Technique
Why are painted Greek vases important for understanding the past?
Now that you have learned about Greek vase painting, why do you think Greek vases are important for the modern scholar? What can they teach us about the past?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Vases are one of our most important sources on ancient Greece because we possess vast numbers of whole vases and fragments of vases from virtually every period of Greek history and a variety of locations.
- Moreover they were everyday objects used in a variety of contexts, for example, in the home, for entertainment, for civic functions, ritual occasions, and even for political purposes.
- Unlike literary sources, vases often provide information concerning the day-to-day lives of Greek and foreign men, women, children, and slaves. For example, vases show us mothers nursing children, women at the fountain, men at the symposium, sexual encounters, warfare, theater, trade and commerce.
- A large number of vases also portray mythological scenes that were popular. In many cases these complement and add to our knowledge of Greek mythology from other sources.
- Because these vases were relatively expensive they reflect not only the socio-economic status of the people using them but also the values and belief systems of their purchasers.
- Moreover, the distribution of Greek vases throughout the Mediterranean can tell us a great deal about ancient economics, trade, and patterns of settlement.
- Finally, the find spots and styles of Greek vases can tell the modern scholar much about intercultural contact in the ancient Mediterranean.
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