Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts, was a powerful force in Greek mythology. She was known for her bravery and cunning, and was often called upon to defend the gods and mortals alike. One of the most famous stories of Athena's bravery is her battle against Alkyoneos, a giant who terrorized the people of the island of Thrake.
According to the myth, Alkyoneos was the son of the giant Orion and the goddess Eos. He was a giant of great strength and size, and was known for his brutal attacks on the people of Thrake. The people of the island lived in fear of Alkyoneos, and many of them had been killed or taken as slaves by the giant.
Despite the danger, Athena decided to take on Alkyoneos and defend the people of Thrake. She knew that she would need all of her wisdom and strength to defeat the giant, and so she prepared for battle. Athena donned her armor and took up her shield and spear, and set out to face Alkyoneos.
The battle between Athena and Alkyoneos was fierce and intense, with both sides fighting with all their might. Athena was a skilled warrior, and she used her shield and spear to defend herself against the giant's attacks. Despite his size and strength, Alkyoneos was no match for the goddess, and Athena was able to defeat him with ease.
After the battle was over, Athena returned to Thrake as a hero. The people of the island rejoiced at her victory, and they praised her for her bravery and strength. Athena was hailed as a protector of the people, and her victory over Alkyoneos was remembered for generations to come.
In conclusion, Athena's battle against Alkyoneos is a testament to her strength and bravery. She stood up for the people of Thrake and protected them from the giant's attacks, showing that she was not just a goddess of wisdom and war, but also a protector of the people.
The Pergamon Altar
A few, besides, are even more overtly animal-like, almost monstrous. Despite the immense number of figures on the frieze, each panel manages to offer new discoveries for its viewers. Pergamon and the Hellenistic Kingdoms of the Ancient World New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016 Lucilla Burn, Hellenistic Art: From Alexander the Great to Augustus London: British Museum Press, 2004 R. His supplication is supported by his mother Ge or Gaia , the earth, whose upper body appears; both hands are lifted to Athena. Staatliche Museen, Berlin Single figures of Gauls from the earlier victory monuments that survive in the form of Roman copies bear clear resemblance to the giants from the Altar frieze.
Greek Art & Architecture: Hellenistic Architecture: Pergamon
The long winding strands surround his face like snakes. In the late 1990s, the Altar was part of a conversation about the repatriation of Turkish heritage. One of the most recognized examples of the gigantomachy, on the east metopes of the Parthenon 447—438 B. According to the myth, the gods received a prophecy that the giants could only be defeated with the help of a mortal. Greece was trying to reassert its superiority, as Athens had done in building the Parthenon following the Persian Wars. The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization.
North side of grand staircase, Pergamon Altar photo: The sides of the altar As visitors continued along either side of the Altar they encountered gods and goddesses thematically assembled for example, the twin gods Apollo and Artemis with their mother Leto. The cattle shown on the sixth century pots, might thus represent either Alcyoneus' cattle stolen from Helios, or Heracles' cattle taken from Geryon. Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete. His features reflect deep anxiety. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America.
Athena battling Alkyoneos, detail from the Altar of Zeus Frieze
Paul Getty Museum: Volume 2. In comparison to other Hellenistic kingdoms kingdoms formed after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B. The frieze is dominated by overlapping profiles of gods and giants who stride toward one another but there is little indication of physical engagement between the figures, save for the lion and the giant. Grant, Lawrence: University of Kansas Press, 1960. .
Athena Battling Alkyoneos frieze is a snapshot of agony, victory, violence,and beauty
Her pleading, however, is in vain. Scholia to Pindar tell us that Alcyoneus lived on the isthmus of Thrace and that he had stolen his cattle from Isthmian 6. While the stepped platform made it possible to access the frieze up close, this would only have placed viewers in uncomfortable proximity to the immortal skirmish. One of the scenes pictured below is of Athena battling the giant Alkyoneos. As ancient visitors traversed from the rear to the front of the Altar they witnessed the metamorphosis of giants from overtly monstrous anguiform and animal-headed representations to fully anthropomorphic figures equipped with the arms and armor of Attalid enemies. Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 2nd—1st millennia B.
The naturalism is extreme and is taken to such lengths that some of the figures break out of their architectural frame altogether and into the spectator's space. The goddess Athena grasps the giant Alkyoneos by his unruly wavy hair, pulling his face to the left. The Altar was erected some 50 years after the Attalid Group. According to the myth, the Giants attacked the gods, but the Olympians learned that they could only emerge victorious if a mortal helped them. Athena Battling with Alcyoneus from the East Frieze, Altar of Zeus, Pergamon c. The Attalid group of Gauls at Pergamon reconstruction Gaul and his wife Roman copy from the Attalid group of c.
Athena battling Alkyoneos, detail from the Altar of Zeus Frieze. The Altar once stood in a sacred precinct on the acropolis of the ancient city of Pergamon on the west coast of modern-day Turkey , which was ruled by the Attalid dynasty from 282—133 B. Like in other scenes, the dying giant writhes in agony and his face is a mask of pain. The eyebrows are drawn, the forehead is wrinkled. This last pot depicts Heracles, with a headlock perhaps dragging his opponent, which might be a representation of Heracles dragging Alcyoneus out of his homeland.
Great Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon (video)
During this time, the city of Pergamon was embellished with two important monuments commemorating the defeat of invading Gauls: a statuary group set up on the city's acropolis, and a massive Ionic altar with a frieze showing the battle of the gods and giants. The gods therefore called Heracles to aid them, and they won the battle. The figure of Nike has appeared at the right to give Athena the crown of victory. The Athenian gold and ivory pediment see a reconstruction drawing of it On the Parthenon, the Athenians used myths to provide commentaries on their contemporary reality. Just as impressive as their dynamic poses, these two panels depict a diversity of giant types—from human to animal. But many more are anguiform snake-like and some possess further animalistic features.
Giants kneel further to the right. The frieze was sculpted out of white marble by multiple artists in Pergamum, Turkey during the ancient Greek Hellenistic period in 175 B. The art can be classified as a gigantomachy frieze- meaning the work is quite grandiose in scale. Alcyoneus stretches out his left arm in a gesture of supplication, while with his right hand he tries to tear the hand of Athena away from his hair. Present remains of the Great Altar of Zeus, Pergamon Most of the material excavated by Carl Humann 1839-96 in the late 1870s and early 1880s was transported to Berlin The approach was from the back, so that only after walking round the building did the great flight of steps leading up to the altar come into view.
East metopes showing a portion of the gigantomachy, Iktinos and Kallikrates, Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens, 447—432 B. However, its most eye-catching feature is undoubtedly the frieze, a massive 113 meters long and 2. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the Altar—similar to other multifunctional structures in cities and sanctuaries throughout the Greek world—also served as a treasury for arms and armor captured in the Gallic and Macedonian wars among others. In 1878, the German engineer Carl Humann began official excavations on the acropolis of Pergamon, this excavation lasted until 1886. Ἀλκυονίδες ἡμέραι Alcyon days, Halcyon days, kingfisher days , s. The Altar of Zeus at Pergamon was one of several examples of monumental architecture which the Attalids relied upon to achieve their spiritual and political goals.
