpture

The phrase “terracotta sculpture” refers to all figurative representations in fired clay produced in Greece and in the Greek world during the first millennium bce, (from the Geometric period to the end of the Hellenistic period), whatever their size (figurine, statuette, or statue), whatever their manufacturing technique (modeling, molding, mixed), whatever their material form (in-the-round, relief, etc.), whatever their representation (anthropomorphic, zoomorphic [real or imaginary], diverse objects), and whatever the limits of their representation: full figure (figurines, statuettes, groups), truncated or abbreviated representations, including protomai, masks, busts, half figures, and anatomical representations, among others. All these objects, with the possible exception of large statues, were the products of artisans who were referred to in ancient texts as “coroplasts,” or modelers of images in clay. Because of this, the term “coroplasty,” or “coroplathy,” has been used to refer to this craft, but also increasingly to all of its products, large and small, while research on this material falls under the rubric of coroplastic studies. Greek terracottas were known to antiquarians from the mid-17th century onward from archaeological explorations in both sanctuary and funerary sites, especially in southern Italy and Sicily. Yet serious scholarly interest in these important representatives of Greek sculpture developed only in the last quarter of the 19th century, when terracotta figurines of the Hellenistic period were unearthed from the cemeteries of Tanagra in Boeotia in the 1870s and Myrina in Asia Minor in the 1880s. These immediately entered the antiquities markets, where their cosmopolitan, secular imagery had a great appeal for collectors and fueled scholarly interest and debate. At the same time, sanctuary deposits containing terracottas also began to be explored, but scholarly attention privileged funerary terracottas because of their better state of preservation. For most of the 20th century, the study of figurative terracottas basically was an art-historical exercise based in iconography and style that remained in the shadow of monumental sculpture. It is only in the last four decades or so that coroplastic studies has developed into an autonomous field of research, with approaches specific to the discipline that consider modalities of production, as well as the religious, social, political, and economic roles that terracottas played in ancient Greek life by means of broad sociological and anthropological approaches. Consequently, this bibliography mainly comprises publications of the last forty years, although old titles that are still essential for research are also included.

The Gymnasium and Greek Identity

This chapter focuses on questions of identity more clearly and provides an analysis of its different implications, to show how the communities of the gymnasia of Hellenistic Egypt, while following traditions of Greek character, were thoroughly embedded in the socio-cultural world of the country in which they lived. It is argued that the members of the gymnasium displayed complex identities, which could encompass features deriving from various traditions; this goes beyond a simplistic interpretation and understanding of ethnicity. Beyond strict ethnic designations, Ptolemaic society also functioned in a less exclusive fashion, according to cultural definitions: the Ptolemaic category of Hellenes ‘Greeks’ was applied to people who displayed a certain degree of knowledge of Greek language and culture, not only to those who were of strict Greek ethnicity. As the prime institution of Greek cultural traditions, the gymnasium operated as the quintessential ‘association of the Hellenes’: the place where those who were willing to go Greek could express themselves as a well-defined group of people, while upholding specific aspects of Greek life. However, it is shown how the gymnasium’s members stretched over different layers of (normally) the middle and upper strata of local society and shared many features, which were foreign to Greek traditions and thought, including specific onomastic choices, religious practices, or marriage patterns. ‘Those of the gymnasium’ were fully embedded in and deeply intertwined with the local population—to the point that they essentially formed a part of it: they were the ‘Greeks’ of Egypt.

The Greek life-long learning centers in the post-debt crisis era: evaluation of the effectiveness of mentoring in adult trainers training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of Greek Life-Long Learning Centers (LLLCs) trainers, who worked as educational managers and took on informal mentoring roles in the context of counseling guidance and their trainees (who are adults’ trainers), on the effectiveness of mentoring in the post-Greek Debt Crisis era. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a quantitative analysis using the SPSS software package’s simple random sampling. The bibliographic review, the identification and specialization of the research objectives, as well as the study of the participants’ unique characteristics, were used in the construction of a research tool. Findings The majority of participants confirmed the importance of mentoring as a human resource strategy. Regarding its effectiveness in the field of the Greek LLLCs, there were several discrepancies in the perceptions of trainers and trainees, as well as specific malfunctions in its implementation. Research limitations/implications The research omitted certain qualitative features and was conducted in a relatively limited geographical context. Originality/value Given the lack of similar studies in the field of the Greek LLLCs, this study illustrates the reality of the mentoring function in the training field of adult trainers, after the onset of the Greek economic crisis, while also highlighting realistic ways to improve the effectiveness of these organizations and conduct future, larger-scale research.

Heightened Sexual Misconduct Victimization Rates among Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Women: Results From a Campus Climate Survey

Sexual assault, harassment, and stalking are commonplace among college students, with identified subgroups being particularly at risk (e.g., Greek-life organizations and intercollegiate athletics). Despite higher rates of sexual misconduct among active-duty military and service academy women, no research has examined the risk for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) women. A total of N = 1,562 college women were sampled from a sexual misconduct campus climate survey. ROTC women reported higher victimization rates for all variants of sexual misconduct and violence relative to the broader student population, as well as previously established high-risk groups. Directions for future research and implications for prevention programming/response are presented and discussed.

Economic Aspects of Athletic Competition in the Archaic and Classical Age

An economic study of the Panhellenic contests in the archaic and classical periods requires an analysis of the relationship between economics, politics, and society of the Greek cities from a diachronic perspective. The competitive spirit formed an integral part of Greek life and culture and reflected the different social classes across various ages. The Homeric athletic contest is reserved for heroes and the aristocracy. In the eighth century the agōn is still dominated by a warrior aristocracy and landed classes, although members of the lower class were not restricted from participation. Subsequently with the birth of the polis, and through the development of crafts and trade, there emerged new social classes that undermined the archaic aristocratic values and introduced wealth based on coinage. The establishment of cash prizes offered to Panhellenic victors corresponded to the new conception of the timocratic polis. In the fifth century the emergence of Athenian democracy offered new possibilities to citizens with the opening of gymnasia and the establishment of liturgies.

Terra di civiltà e di barbarie: rappresentazioni cinematografiche della Grecia degli altri, tra autenticità e mistificazione

Talking about Greece nowadays does not only mean becoming aware of the immense cultural, social, and linguistic heritage which characterizes the country, but also accepting the huge change which is affecting the nation. The paper focuses on the international cinematographic account on Greece in order to explore the spectrum of non-Greek visions concerning Greek life, history, culture, and traditions. The work is aimed – through the analysis of both American and Italian movies – at outlining stereotypes and authentic elements of the foreign movie industry’s representation of “Greekness”, browsing some of its most typical leitmotifs. In this respect, noteworthy examples are: the ancient myth; the brutality of war; the cultural misappropriation; the tourism business. The article deals with these issues in an attempt to define possible future developments and points for reflection.

Pledged into Harm: Sorority and Fraternity Members Face Increased Risk of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the risk of sexual exploitation (both assault and harassment) associated with sorority and fraternity membership on U.S. college campuses. The results from this study come from data collected through an online survey. Participants (N=883) at a large Pacific Northwestern university provided information related to their sorority or fraternity membership, experiences of sexual violence (i.e., assault and harassment), and alcohol use. We both replicated and extended past research. Corroborating prior research, Greek-affiliated students experienced higher rates of sexual assault than non-affiliated students. We extended past research by focusing on sexual harassment experiences within the Greek life culture. Both male and female Greek-affiliated students reported higher rates of sexual harassment particularly unwanted sexual attention, compared to their non-Greek-affiliated peers. We also found that both sorority membership and alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in women’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact, attempted/completed rape, and unwanted sexual attention. Fraternity membership but not alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in men’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact and unwanted sexual attention. Implications discussed include the short- and long-term consequences of Greek-affiliation, institutional betrayal, and addressing sexual exploitation within this culture. Also identified are limitations of the current study and future directions for research on sexual exploitation within Greek life.

The Reconstruction of Russian Prototype of Greek Life of Saint Metrophanes of Voronezh

The article presents a reconstruction of the Russian Life of Saint Metrophanes of Voronezh which became the basis for a Greek translation made at Athos. Saint Metrophanes, a famous fellow-champion of Emperor Peter the Great, died in 1703 and was canonized in 1832. The manuscript of the Life was has been recently discovered in the archives of the Russian Saint Panteleimon monastery on Athos and introduced into academic use. The author and copyist of the text was the Athos monk Iakobos Neasketiotes. “The Athonias” has survived in four manuscript copies, all of them autographs of Iakobos Neasketiotes, which are preserved in the archives of Athonite monasteries, namely the Skete of Saint Anna and the Saint Panteleemon and Vatopedi monasteries. They are dated to the years 1848, 1855, 1860 and 1865.