The Caryatids
MOVING through the first chamber of the tomb, the archaeologists found a wall sealing in the contents of the second chamber. The removal of the uppermost parts of this wall revealed the remains of two caryatids, as shown above. This is a very exciting find that again points to the grandeur of the tomb and the prestige of its intended occupant. As with the sculpture of the sphinxes, the detail of the work that has gone into producing the caryatids is simply beautiful.
ACTIVITIES
* Read the article posted on the Archaeology News Network linked here.
* Make a dot-point summary of the main features of the caryatids.
* Read the article posted on the Archaeology News Network linked here.
* Make a dot-point summary of the main features of the caryatids.
WHY CARYATIDS?
The reason why caryatids were carved for a funerary monument is not so clear. One ancient source from the late Roman Republic, Vitruvius, makes some suggestion for how caryatids came to be. Read his account in Source A below and answer the questions that follow.
SOURCE A
"...architects often incorporate many ornamental features in the designs of their work, of which they must be able to give a reasoned account, when asked why they added them. For example, if anyone erects marble statues of robed women, which are called Caryatids, instead of columns on his building, and places mutules and crowning members above them, this is how he will explain them to inquirers. Carya, a city in the Peloponnese, allied herself with the Persian enemy against Greece. Later the Greeks were rid of their war by a glorious victory and, by common consent, declared war on the Caryates. And so the town was captured, the males were killed and the Caryan state publicly disgraced. The victors led the matrons away into captivity, but did not allow them to lay aside their robes or matronly ornaments. Their intention was not to lead them on one occasion in a triumph, but to ensure that they exhibited a permanent picture of slavery, and that in the heavy mockery they suffered they should be seen to pay the penalty for their city. So the architects of those times designed images of them specially placed to uphold a load, so that a well known punishment of the Caryates' wrongdoing might be handed down to posterity.
Likewise the Spartans, led by Pausanias son of Agesipolis, after overcoming with a small force an infinitely large army of Persians at Plataea, celebrated a glorious triumph with the spoils and the booty, and erected a Persian stoa from the sale of the plunder, to show the renown and valour of their own citizens and serve as a trophy of their valour for their descendants to see. There they disposed [made] likenesses of their prisoners, dressed in rich, barbaric clothes, holding up the roof, their pride punished by well merited humiliations; both to make enemies tremble for fear of what Spartan bravery could achieve, and to cause their fellow citizens, catching sight of this example of valour, to hold their heads high and remain ready to defend their freedom. And so from that time many builders placed in their works statues of Persians holding up the architraves and their attendant ornaments; so that this theme enabled them to increase notably the variety of their creations."
Likewise the Spartans, led by Pausanias son of Agesipolis, after overcoming with a small force an infinitely large army of Persians at Plataea, celebrated a glorious triumph with the spoils and the booty, and erected a Persian stoa from the sale of the plunder, to show the renown and valour of their own citizens and serve as a trophy of their valour for their descendants to see. There they disposed [made] likenesses of their prisoners, dressed in rich, barbaric clothes, holding up the roof, their pride punished by well merited humiliations; both to make enemies tremble for fear of what Spartan bravery could achieve, and to cause their fellow citizens, catching sight of this example of valour, to hold their heads high and remain ready to defend their freedom. And so from that time many builders placed in their works statues of Persians holding up the architraves and their attendant ornaments; so that this theme enabled them to increase notably the variety of their creations."
Vitruvius, On Architecture, 1.1.5
QUESTIONS
1. Think about the symbolic value of caryatids shown by Vitruivius. In a general sense, what do they symbolise?
2. If we believe Vitruivius's accounts, what could the inclusion of caryatids in the Kasta Hill tomb suggest about the achievements of the tomb's occupant?
1. Think about the symbolic value of caryatids shown by Vitruivius. In a general sense, what do they symbolise?
2. If we believe Vitruivius's accounts, what could the inclusion of caryatids in the Kasta Hill tomb suggest about the achievements of the tomb's occupant?
Historian, Dr. Dorothy King, refutes Vitruivius's claims about caryatids in her blog, Dorothy King's PhDiva, for a number of reasons. The quote in Source B below alludes to an interpretation of the caryatids at Kasta Hill.
SOURCE B
Caryatids are often associated with figures carved in the round and replacing columns, which, as on the Erechtheion, were to be found only on Ionic buildings. They were always female, and the figures never expressed the burden of their supporting function (the Erechtheion maidens for example have one bent and ‘relaxed’ leg).
Dr. Dorothy King, Vitruivius, Caryatids and Telemones from: Dorothy King's PhDiva, 2008
* What does Dr King mean when she says "...the figures never expressed the burden of their supporting function..."?
SOURCE B
Caryatids are often associated with figures carved in the round and replacing columns, which, as on the Erechtheion, were to be found only on Ionic buildings. They were always female, and the figures never expressed the burden of their supporting function (the Erechtheion maidens for example have one bent and ‘relaxed’ leg).
Dr. Dorothy King, Vitruivius, Caryatids and Telemones from: Dorothy King's PhDiva, 2008
* What does Dr King mean when she says "...the figures never expressed the burden of their supporting function..."?
* Look carefully at the image of the caryatids from the Erechtheion in Source C, and compare these with the image of the caryatids from Kasta Hill shown in Source D.
SOURCE C
SOURCE C
This is part of the south porch of the Erechtheion, at Athens, Greece. Notice the stance of the figure, the style of robe and the way the fabric of the robe is cut and falls over the body. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
SOURCE D
These are the caryatids excavated at Kasta Hill, each standing at 2.27 metres. Again, notice the stance of the figure, as well as the cut and fall of the dress. Image from: Archaeology News Network.
QUESTIONS
1. What are the main similarities and differences between the caryatids of the Erechtheion and those of Kasta Hill?
1. What are the main similarities and differences between the caryatids of the Erechtheion and those of Kasta Hill?
The funerary or perhaps royal significance of caryatids is given further impetus by a previous discovery, at the royal Macedonian tomb of Alexander's father, Phillip II, at Vergina. The throne shown below in Source E belonged to Alexander the Great's grandmother, Eurydice, and features caryatids as part of its design.
SOURCE E
SOURCE F
References to the origins of caryatids in our ancient sources are fleeting, however, there are some. Most tell of the transformation of Carya, the daughter of the Lacedaemonian (Spartan) king, Dion, into a walnut tree. In a mythology that is as rich with symbolism as Greek myth is, unravelling the subtext for some kind of meaning can often be challenging.
Consider the following sources for what they might suggest about the symbolism of the caryatids in the context of a tomb.
Consider the following sources for what they might suggest about the symbolism of the caryatids in the context of a tomb.
SOURCE G
Encyclopedia Mythica references the ancient Roman writer, Virgil;
"...Carya, the beloved of Dionysus, was changed into a nut tree [after refusing his love], and the Lacedaemonians [Spartans], on being informed of it by Artemis, dedicated a temple to Artemis Caryatis."
Encyclopedia Mythica references the ancient Roman writer, Virgil;
"...Carya, the beloved of Dionysus, was changed into a nut tree [after refusing his love], and the Lacedaemonians [Spartans], on being informed of it by Artemis, dedicated a temple to Artemis Caryatis."
Another ancient source, Pausanias, describes a Spartan landmark that features one of the many synthesised forms of the goddess, Artemis.
SOURCE H
[3.10.7] "The third branch from the straight road is on the right, and leads to Caryae (Walnut-trees) and to the sanctuary of Artemis. For Caryae is a region sacred to Artemis and the nymphs, and here stands in the open an image of Artemis Caryatis. Here every year the Lacedaemonian maidens hold chorus-dances, and they have a traditional native dance."
Pausanias, Description of Greece, 3.10.7
SOURCE I
Apart from being the Greek goddess of the wilderness and the hunt, Artemis is also known as the goddess of childbirth and virginity. Encyclopedia Mythica references Sophocles, suggesting that;
"Artemis is moreover, like Apollo, unmarried; she is a maiden divinity never conquered by love. (Soph. Elect. 1220.) "
Apart from being the Greek goddess of the wilderness and the hunt, Artemis is also known as the goddess of childbirth and virginity. Encyclopedia Mythica references Sophocles, suggesting that;
"Artemis is moreover, like Apollo, unmarried; she is a maiden divinity never conquered by love. (Soph. Elect. 1220.) "
QUESTIONS
1. Dionysus is referred to in Source G. Who was Dionysus? By refusing the love of Dionysus, what has Carya done?
2. Essentially, what has happened to Carya, according to the ancient sources?
3. What would the Lacedaemonian maidens described by Pausanias in Source H be celebrating?
4. How might these stories of the caryatids (the maidens of Carya) hold symbolic relevance for a funerary monument in a tomb?
1. Dionysus is referred to in Source G. Who was Dionysus? By refusing the love of Dionysus, what has Carya done?
2. Essentially, what has happened to Carya, according to the ancient sources?
3. What would the Lacedaemonian maidens described by Pausanias in Source H be celebrating?
4. How might these stories of the caryatids (the maidens of Carya) hold symbolic relevance for a funerary monument in a tomb?
WRITING
According to Dorothy King;
"The majority of these examples of Caryatids would appear to come from funerary contexts, so whatever the original pejorative intention of the figures when the Caryatid Monument was set up, the form soon took on overtones of mourning."
Do you agree? Justify your response with close reference to the given sources. In your opinion, considering the evidence in these sources, what was the function of the caryatids at Kasta Hill?
According to Dorothy King;
"The majority of these examples of Caryatids would appear to come from funerary contexts, so whatever the original pejorative intention of the figures when the Caryatid Monument was set up, the form soon took on overtones of mourning."
Do you agree? Justify your response with close reference to the given sources. In your opinion, considering the evidence in these sources, what was the function of the caryatids at Kasta Hill?
The Mosaic of the Abduction of Persephone
SOURCE J: Mosaic depicting the abduction of Perspehone, found on the floor of the second chamber of the Kasta Hill tomb.
The link provided here will bring you to the Theoi Greek Mythology webpage. You will find various ancient sources recounting the myth of Persephone's rape or abduction where you will be able to read other ancient sources on this myth.
Source K, below, is one of these sources.
* Read Source K
* Make a dot-point summary that shows the main parts of the myth itself.
SOURCE K:
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 2. 3 - 5. 5. 1 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :
"The Sikeliotai who dwell in the island [of Sicily] have received the tradition from their ancestors, the report having ever been handed down successively from earliest time by one generation to the next, that the island is sacred to Demeter and Kore [Persephone]; although there are certain poets who recount the myth that at the marriage of Plouton [Haides] and Persephone, Zeus gave this island as a wedding present to the bride . . .
The fact that the Rape of Kore took place in Sikelia is, men say, proof most evident that the goddesses made this island their favourite retreat because it was cherished by them before all others. And the Rape of Kore, the myth relates, took place in the meadows of the territory of Enna. The spot lies near the city, a place of striking beauty for its violets and every other kind of flower and worthy of the goddess. And the story is told that, because of the sweet odour of the flowers growing there, trained hunting dogs are unable to hold the trail, because their natural sense of smell is balked. And the meadow we have mentioned is level in the centre and well watered throughout, but on its periphery it rises high and falls off with precipitous cliffs on every side. And it is conceived of as lying in the very centre of the island, which is the reason why certain writers call it the navel of Sikelia. Near to it also are sacred groves, surrounded by marshy flats, and a huge grotto which contains a chasm which leads down into the earth and opens to the north, and through it, the myth relates, Plouton, coming out with his chariot, effected the Rape of Kore. And the violets, we are told, and the rest of the flowers which supply the sweet odour continue to bloom, to one’s amazement, throughout the entire year, and so the whole aspect of the place is one of flowers and delight.
And both Athene and Artemis, the myth goes on to say, who had made the same choice of maidenhood as had Kore and were reared together with her, joined with her in gathering the flowers, and all of them together wove the robe for their father Zeus. And because of the time they had spent together and their intimacy they all loved this island above any other, and each one of them received for her portion a territory, Athene receiving hers in the region of Himera . . . Artemis received from the gods the island of Syrakouse . . . Like the two goddesses whom we have mentioned Kore, we are told, received as her portion the meadows round about Enna; but a great fountain was made sacred to her in the territory of Syrakousa and given the name Kyane or `Azure Font’. For the myth relates that it was near Syrakousa that Plouton effected the Rape of Kore and took her away in his chariot, and that after cleaving the earth asunder he himself descended into Haides, taking along with him the bride whom he had seized, and that he caused the fountain named Kyane to gush forth, near which the Syrakousans each year hold a notable festive gathering; and private individuals offer the lesser victims, but when the ceremony is on behalf of the community, bulls are plunged in the pool, this manner of sacrifice having been commanded by Herakles on the occasion when he made the circuit of all Sikelia, while driving off the cattle of Geryones.
After the Rape of Kore, the myth goes on to recount, Demeter, being unable to find her daughter, kindled torches in the craters of Mt Aitna and visited many parts of the inhabited world . . . The inhabitants of Sikelia, since by reason of the intimate relationship with Demeter and Kore with them they were the first to share in the corn after its discovery, instituted to each on of the goddesses sacrifices and festive gatherings . . .
That the Rape of Kore took place in the manner we have described is attested by many ancient historians and poets. Karkinos the tragic poet, for instance, who often visited Syrakousa and witnessed the zeal which the inhabitants displayed in the sacrifices and festive gatherings for both Demeter and Kore, has the following verses in his writings: ‘Demeter’s daughter, her whom none may name, by secret schemings Plouton [Haides], men say, stole, and then he dropped into earth’s depths, whose light is darkness. Longing for the vanished girl her mother searched and visited all lands in turn. And Sikelia’s land by Aitna’s crags was filled with streams of fire which no man could approach, and groaned throughout its length; in grief over the maiden now the folk, beloved of Zeus, was perishing without the corn. Hence honour they these goddesses even now."
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.68.1 :
"Now she [Demeter] discovered the corn before she gave birth to her daughter Persephone, but after the birth of her daughter and the rape of her by Plouton [Haides], she burned all the fruit of the corn, both because of her anger at Zeus and because of her grief over her daughter. After she had found Persephone, however, she became reconciled with Zeus and gave Triptolemos the corn to sow, instructing him both to share the gift with men everywhere and to teach them everything concerned with the labour of sowing."
Source K, below, is one of these sources.
* Read Source K
* Make a dot-point summary that shows the main parts of the myth itself.
SOURCE K:
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 2. 3 - 5. 5. 1 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) :
"The Sikeliotai who dwell in the island [of Sicily] have received the tradition from their ancestors, the report having ever been handed down successively from earliest time by one generation to the next, that the island is sacred to Demeter and Kore [Persephone]; although there are certain poets who recount the myth that at the marriage of Plouton [Haides] and Persephone, Zeus gave this island as a wedding present to the bride . . .
The fact that the Rape of Kore took place in Sikelia is, men say, proof most evident that the goddesses made this island their favourite retreat because it was cherished by them before all others. And the Rape of Kore, the myth relates, took place in the meadows of the territory of Enna. The spot lies near the city, a place of striking beauty for its violets and every other kind of flower and worthy of the goddess. And the story is told that, because of the sweet odour of the flowers growing there, trained hunting dogs are unable to hold the trail, because their natural sense of smell is balked. And the meadow we have mentioned is level in the centre and well watered throughout, but on its periphery it rises high and falls off with precipitous cliffs on every side. And it is conceived of as lying in the very centre of the island, which is the reason why certain writers call it the navel of Sikelia. Near to it also are sacred groves, surrounded by marshy flats, and a huge grotto which contains a chasm which leads down into the earth and opens to the north, and through it, the myth relates, Plouton, coming out with his chariot, effected the Rape of Kore. And the violets, we are told, and the rest of the flowers which supply the sweet odour continue to bloom, to one’s amazement, throughout the entire year, and so the whole aspect of the place is one of flowers and delight.
And both Athene and Artemis, the myth goes on to say, who had made the same choice of maidenhood as had Kore and were reared together with her, joined with her in gathering the flowers, and all of them together wove the robe for their father Zeus. And because of the time they had spent together and their intimacy they all loved this island above any other, and each one of them received for her portion a territory, Athene receiving hers in the region of Himera . . . Artemis received from the gods the island of Syrakouse . . . Like the two goddesses whom we have mentioned Kore, we are told, received as her portion the meadows round about Enna; but a great fountain was made sacred to her in the territory of Syrakousa and given the name Kyane or `Azure Font’. For the myth relates that it was near Syrakousa that Plouton effected the Rape of Kore and took her away in his chariot, and that after cleaving the earth asunder he himself descended into Haides, taking along with him the bride whom he had seized, and that he caused the fountain named Kyane to gush forth, near which the Syrakousans each year hold a notable festive gathering; and private individuals offer the lesser victims, but when the ceremony is on behalf of the community, bulls are plunged in the pool, this manner of sacrifice having been commanded by Herakles on the occasion when he made the circuit of all Sikelia, while driving off the cattle of Geryones.
After the Rape of Kore, the myth goes on to recount, Demeter, being unable to find her daughter, kindled torches in the craters of Mt Aitna and visited many parts of the inhabited world . . . The inhabitants of Sikelia, since by reason of the intimate relationship with Demeter and Kore with them they were the first to share in the corn after its discovery, instituted to each on of the goddesses sacrifices and festive gatherings . . .
That the Rape of Kore took place in the manner we have described is attested by many ancient historians and poets. Karkinos the tragic poet, for instance, who often visited Syrakousa and witnessed the zeal which the inhabitants displayed in the sacrifices and festive gatherings for both Demeter and Kore, has the following verses in his writings: ‘Demeter’s daughter, her whom none may name, by secret schemings Plouton [Haides], men say, stole, and then he dropped into earth’s depths, whose light is darkness. Longing for the vanished girl her mother searched and visited all lands in turn. And Sikelia’s land by Aitna’s crags was filled with streams of fire which no man could approach, and groaned throughout its length; in grief over the maiden now the folk, beloved of Zeus, was perishing without the corn. Hence honour they these goddesses even now."
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.68.1 :
"Now she [Demeter] discovered the corn before she gave birth to her daughter Persephone, but after the birth of her daughter and the rape of her by Plouton [Haides], she burned all the fruit of the corn, both because of her anger at Zeus and because of her grief over her daughter. After she had found Persephone, however, she became reconciled with Zeus and gave Triptolemos the corn to sow, instructing him both to share the gift with men everywhere and to teach them everything concerned with the labour of sowing."
QUESTIONS
* Why is this myth significant in a funerary tomb?
* Why is this myth significant in a funerary tomb?