Hellenistic Greece
(323 BC to 31 BC)
What happened?
Hellenistic Greece is the country after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and its annexation by the Roman Republic in 31 BC. The Battle of Corinth in 146 BC was a crushing Roman victory over the Peloponnese that led to the destruction of Corinth and ushered in the period of Roman Greece. The Battle of Actium, in 31 BC, was the final end of Hellenistic Greece. Augustus defeated the Greek Ptolemaic queen. Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony took over Alexandria.
The Ancient Greek word 'Hellas' gradually became recognized as the name for Greece. “Hellenistic” is distinguished from “Hellenic” in that the latter refers to Greece itself. Hellenistic refers to all ancient areas under Greek influence.
The Hellenistic period began with the Wars of the Diadochi, the battle between Alexander the Great's generals after his death. The era was also marked by successive wars between the Kingdom of Macedonia with allies against the Aetolian, Archaic League, and the city-state of Sparta. Their former alliance with Hannibal of Carthage entangled them in the First and Second Macedonian Wars with ancient Rome. Eventually the Romans would control all of Greece.
During the Hellenistic period, Greece's importance in the world declined. Alexandria and Antioch were the main centers.
Terracotta. Found: Moulins, France (JN0857)
Hellenistic Dish
± 300 BC to ± 100 BC
This intact archaeological dish comes from the Hellenistic period, 3rd to 2nd century BC. It is a beautiful robust earthenware terracotta from an old French collection.
This small vessel has a small round pedestal base with sharply angled straight sides rising to a simple rim. Due to its size, it is presumed that it may have been used for storing salt or perhaps even intended for sacrificial offerings in which small offerings were placed. Then they were deposited in a shrine or holy place.
Considering its age, the object is in very good condition and completely intact. Wear and old dents give it a robust appearance.
Terracotta. Found: Izmir, Turkey (JN0853)
Greek Torso With Himation
± 300 BC to ± 1 BC
Smyrna, modern-day Izmir in Turkey (2023), was one of the original terracotta centers of Asia Minor. About 288 BC, the city was refounded by Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great, near the old location. Smyrna reached its zenith in the imperial years. Systematic excavations were made impossible by the continued habitation of the site. Most statues from Smyrna are on display in the largest museums in Europe and the U.S. Usually these are fragments of heads.
The figurines are easily recognized by the color of their clay, which varies from brown to red. The clay is fine and homogeneous and contains scrapings of gold and silver. Some samples still retain their color. The ventilation openings are generally small. The shaping is incredibly careful, and the backs of the figurines are rarely left unworked. Very few signatures of the terracotta artists have survived.
There are many popular forms of the great terracotta art of the classical or Hellenistic period. Various deities, athletes and Heracles are examples of the themes. Another popular theme was dressed female figures in the so-called Tanagra style. This is characterized by great homogeneity in style and choice of thematic types. The most common are the 'Tanagrians', standing, clothed female figures, with multi-colored decorations and an elaborate appropriation of the women's clothing. These figures usually wear a chiton and a Himation, like our example. The clothing is depicted as hugging the body tightly, creating folds that follow opposite directions, giving a lively and decorative character to the figures. It offers the opportunity for variations on the same theme. Handmade miniatures also occur. The so-called grotesque figures with exaggerated anatomical deformities form a special category. They probably depicted real people suffering from disfiguring diseases.
The terracotta style of Smyrna shows great similarities with that of Myrina. They probably used similar molds and perhaps the same artists worked in both cities. The statuettes of Smyrna were highly prized in the ancient world. They were exported to Myrina, Pergamon, Priene, Troy, Athens, Cyprus, Delos, Tarsus, and cities by the Black Sea.
Hellenistic Seal
± 100 BC
The Hellenistic rulers founded new cities, which needed temples, theaters, and squares. The residences of those rulers became centers of court art. The art of that period differed from its predecessors due to the intensive confrontation with the Orient and the barbarians. Hybrid forms developed.
Greek temples built during the Hellenistic period were larger than classical temples.
In sculpture, there was a strong push for realism, including depictions of the lower classes of society, neglected in the classical period. Expressionist style elements and pathetic motifs were prominent features. The art also had to support the self-presentation of the rulers. The prominent position of the monarch was emphasized through the use of divine attributes.
Hellenistic art saw a turn from the idealistic, perfected, calm, and composed figures of Classical art to a more dominated realistic style and the depiction of emotion and character. People of all ages and social statuses are depicted. Our clay seal has an image on its surface that could represent the goddess Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, strength, and speed. She is depicted as a winged woman.