The horse in ancient Athens. An original exhibition
In the Acropolis, the frieze of the Parthenon and the metopes alone, one can count more than 200 embossed words. The plethora of black-figure amphorae with horse iconography, the hippopotamus earthenware, the baby horses, the amphorae in which babies were buried and represented on their outer surface, all testify to the great admiration and love that the ancient Athenians had for the pan. animal.
The horse was not only a faithful companion in war and peace, a useful means of rapidly transporting its rider from the city to the countryside or to another city and the most basic tool in battle, but with its impetus, reminiscent of dynamics. . of the waves and the intensity of a river, was the sanctuary of Poseidon. Perhaps this is the reason why so many horse tombs were found in Faliro, giving food for speculation either about horse sacrifices or about the existence of a racecourse there (as in modern times) and a training center of the Athenian cavalry. With these descriptions, the director of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Mr. Jennifer Niles, explains the exhibition “HORSE: The Horse in Ancient Athens”, which she curates, and adds: “The great politician Kimonas, says Herodotus, was buried next to in his words. He owned mares that had won awards at the Olympics. As for the skeletons of healthy male horses, young, between four and seven years old, which were found galloping, with the tail waving high, we speculate that they were indeed sacrificed by the sea, to the god Poseidon, who was worshiped as ” The question may not be answered with absolute certainty, but we know that during the Bronze Age (1200 BC) sacrifices were made both in Athens and in other cities of ancient Greece. The horses are very nicely placed “In their graves, that is, not at all by chance, as, as giant animals, it was difficult to fly inside the house and without attention. The exhibition will for the first time expose a horse skeleton as found inside its grave.”
The exhibits cover a long period of time, from the geometric to the Hellenistic, and have been granted as loans from the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Ceramic Museum, the Bravrona and the Agora, but also from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence. whose exhibit is perhaps the most impressive.
Owning a horse in ancient Athens was not something that concerned all citizens, as its purchase cost was inaccessible to the majority. A horse, usually brought from Thessaly, cost 700 drachmas, ie two years’ salary. This proves without a doubt that a horse owner could only be the parent of a wealthy family. This was the reason why Aristophanes puts in his “Horsemen” the Dance to be composed of young people, members of the higher economically and socially of Athens. The same explanation is given for the existence of so many names with the synthetic -horse, such as Hippocrates, Hipparchus, Dexippus, Xanthippus and others. They were fashionable at the time, as they wanted to adopt similar names as indicative of noble origin.
The ancient Greek heritage is full of the presence of horses, not only in every artistic expression but also in the lives of the powerful, from Homer’s “Iliad”, where the words of Achilles are even heard, to Boukefalas of Alexander the Great. The exhibition focuses on the special relationship of Athens with the other. Among the exhibits is a mouthpiece from Reins of Persian origin collected after the Battle of Marathon, as well as a pair of spurs.
An exhibition that combines art and scientific research and concerns everyone, regardless of age. This is why school visits are organized and there is a problem with explanatory signs specially designed for younger visitors. At the same time, Melissa publications has prepared a children’s book entitled “Aura”, the name of the legendary time from Corinth who made her first place in an Olympic sport, after she continued to run even when her rider fell. It is signed by Mrs. Niles herself, who explains: “It is very interesting the connection of horses with children. There are many tombs of children with toys, among which we find horses or small dummies, amphorae with illustrations where men ride or fall from them, and with horse heads, all mainly from the archaic period – these are habits that are observed almost exclusively in Athens. The other cities did not give as much importance to the horse as the Athenians “. Indeed, the excavations in the Ancient Agora of Athens have brought to light a few testimonies regarding the great organization and the important role of the Athenian cavalry, the horsemen, and we find them in the form of inscriptions, symbols and honorary monuments.
The exhibits cover a large period of time, from the geometric to the Hellenistic, and have been granted as loans by the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Ceramic Museum, the Brauronas and the Agora, but also by the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, the Which exhibit is perhaps the most impressive: a bronze horse from the Hellenistic period (330-340 BC) that was used as a fountain in the renaissance mansion of Laurentius the Magnificent of the Medici. In its original form, when transported to Rome, the model of the horse was complete, with its rider, and gilded. Most likely, most of it was melted down and used to make coins or tools. Fortunately, the head was saved. Recently, a small Greek inscription was cleaned and found, proving that it was finally Greek, while until now it was considered Roman.
A fascinating exhibition of art and science in the “Ioannis Makrygiannis” wing from January 20 to the end of April 2022, with a variety of antiquities from Greece and abroad. Marble sculptures, vases and coins from the geometric, archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods, works of art and everyday use that depict the Athenians’ obsession with horse breeding and equestrian competitions.
The exhibition is framed by weekly educational programs conducted by the Scholars of the School Eleni Giza, while in the amphitheater Cotsen Hall of the School will be held six lectures on ancient equestrian art, which will be available online at School website. As the exhibition is not aimed exclusively at art lovers but also at families and school groups, its main purpose is to highlight the different roles played by horses in ancient Athens and to show people the special importance they had in the lives of the ancients. Athenian. Through this exhibition, the American School hopes to fulfill one of its most important missions, the dissemination of its archaeological and scientific research.