Videos by Georgios Spyropoulos
The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is situated in the centre of the homonymous archaeol... more The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is situated in the centre of the homonymous archaeological site, where it massive ruins, set against the silvery green of the surrounding trees creates an idyllic and dreamily romantic atmosphere. The building was designed by the architect W. Stuart Thompson. It consists of an Atrium which, like the peristyle courts of Roman Villas, served as an Open Garden, skillfully adapted to the landscape configurations and initially surrounded by four galleries. Rows of columns amalgamate the structures and smooth the transition from indoor to outdoor spaces and gardens. In all of these places extended spatial opportunities invite movement, and that, together with pronounced multiplicities of parts, generate different views and impressions. In July 2016, two refurbished Galleries were revealed to the public. Under normal circumstances the Museum of Ancient Corinth welcomes 196.993 visitors on an annual basis. 139 views
The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is situated in the centre of the homonymous archaeol... more The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth is situated in the centre of the homonymous archaeological site, where it massive ruins, set against the silvery green of the surrounding trees creates an idyllic and dreamily romantic atmosphere. The building was designed by the architect W. Stuart Thompson. It consists of an Atrium which, like the peristyle courts of Roman Villas, served as an Open Garden, skillfully adapted to the landscape configurations and initially surrounded by four galleries. Rows of columns amalgamate the structures and smooth the transition from indoor to outdoor spaces and gardens. In all of these places extended spatial opportunities invite movement, and that, together with pronounced multiplicities of parts, generate different views and impressions. In July 2016, two refurbished Galleries were revealed to the public. Under normal circumstances the Museum of Ancient Corinth welcomes 196.993 visitors on an annual basis. 122 views
Cosmic imagery was particularly popular in Roman architecture, as seen at the Pantheon and Hadria... more Cosmic imagery was particularly popular in Roman architecture, as seen at the Pantheon and Hadrian’s sprawling residence at Tivoli.
Almost 5km from the town of Astros, opposite the Monastery of Loukou in southern Peloponnese, a large and magnificent Villa of the early roman imperial period (2nd C A.D) has been reasonably identified as belonging to Herodes Atticus.
In a recent study of Herodes Atticus’s Villa, Prof. Dr. Spyropoulos took a different approach to examining the villa in order to consider a pattern of cosmic allusions that emerges when roman monuments are seen as a cohesive group. Sometimes these allusions are explicit, though at other times they are less obvious, only emerging through contextual reading. Using Herodes Atticus’ Villa as a point of departure, Prof. Spyropoulos will examine the presence and influence of the cosmos in the architectural design and decorative details of Greco-Roman residential architecture. 247 views
Papers by Georgios Spyropoulos
www.tourismtoday.gr & ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ (Athens Macedonian News Agency), 2024
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2024 Αρχαιολογία & Τέχνες-arxaiologia.gr., 2024
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, 2024
Directors: G. Spyropoulos-P. Scotton
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented ... more Directors: G. Spyropoulos-P. Scotton
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
AIA ABSTRACT: Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project
Report from the Field 2023
The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project returned to the field in 2023 under a continuing permit granted by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport. This project is focused upon delimiting the ancient harbor and settlement, documenting the occupation of the site and its structures across all periods, refining site formation studies to better understand the changing coastal environment, and determining more precisely the abandonment of the site and the reasons why.
Geoprospection to the south of the inner harbor was conducted and revealed a continuation of the dense array of structures revealed previously. The area to the north and west of the excavation grapheion was also surveyed and revealed two large structures. Coring to a depth of 13 m was done immediately to the north of the Roman civic basilica found during previous seasons. The last five meters were strata of mud and clays from a time when the area was marsh and included plant matter. The study of the shell and glass recovered is ongoing but already significant. Murex processing has been documented and with it the production of purple dye. The glass recovered to date extends into the Hellenistic period but in Roman contexts.
The excavation of the three structures to the south and east of the inner harbor previously under study continues. In the northwest corner of the site a new area was opened and revealed a circular structure 30 m in diameter with an inner room ca. 15 m in diameter. In this room were found fragments of a sarcophagus. Late Republican ceramics dating ca. 70-50 BCE were found in three of the four areas under excavation suggesting that the harbor was in use after the destruction of Corinth in 146 BCE and prior to the founding of the Roman colony in 44 BCE.
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The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, 2024
The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project:
Core Team
Team specialists
See... more The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project:
Core Team
Team specialists
See also:
http://lechaion.org/
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The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, 2024
The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project (LHSLP) is devoted to the survey,excavation and s... more The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project (LHSLP) is devoted to the survey,excavation and study of the land installations and settlement of the primary harbor ofCorinth, one of the major commercial hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean. LHSLP is asynergasia between the American School of Classical Studies Athens and theCorinthian Ephorate of Antiquities under the direction of Dr. Gerogios Spyropoulos,Assistant Director of the Ephorate of Corinth, and Dr. Paul D. Scotton, California StateUniversity, Long Beach.
Research questions
Watch this space–updates coming soon!
See also :
http://lechaion.org/
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The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, 2024
See also:
http://lechaion.org/
Archaeological Institute of America, Annual Meeting, Chicag... more See also:
http://lechaion.org/
Archaeological Institute of America, Annual Meeting, Chicago
2C Recent Archaeological Work in Greece and the Aegean
Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project Field Report 2023
Paul D. Scotton, California State University Long Beach, Georgios Spyropoulos, Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities, and Angela Ziskowski, Coe College
News
April 2024
The excavations at Lechaion were featured in an article in in2life, an online publication in Greece, entitled, "What's Happening at the Excavations at Lechaio?" ("Τɩ συμβαίνεɩ στην ανασκαφή του Λέχαɩου"). In the "Travel Tips" section, Iro Koundani explored the site and interviewed the project's director, Dr. George Spyropoulos. You can find the article (in Greek) here.
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy?fbclid=IwAR3UTAltSuE1Dy9AeO0JGi0Bwe9r729vOcbu4r0MNU9a0axx1nE7NixO0-U_aem_ATVhP_EUfwamGIeSJv2cQh61v8BFfGP7MkYYmdhnvaH3Lmu_T5k2NHO5qgrwxRgcsJX2a7OiJhd2V6XlprODdgZp#google_vignette
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THE LECHAION HARBOR AND SETTLEMENT LAND PROJECT, 2024
The Text/Webpage, currently downloadable at the following link:
http://lechaion.org/
will ... more The Text/Webpage, currently downloadable at the following link:
http://lechaion.org/
will be frequently updated.
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Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2021
Abstract:A rescue excavation in northern Piraeus uncovered a burial plot with funeral activity fr... more Abstract:A rescue excavation in northern Piraeus uncovered a burial plot with funeral activity from the 7th to early 5th century B.C. The material from the 7th century offers important data on a period that is often invisible to archaeologists and challenges the scholarly correlation of visibility with status. Looking beyond the spectacular remains of the Kerameikos cemetery provides a more comprehensive understanding of the range of burying practices operative in 7th-century Athens and Attica. Age critically impacted the type of burial and its visibility in the archaeological record. Several child burials contained remarkable vases that illuminate the latest phase of the Protoattic style.
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Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού-Δήμος Β. Κυνουρίας-Ίδρυμα «Μνήμη Αγγελικής και Λεωνίδα Ζαφείρη», 2024
Υπό την Αιγίδα του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού-Under the Auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
... more Υπό την Αιγίδα του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού-Under the Auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
Lecture, available online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_89oyEaarE
https://www.youtube.com/live/Q_89oyEaarE?si=ybQoHEZjo7rBk8wp
https://www.pna.gr/video-pna-webtv
Περίληψη (Abstract): Η συμβολή αυτή αποσκοπεί, μέσα από τη μελέτη του
γλυπτού διακόσμου της Έπαυλης του Ηρώδη Αττικού
και της αισθητικής των επί μέρους χώρων της, να
καταδείξει πως, αν η Ελληνική τέχνη μπόρεσε να ασκήσει
επιρροές τόσο βαθιές και με τέτοια διάρκεια είναι γιατί
δεν έμεινε ποτέ αμετακίνητη, αλλά διατήρησε έναν
βαθμό σταθερής δημιουργίας, παραμένοντας πάντα σε
αρμονία με το ανθρώπινο πνεύμα.
Να καταδείξει την αγάπη της για τις αναλογίες και τα όρια
μίας ισορροπίας, ώστε να μπορέσει να ανταποκριθεί σε
έναν συγκεντρωτικό κόσμο, όπως εκείνος της Ρωμαϊκής
αυτοκρατορίας. Να καταδείξει τον «Θουκυδίδειο Τρόπο»
μνημειοποίησής /διαιώνισής της, ως αποτέλεσμα του
ακραίου συναισθηματισμού του ιδρυτή της Έπαυλης,
ένα από τα πιο χαρακτηριστικά του γνωρίσματα.
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Autonomous Institute of Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este – Villae. MINISTERO DELLA CULTURA, 2024
Thematic itineraries proposed:
Herodes Atticus: cultural aspects, personality
Herodes Atticus: ar... more Thematic itineraries proposed:
Herodes Atticus: cultural aspects, personality
Herodes Atticus: artistic patronage
Herodes Atticus and Hadrian
DATES
30TH APRIL 2024
Abstract submission deadline
30TH JUNE 2024
Notification of acceptance/rejection of abstracts
30TH JANUARY 2025
Full article submission deadline
30TH MARCH 2025
Notification of acceptance/rejection of full articles
for publication
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Istituto Autonomo Villa Adriana e Villa d’Este – Villae-MINISTERO DELLA CULTURA, 2024
Percorsi tematici proposti:
Erode Attico: aspetti culturali, personalità
Erode Attico: mecenatism... more Percorsi tematici proposti:
Erode Attico: aspetti culturali, personalità
Erode Attico: mecenatismo artistico
Erode Attico e Adriano
DATE
30 APRILE 2024
termine invio abstract
30 GIUGNO 2024
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, dell’abstract
30 GENNAIO 2025
invio contributi da stampa
30 MARZO 2025
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, del contributo
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And here's the list of participants, whose profound knowledge, faultless efficiency, tenacious de... more And here's the list of participants, whose profound knowledge, faultless efficiency, tenacious dedication and exhaustive assistance exceed my ability to adequately acknowledge.
Directors: Drs G. Spyropoulos- P. Scotton
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ANCIENT DIOLKOS-CORINTH. American Writer (Dr. Joshua Kagavi) with Question.Ancient Greeks Built a Road and Primitive Railway to Haul Cargo Overland | HISTORY. Joshua Kagavi Archives | HISTORY., 2024
The uploaded Text, that will be included in the final publication, has been officially submitted ... more The uploaded Text, that will be included in the final publication, has been officially submitted at the Corinthian Ephorate ( and the Hellenic Ministry (23-20-2023), as part of my research.
See also:
https://www.history.com/author/joshua-kagavi
https://www.history.com/news/ancient-railway-greece-diolkos
(with reference to my work/publications, at large).
I wish to warmly and profoundly thank Joshua for taking an enlightened interest in the Ancient Diolkos, for his reference to my work/research, at large, but mostly for his incredibly kind message: "George, again, thank you very much for teaching me about the fascinating
Diolkos".
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https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2021/03/16/diolkos-the-innovative-ancient-achievement-is-being-restored/, 2021
Diolkos: the innovative ancient achievement is being restored-The site will become accessible to... more Diolkos: the innovative ancient achievement is being restored-The site will become accessible to the public at large
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2021/03/16/diolkos-the-innovative-ancient-achievement-is-being-restored/
Full Text initially published by ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, at the request of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, and is downloadable at the following link:
https://www.amna.gr/mobile/articleen/535363/Apokathistatai-o-Archaios-Diolkos--ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
See also:
https://m.kathimerini.com.cy/gr/politismos/apokathistatai-o-arxaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-texnika-erga-tis-arxaiotitas
https://twitter.com/amna_news/status/1369541529795108864
https://amna.gr/home/article/5
https://www.newsbeast.gr/greece/arthro/7175517/apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-tis-korinthou-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.thebest.gr/article/613056-apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.academia.edu/44604791/The_Diolkos_of_Corinth_A_review_based_on_H_Lohmans_work_Der_Diolkos_von_Korinth_eine_antike_Schiffsschleppe_in_The_Corinthia_and_Northeast_Peloponnese_Kissas_Niemeier_eds_
The significance of the Diolkos, the roadway constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth, is undisputed. It was first excavated in the 1950s by Verdelis but the Corinthian ephorate has done significant and exceptional work to clean, further expose additional segments, and conserve the roadway in recent years. In relation to that work, multiple areas of graves, which likely date to the Archaic and Classical periods, have been identified running along the north and south sides of the ancient roadway.
As stated in the Coe College Letter of Intent to Collaborate, submitted, on February 20th, at the Corinthian Ephorate and the American School of Classical Studies (ASCSA) by my colleague, Dr A. Ziskowski (Provost and Dean of Faculty, Coe College, Associate Professor of History, Coe College-MORE SOON), whose work has focused on the construction of local identity in Archaic Corinth, examining not just the ancient city but the entire region known as the Corinthia : " Carrying out strategic excavation of these graves would be significant for the continued growth in our understanding of Corinthian regional history as well as Greek history. Some academic questions that could guide this research would include:
Do these graves contribute any additional information to the chronology of when the Diolkos roadway was constructed and renovated? The Diolkos’ construction has traditionally been dated to the 6th century BCE and associated with the tyrant, Periander, of Corinth. More recent publications, such as that of D. Pettegrew and H. Lohman, have downdated its construction to the Classical period in the case of the form and even later into the Hellenistic or Roman in the case of the latter author. • How late do the graves extend and do they provide any information for the use of the roadway in later periods? • Does their proximity to the roadway suggest any role in the labor required to construct the roadway or are they an extensive example of Greek funerary practice to bury along major roadways? • Do these graves lend support to an argument of mortuary customs which use cemeteries to signify territorial or regional boundaries? Is there a settlement in the vicinity to which these graves are associated? • Can these graves, which preliminarily date to the Archaic and Classical periods, add additional information to our body of data on Archaic Corinthian cultural and religious practices, and their relationship with those living in Ancient Corinth proper and early Lechaion?
Answering these questions or adding data to the ongoing debate around these topics would be hugely beneficial to our evolving understanding of early Corinthian history.
Additionally, a very interesting article on the Ancient Diolkos: "Palaeogeographical Reconstruction of Ancient Diolkos Slipway by Using Beachrocks as Proxies, West Corinth Isthmus, Greece" was published by Dr. N. Evelpidou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and her research team:
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/5/1/7
Dr. Evelpidou-and her research team-has officially become a member of the "Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project", by having responded positively to our (Dr. Spyropoulos, Director-Dr. P. Scotton, Co-Director) Welcoming Note.
https://www.academia.edu/110913228/The_Lechaion_Harbor_and_Settlement_Land_Project_invites_Niki_Evelpidou_National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens_
Our ongoing excavation- The lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, a Synergasia between the American School of Classical Studies and the Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities (G. Spyropoulos, Paul Scotton, Dylan Rogers, Maggie Beeler, e.t.c.)-, is critical and necessary because we are excavating what is now known to be a sizable settlement which includes fortification walls, neighborhoods, streets, numerous structures, e.t.c. ...... The Lechaion harbor was an important node for travelers,armies, goods, and new ideas flowing through the multicultural Mediterranean system. The construction of a roadway, the Diolkos, to facilitate transport between the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs and hence between the western and eastern Mediterranean,demonstrates an early and keen understanding of strategic connectivity between land and sea(s).
https://cla.csulb.edu/departments/classics/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
https://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
Lastly, the relief of Heracles or Nero as Heracles carved into the wall of an ancient canal trench of the Corinthian canal is discussed by
Dr. Strazdins in her manuscript: " Fashioning the Future in Roman Greece: Memory, Monuments, Texts", Oxford University Press. The book
was sent to me with compliments of the publisher.
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Istituto Autonomo.Villa Adriana e Villa d’Este – Villae. Ministero della Cultura., 2024
Sono cosìfelice che avrò l'opportunità di partecipare ad un convegno che mirareconstruire il ritr... more Sono cosìfelice che avrò l'opportunità di partecipare ad un convegno che mirareconstruire il ritratto di un uomo dalla personalità brillante e curiosa,specchio di un contesto storico più ampio, e del suo lascito attraverso isecoli; delineare i variegati interessi e la poliedrica esperienza di questoletterato e filosofo, politico e benefattore, maestro e appassionato d’arte earchitettura; il profilo di un uomo profondamente ambizioso e desideroso diraggiungere una fama immortale, di stampo eroico, alla stregua dei personaggidi rango imperiale. Come menzionato nel testo/programma del convegno, laversata attenzione verso le arti e l’architettura, apprezzabili nei chiari richiamidelle sue ville ai modelli di Villa Adriana, quando associati ai rapporti, anched’amicizia, tra Erode Attico ed Adriano, costituiscono le basi su cui l’IstitutoVilla Adriana e Villa d’Este – Villae (Ministero della Cultura) ha volutodedicare proprio a una figura tanto intrigante un convegno a carattere internazionale.Nella villadi Erode Attico, così come in quella di Adriano a Tivoli, architettura e decorazionescultorea costituiscono un insieme armonioso e indissolubile, da valutarecongiuntamente. Benché le due ville «constitute a complete classical culturaland religious Pantheon, impressing on the contemporary observer the significanceof Rome as a powerful guardian of Greece’s ancient heritage» la villa di Eva/Loukousi carica di un valore ulteriore, ponendosi come strumento fondamentale percogliere appieno la personalità poliedrica di Erode Attico. La villa costituisce un monumento eccezionale – il miglioredella sua categoria sul suolo greco –, frutto di una considerevole attivitàedilizia. Erode Attico, ricco sofista e fervente ammiratore dell’arte greca eromana, coordinò personalmente la costruzione di questa magnifica dimoradecorata con sfarzo, che celebrava la visione rigenerante e l’infinita creativitàdell’universo greco-romano. Ogni dettaglio fu curato con attenzione meticolosa,con eleganza e delicatezza, grazia e simmetria. La villa oltre ad essere stataun luogo di svago per il suo proprietario, fornisce un contributo significativoalla storia dell’arte antica.“Una figura,quella di Erode Attico che, nel XIX sec., è ben individuata da FerdinandGregorovius: Ancor più interessante e istruttiva per la vita intellettuale diquell’epoca è l’apparizione di Erode Attico, il celebre e munifico benefattoredi Atene, che ha fatto per lei assai più di quanto hanno operato gli Imperatoripiù benevoli. Quest’uomo riuniva in sé, cosa che accade molto di rado, lericchezze di un Creso con tutti quei doni delle Muse che era possibile avere intempi come quelli”. Sono profondamente onorato di collaborare nuovamentecon il Prof. Eugenio La Rocca (La mostra "L’ Età dell'Angoscia. Da Commodoa Diocleziano (180-305 d.C.), il quarto importante appuntamento del ciclo"I Giorni di Roma", progetto quinquennale di mostre che alternaesposizioni a carattere prettamente monografico (Ritratti. Le tante facce defpotere, Costruire un Impero), a mostre dal taglio diacronico (L’ Età della Conquista, L’ Età dell'Equilibrio, L’ Etàdell'Angoscia), dall'epoca repubblicana fino all'epoca tardo-antica) e tutti imiei amati colleghi italiani. Grazie mille e a presto
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Uploads
Videos by Georgios Spyropoulos
Almost 5km from the town of Astros, opposite the Monastery of Loukou in southern Peloponnese, a large and magnificent Villa of the early roman imperial period (2nd C A.D) has been reasonably identified as belonging to Herodes Atticus.
In a recent study of Herodes Atticus’s Villa, Prof. Dr. Spyropoulos took a different approach to examining the villa in order to consider a pattern of cosmic allusions that emerges when roman monuments are seen as a cohesive group. Sometimes these allusions are explicit, though at other times they are less obvious, only emerging through contextual reading. Using Herodes Atticus’ Villa as a point of departure, Prof. Spyropoulos will examine the presence and influence of the cosmos in the architectural design and decorative details of Greco-Roman residential architecture.
Papers by Georgios Spyropoulos
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
See also:
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.ekirikas.com/to-archaio-limani-lechaiou-ena-thavma-te/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEXYapleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV0YTjpd1xG9pbxN_LJZm1cncCNayHqwubf1R-jyCxHXNSGCmFodGcoZ_w_aem_TkxmW4ax_xhLE6nwaLbmOw&sfnsn=mo
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://eleftherostypos.gr/taxidi/taxidi-stin-archaia-korintho-to-limani-tou-lechaiou-kai-ta-polytima-evrimata-ton-anaskafon
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://www.amna.gr/home/article/837640/To-Archaio-Limani-Lechaiou---Ena-thauma-technognosias
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.cretalive.gr/ellada/arhaio-limani-lehaioy-ena-thayma-tehnognosias
https://www.insider.gr/toyrismos/328788/episkepsi-sto-arhaio-limani-lehaioy
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
https://www.cnn.gr/ellada/story/428492/taksidi-gnorimias-me-tin-korinthia-enas-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
Μια αρχαιολογική «Disneyland» στο «πιάτο» για οικονομικές και ολοκληρωμένες διακοπές (reporter.gr)
Αρχαία λιμάνια στην "αυλή" της Αττικής - FinUpNews.gr
https://cosmopoliti.com/archaia-korinthos-analloiotos-politismos-sto-perasma-ton-aionon/
https://www.newsbeast.gr/travel/arthro/11135672/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes
https://www.flash.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes-948258
https://www.tourismtoday.gr/%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BC/
https://eidisis247.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes/
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
See also:
https://www.ekirikas.com/to-archaio-limani-lechaiou-ena-thavma-te/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEXYapleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV0YTjpd1xG9pbxN_LJZm1cncCNayHqwubf1R-jyCxHXNSGCmFodGcoZ_w_aem_TkxmW4ax_xhLE6nwaLbmOw&sfnsn=mo
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://eleftherostypos.gr/taxidi/taxidi-stin-archaia-korintho-to-limani-tou-lechaiou-kai-ta-polytima-evrimata-ton-anaskafon
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://www.amna.gr/home/article/837640/To-Archaio-Limani-Lechaiou---Ena-thauma-technognosias
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.cretalive.gr/ellada/arhaio-limani-lehaioy-ena-thayma-tehnognosias
https://www.insider.gr/toyrismos/328788/episkepsi-sto-arhaio-limani-lehaioy
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
https://www.cnn.gr/ellada/story/428492/taksidi-gnorimias-me-tin-korinthia-enas-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
Μια αρχαιολογική «Disneyland» στο «πιάτο» για οικονομικές και ολοκληρωμένες διακοπές (reporter.gr)
Αρχαία λιμάνια στην "αυλή" της Αττικής - FinUpNews.gr
https://cosmopoliti.com/archaia-korinthos-analloiotos-politismos-sto-perasma-ton-aionon/
https://www.newsbeast.gr/travel/arthro/11135672/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes
https://www.flash.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes-948258
https://www.tourismtoday.gr/%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BC/
https://eidisis247.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes/
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
AIA ABSTRACT: Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project
Report from the Field 2023
The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project returned to the field in 2023 under a continuing permit granted by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport. This project is focused upon delimiting the ancient harbor and settlement, documenting the occupation of the site and its structures across all periods, refining site formation studies to better understand the changing coastal environment, and determining more precisely the abandonment of the site and the reasons why.
Geoprospection to the south of the inner harbor was conducted and revealed a continuation of the dense array of structures revealed previously. The area to the north and west of the excavation grapheion was also surveyed and revealed two large structures. Coring to a depth of 13 m was done immediately to the north of the Roman civic basilica found during previous seasons. The last five meters were strata of mud and clays from a time when the area was marsh and included plant matter. The study of the shell and glass recovered is ongoing but already significant. Murex processing has been documented and with it the production of purple dye. The glass recovered to date extends into the Hellenistic period but in Roman contexts.
The excavation of the three structures to the south and east of the inner harbor previously under study continues. In the northwest corner of the site a new area was opened and revealed a circular structure 30 m in diameter with an inner room ca. 15 m in diameter. In this room were found fragments of a sarcophagus. Late Republican ceramics dating ca. 70-50 BCE were found in three of the four areas under excavation suggesting that the harbor was in use after the destruction of Corinth in 146 BCE and prior to the founding of the Roman colony in 44 BCE.
Core Team
Team specialists
See also:
http://lechaion.org/
Research questions
Watch this space–updates coming soon!
See also :
http://lechaion.org/
http://lechaion.org/
Archaeological Institute of America, Annual Meeting, Chicago
2C Recent Archaeological Work in Greece and the Aegean
Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project Field Report 2023
Paul D. Scotton, California State University Long Beach, Georgios Spyropoulos, Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities, and Angela Ziskowski, Coe College
News
April 2024
The excavations at Lechaion were featured in an article in in2life, an online publication in Greece, entitled, "What's Happening at the Excavations at Lechaio?" ("Τɩ συμβαίνεɩ στην ανασκαφή του Λέχαɩου"). In the "Travel Tips" section, Iro Koundani explored the site and interviewed the project's director, Dr. George Spyropoulos. You can find the article (in Greek) here.
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy?fbclid=IwAR3UTAltSuE1Dy9AeO0JGi0Bwe9r729vOcbu4r0MNU9a0axx1nE7NixO0-U_aem_ATVhP_EUfwamGIeSJv2cQh61v8BFfGP7MkYYmdhnvaH3Lmu_T5k2NHO5qgrwxRgcsJX2a7OiJhd2V6XlprODdgZp#google_vignette
http://lechaion.org/
will be frequently updated.
Lecture, available online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_89oyEaarE
https://www.youtube.com/live/Q_89oyEaarE?si=ybQoHEZjo7rBk8wp
https://www.pna.gr/video-pna-webtv
Περίληψη (Abstract): Η συμβολή αυτή αποσκοπεί, μέσα από τη μελέτη του
γλυπτού διακόσμου της Έπαυλης του Ηρώδη Αττικού
και της αισθητικής των επί μέρους χώρων της, να
καταδείξει πως, αν η Ελληνική τέχνη μπόρεσε να ασκήσει
επιρροές τόσο βαθιές και με τέτοια διάρκεια είναι γιατί
δεν έμεινε ποτέ αμετακίνητη, αλλά διατήρησε έναν
βαθμό σταθερής δημιουργίας, παραμένοντας πάντα σε
αρμονία με το ανθρώπινο πνεύμα.
Να καταδείξει την αγάπη της για τις αναλογίες και τα όρια
μίας ισορροπίας, ώστε να μπορέσει να ανταποκριθεί σε
έναν συγκεντρωτικό κόσμο, όπως εκείνος της Ρωμαϊκής
αυτοκρατορίας. Να καταδείξει τον «Θουκυδίδειο Τρόπο»
μνημειοποίησής /διαιώνισής της, ως αποτέλεσμα του
ακραίου συναισθηματισμού του ιδρυτή της Έπαυλης,
ένα από τα πιο χαρακτηριστικά του γνωρίσματα.
Herodes Atticus: cultural aspects, personality
Herodes Atticus: artistic patronage
Herodes Atticus and Hadrian
DATES
30TH APRIL 2024
Abstract submission deadline
30TH JUNE 2024
Notification of acceptance/rejection of abstracts
30TH JANUARY 2025
Full article submission deadline
30TH MARCH 2025
Notification of acceptance/rejection of full articles
for publication
Erode Attico: aspetti culturali, personalità
Erode Attico: mecenatismo artistico
Erode Attico e Adriano
DATE
30 APRILE 2024
termine invio abstract
30 GIUGNO 2024
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, dell’abstract
30 GENNAIO 2025
invio contributi da stampa
30 MARZO 2025
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, del contributo
Directors: Drs G. Spyropoulos- P. Scotton
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy
https://www.academia.edu/?p=LbAM9G
https://www.korinthia.net.gr/2024/04/11/96664/
https://sfedona.gr/105203/
https://www.clickatlife.gr/taksidi/story/201305
https://jennysworld.gr/?p=79138
https://sfedona.gr/105034/
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy
See also:
https://www.academia.edu/?p=LbAM9G
https://www.korinthia.net.gr/2024/04/11/96664/
https://sfedona.gr/105203/
https://www.clickatlife.gr/taksidi/story/201305
https://jennysworld.gr/?p=79138
https://sfedona.gr/105034/
See also:
https://www.history.com/author/joshua-kagavi
https://www.history.com/news/ancient-railway-greece-diolkos
(with reference to my work/publications, at large).
I wish to warmly and profoundly thank Joshua for taking an enlightened interest in the Ancient Diolkos, for his reference to my work/research, at large, but mostly for his incredibly kind message: "George, again, thank you very much for teaching me about the fascinating
Diolkos".
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2021/03/16/diolkos-the-innovative-ancient-achievement-is-being-restored/
Full Text initially published by ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, at the request of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, and is downloadable at the following link:
https://www.amna.gr/mobile/articleen/535363/Apokathistatai-o-Archaios-Diolkos--ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
See also:
https://m.kathimerini.com.cy/gr/politismos/apokathistatai-o-arxaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-texnika-erga-tis-arxaiotitas
https://twitter.com/amna_news/status/1369541529795108864
https://amna.gr/home/article/5
https://www.newsbeast.gr/greece/arthro/7175517/apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-tis-korinthou-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.thebest.gr/article/613056-apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.academia.edu/44604791/The_Diolkos_of_Corinth_A_review_based_on_H_Lohmans_work_Der_Diolkos_von_Korinth_eine_antike_Schiffsschleppe_in_The_Corinthia_and_Northeast_Peloponnese_Kissas_Niemeier_eds_
The significance of the Diolkos, the roadway constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth, is undisputed. It was first excavated in the 1950s by Verdelis but the Corinthian ephorate has done significant and exceptional work to clean, further expose additional segments, and conserve the roadway in recent years. In relation to that work, multiple areas of graves, which likely date to the Archaic and Classical periods, have been identified running along the north and south sides of the ancient roadway.
As stated in the Coe College Letter of Intent to Collaborate, submitted, on February 20th, at the Corinthian Ephorate and the American School of Classical Studies (ASCSA) by my colleague, Dr A. Ziskowski (Provost and Dean of Faculty, Coe College, Associate Professor of History, Coe College-MORE SOON), whose work has focused on the construction of local identity in Archaic Corinth, examining not just the ancient city but the entire region known as the Corinthia : " Carrying out strategic excavation of these graves would be significant for the continued growth in our understanding of Corinthian regional history as well as Greek history. Some academic questions that could guide this research would include:
Do these graves contribute any additional information to the chronology of when the Diolkos roadway was constructed and renovated? The Diolkos’ construction has traditionally been dated to the 6th century BCE and associated with the tyrant, Periander, of Corinth. More recent publications, such as that of D. Pettegrew and H. Lohman, have downdated its construction to the Classical period in the case of the form and even later into the Hellenistic or Roman in the case of the latter author. • How late do the graves extend and do they provide any information for the use of the roadway in later periods? • Does their proximity to the roadway suggest any role in the labor required to construct the roadway or are they an extensive example of Greek funerary practice to bury along major roadways? • Do these graves lend support to an argument of mortuary customs which use cemeteries to signify territorial or regional boundaries? Is there a settlement in the vicinity to which these graves are associated? • Can these graves, which preliminarily date to the Archaic and Classical periods, add additional information to our body of data on Archaic Corinthian cultural and religious practices, and their relationship with those living in Ancient Corinth proper and early Lechaion?
Answering these questions or adding data to the ongoing debate around these topics would be hugely beneficial to our evolving understanding of early Corinthian history.
Additionally, a very interesting article on the Ancient Diolkos: "Palaeogeographical Reconstruction of Ancient Diolkos Slipway by Using Beachrocks as Proxies, West Corinth Isthmus, Greece" was published by Dr. N. Evelpidou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and her research team:
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/5/1/7
Dr. Evelpidou-and her research team-has officially become a member of the "Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project", by having responded positively to our (Dr. Spyropoulos, Director-Dr. P. Scotton, Co-Director) Welcoming Note.
https://www.academia.edu/110913228/The_Lechaion_Harbor_and_Settlement_Land_Project_invites_Niki_Evelpidou_National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens_
Our ongoing excavation- The lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, a Synergasia between the American School of Classical Studies and the Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities (G. Spyropoulos, Paul Scotton, Dylan Rogers, Maggie Beeler, e.t.c.)-, is critical and necessary because we are excavating what is now known to be a sizable settlement which includes fortification walls, neighborhoods, streets, numerous structures, e.t.c. ...... The Lechaion harbor was an important node for travelers,armies, goods, and new ideas flowing through the multicultural Mediterranean system. The construction of a roadway, the Diolkos, to facilitate transport between the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs and hence between the western and eastern Mediterranean,demonstrates an early and keen understanding of strategic connectivity between land and sea(s).
https://cla.csulb.edu/departments/classics/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
https://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
Lastly, the relief of Heracles or Nero as Heracles carved into the wall of an ancient canal trench of the Corinthian canal is discussed by
Dr. Strazdins in her manuscript: " Fashioning the Future in Roman Greece: Memory, Monuments, Texts", Oxford University Press. The book
was sent to me with compliments of the publisher.
Almost 5km from the town of Astros, opposite the Monastery of Loukou in southern Peloponnese, a large and magnificent Villa of the early roman imperial period (2nd C A.D) has been reasonably identified as belonging to Herodes Atticus.
In a recent study of Herodes Atticus’s Villa, Prof. Dr. Spyropoulos took a different approach to examining the villa in order to consider a pattern of cosmic allusions that emerges when roman monuments are seen as a cohesive group. Sometimes these allusions are explicit, though at other times they are less obvious, only emerging through contextual reading. Using Herodes Atticus’ Villa as a point of departure, Prof. Spyropoulos will examine the presence and influence of the cosmos in the architectural design and decorative details of Greco-Roman residential architecture.
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
See also:
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.ekirikas.com/to-archaio-limani-lechaiou-ena-thavma-te/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEXYapleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV0YTjpd1xG9pbxN_LJZm1cncCNayHqwubf1R-jyCxHXNSGCmFodGcoZ_w_aem_TkxmW4ax_xhLE6nwaLbmOw&sfnsn=mo
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://eleftherostypos.gr/taxidi/taxidi-stin-archaia-korintho-to-limani-tou-lechaiou-kai-ta-polytima-evrimata-ton-anaskafon
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://www.amna.gr/home/article/837640/To-Archaio-Limani-Lechaiou---Ena-thauma-technognosias
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.cretalive.gr/ellada/arhaio-limani-lehaioy-ena-thayma-tehnognosias
https://www.insider.gr/toyrismos/328788/episkepsi-sto-arhaio-limani-lehaioy
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
https://www.cnn.gr/ellada/story/428492/taksidi-gnorimias-me-tin-korinthia-enas-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
Μια αρχαιολογική «Disneyland» στο «πιάτο» για οικονομικές και ολοκληρωμένες διακοπές (reporter.gr)
Αρχαία λιμάνια στην "αυλή" της Αττικής - FinUpNews.gr
https://cosmopoliti.com/archaia-korinthos-analloiotos-politismos-sto-perasma-ton-aionon/
https://www.newsbeast.gr/travel/arthro/11135672/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes
https://www.flash.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes-948258
https://www.tourismtoday.gr/%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BC/
https://eidisis247.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes/
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
See also:
https://www.ekirikas.com/to-archaio-limani-lechaiou-ena-thavma-te/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEXYapleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV0YTjpd1xG9pbxN_LJZm1cncCNayHqwubf1R-jyCxHXNSGCmFodGcoZ_w_aem_TkxmW4ax_xhLE6nwaLbmOw&sfnsn=mo
https://www.archaiologia.gr/blog/2024/07/29/%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9-%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B8%CE%B1%CF%8D%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87/
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://eleftherostypos.gr/taxidi/taxidi-stin-archaia-korintho-to-limani-tou-lechaiou-kai-ta-polytima-evrimata-ton-anaskafon
https://www.athensvoice.gr/politismos/861414/korinthos-to-arhaio-limani-lehaiou-einai-ena-thauma-tehnognosias/
https://www.amna.gr/home/article/837640/To-Archaio-Limani-Lechaiou---Ena-thauma-technognosias
https://www.newsit.gr/ellada/To-arxaio-limani-lexaiou-ena-thayma-texnognosias/4144350/
https://www.cretalive.gr/ellada/arhaio-limani-lehaioy-ena-thayma-tehnognosias
https://www.insider.gr/toyrismos/328788/episkepsi-sto-arhaio-limani-lehaioy
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
https://www.cnn.gr/ellada/story/428492/taksidi-gnorimias-me-tin-korinthia-enas-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria
https://www.cnn.gr/taksidi/story/427201/kalokairini-apodrasi-stin-arxaia-korintho-ola-osa-prepei-na-deite
Μια αρχαιολογική «Disneyland» στο «πιάτο» για οικονομικές και ολοκληρωμένες διακοπές (reporter.gr)
Αρχαία λιμάνια στην "αυλή" της Αττικής - FinUpNews.gr
https://cosmopoliti.com/archaia-korinthos-analloiotos-politismos-sto-perasma-ton-aionon/
https://www.newsbeast.gr/travel/arthro/11135672/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes
https://www.flash.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes-948258
https://www.tourismtoday.gr/%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BC/
https://eidisis247.gr/korinthia-enas-thelktikos-proorismos-me-monadiki-istoria-gia-poiotikes-diakopes/
The results of the 2024 excavation season will be presented at the AIA MEETINGS, in 2025 (P. Scotton-G. Spyropoulos-D. Rogers-K. Harrington).
AIA ABSTRACT: Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project
Report from the Field 2023
The Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project returned to the field in 2023 under a continuing permit granted by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport. This project is focused upon delimiting the ancient harbor and settlement, documenting the occupation of the site and its structures across all periods, refining site formation studies to better understand the changing coastal environment, and determining more precisely the abandonment of the site and the reasons why.
Geoprospection to the south of the inner harbor was conducted and revealed a continuation of the dense array of structures revealed previously. The area to the north and west of the excavation grapheion was also surveyed and revealed two large structures. Coring to a depth of 13 m was done immediately to the north of the Roman civic basilica found during previous seasons. The last five meters were strata of mud and clays from a time when the area was marsh and included plant matter. The study of the shell and glass recovered is ongoing but already significant. Murex processing has been documented and with it the production of purple dye. The glass recovered to date extends into the Hellenistic period but in Roman contexts.
The excavation of the three structures to the south and east of the inner harbor previously under study continues. In the northwest corner of the site a new area was opened and revealed a circular structure 30 m in diameter with an inner room ca. 15 m in diameter. In this room were found fragments of a sarcophagus. Late Republican ceramics dating ca. 70-50 BCE were found in three of the four areas under excavation suggesting that the harbor was in use after the destruction of Corinth in 146 BCE and prior to the founding of the Roman colony in 44 BCE.
Core Team
Team specialists
See also:
http://lechaion.org/
Research questions
Watch this space–updates coming soon!
See also :
http://lechaion.org/
http://lechaion.org/
Archaeological Institute of America, Annual Meeting, Chicago
2C Recent Archaeological Work in Greece and the Aegean
Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project Field Report 2023
Paul D. Scotton, California State University Long Beach, Georgios Spyropoulos, Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities, and Angela Ziskowski, Coe College
News
April 2024
The excavations at Lechaion were featured in an article in in2life, an online publication in Greece, entitled, "What's Happening at the Excavations at Lechaio?" ("Τɩ συμβαίνεɩ στην ανασκαφή του Λέχαɩου"). In the "Travel Tips" section, Iro Koundani explored the site and interviewed the project's director, Dr. George Spyropoulos. You can find the article (in Greek) here.
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy?fbclid=IwAR3UTAltSuE1Dy9AeO0JGi0Bwe9r729vOcbu4r0MNU9a0axx1nE7NixO0-U_aem_ATVhP_EUfwamGIeSJv2cQh61v8BFfGP7MkYYmdhnvaH3Lmu_T5k2NHO5qgrwxRgcsJX2a7OiJhd2V6XlprODdgZp#google_vignette
http://lechaion.org/
will be frequently updated.
Lecture, available online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_89oyEaarE
https://www.youtube.com/live/Q_89oyEaarE?si=ybQoHEZjo7rBk8wp
https://www.pna.gr/video-pna-webtv
Περίληψη (Abstract): Η συμβολή αυτή αποσκοπεί, μέσα από τη μελέτη του
γλυπτού διακόσμου της Έπαυλης του Ηρώδη Αττικού
και της αισθητικής των επί μέρους χώρων της, να
καταδείξει πως, αν η Ελληνική τέχνη μπόρεσε να ασκήσει
επιρροές τόσο βαθιές και με τέτοια διάρκεια είναι γιατί
δεν έμεινε ποτέ αμετακίνητη, αλλά διατήρησε έναν
βαθμό σταθερής δημιουργίας, παραμένοντας πάντα σε
αρμονία με το ανθρώπινο πνεύμα.
Να καταδείξει την αγάπη της για τις αναλογίες και τα όρια
μίας ισορροπίας, ώστε να μπορέσει να ανταποκριθεί σε
έναν συγκεντρωτικό κόσμο, όπως εκείνος της Ρωμαϊκής
αυτοκρατορίας. Να καταδείξει τον «Θουκυδίδειο Τρόπο»
μνημειοποίησής /διαιώνισής της, ως αποτέλεσμα του
ακραίου συναισθηματισμού του ιδρυτή της Έπαυλης,
ένα από τα πιο χαρακτηριστικά του γνωρίσματα.
Herodes Atticus: cultural aspects, personality
Herodes Atticus: artistic patronage
Herodes Atticus and Hadrian
DATES
30TH APRIL 2024
Abstract submission deadline
30TH JUNE 2024
Notification of acceptance/rejection of abstracts
30TH JANUARY 2025
Full article submission deadline
30TH MARCH 2025
Notification of acceptance/rejection of full articles
for publication
Erode Attico: aspetti culturali, personalità
Erode Attico: mecenatismo artistico
Erode Attico e Adriano
DATE
30 APRILE 2024
termine invio abstract
30 GIUGNO 2024
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, dell’abstract
30 GENNAIO 2025
invio contributi da stampa
30 MARZO 2025
comunicazione dell’accettazione, o meno, del contributo
Directors: Drs G. Spyropoulos- P. Scotton
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy
https://www.academia.edu/?p=LbAM9G
https://www.korinthia.net.gr/2024/04/11/96664/
https://sfedona.gr/105203/
https://www.clickatlife.gr/taksidi/story/201305
https://jennysworld.gr/?p=79138
https://sfedona.gr/105034/
https://www.in2life.gr/article/2006035/ti-symvainei-sthn-anaskafh-toy-lehaioy
See also:
https://www.academia.edu/?p=LbAM9G
https://www.korinthia.net.gr/2024/04/11/96664/
https://sfedona.gr/105203/
https://www.clickatlife.gr/taksidi/story/201305
https://jennysworld.gr/?p=79138
https://sfedona.gr/105034/
See also:
https://www.history.com/author/joshua-kagavi
https://www.history.com/news/ancient-railway-greece-diolkos
(with reference to my work/publications, at large).
I wish to warmly and profoundly thank Joshua for taking an enlightened interest in the Ancient Diolkos, for his reference to my work/research, at large, but mostly for his incredibly kind message: "George, again, thank you very much for teaching me about the fascinating
Diolkos".
https://www.archaeology.wiki/blog/2021/03/16/diolkos-the-innovative-ancient-achievement-is-being-restored/
Full Text initially published by ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, at the request of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, and is downloadable at the following link:
https://www.amna.gr/mobile/articleen/535363/Apokathistatai-o-Archaios-Diolkos--ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
See also:
https://m.kathimerini.com.cy/gr/politismos/apokathistatai-o-arxaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-texnika-erga-tis-arxaiotitas
https://twitter.com/amna_news/status/1369541529795108864
https://amna.gr/home/article/5
https://www.newsbeast.gr/greece/arthro/7175517/apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-tis-korinthou-ena-apo-ta-megalytera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.thebest.gr/article/613056-apokathistatai-o-archaios-diolkos-ena-apo-ta-megalutera-technika-erga-tis-archaiotitas
https://www.academia.edu/44604791/The_Diolkos_of_Corinth_A_review_based_on_H_Lohmans_work_Der_Diolkos_von_Korinth_eine_antike_Schiffsschleppe_in_The_Corinthia_and_Northeast_Peloponnese_Kissas_Niemeier_eds_
The significance of the Diolkos, the roadway constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth, is undisputed. It was first excavated in the 1950s by Verdelis but the Corinthian ephorate has done significant and exceptional work to clean, further expose additional segments, and conserve the roadway in recent years. In relation to that work, multiple areas of graves, which likely date to the Archaic and Classical periods, have been identified running along the north and south sides of the ancient roadway.
As stated in the Coe College Letter of Intent to Collaborate, submitted, on February 20th, at the Corinthian Ephorate and the American School of Classical Studies (ASCSA) by my colleague, Dr A. Ziskowski (Provost and Dean of Faculty, Coe College, Associate Professor of History, Coe College-MORE SOON), whose work has focused on the construction of local identity in Archaic Corinth, examining not just the ancient city but the entire region known as the Corinthia : " Carrying out strategic excavation of these graves would be significant for the continued growth in our understanding of Corinthian regional history as well as Greek history. Some academic questions that could guide this research would include:
Do these graves contribute any additional information to the chronology of when the Diolkos roadway was constructed and renovated? The Diolkos’ construction has traditionally been dated to the 6th century BCE and associated with the tyrant, Periander, of Corinth. More recent publications, such as that of D. Pettegrew and H. Lohman, have downdated its construction to the Classical period in the case of the form and even later into the Hellenistic or Roman in the case of the latter author. • How late do the graves extend and do they provide any information for the use of the roadway in later periods? • Does their proximity to the roadway suggest any role in the labor required to construct the roadway or are they an extensive example of Greek funerary practice to bury along major roadways? • Do these graves lend support to an argument of mortuary customs which use cemeteries to signify territorial or regional boundaries? Is there a settlement in the vicinity to which these graves are associated? • Can these graves, which preliminarily date to the Archaic and Classical periods, add additional information to our body of data on Archaic Corinthian cultural and religious practices, and their relationship with those living in Ancient Corinth proper and early Lechaion?
Answering these questions or adding data to the ongoing debate around these topics would be hugely beneficial to our evolving understanding of early Corinthian history.
Additionally, a very interesting article on the Ancient Diolkos: "Palaeogeographical Reconstruction of Ancient Diolkos Slipway by Using Beachrocks as Proxies, West Corinth Isthmus, Greece" was published by Dr. N. Evelpidou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) and her research team:
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-550X/5/1/7
Dr. Evelpidou-and her research team-has officially become a member of the "Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project", by having responded positively to our (Dr. Spyropoulos, Director-Dr. P. Scotton, Co-Director) Welcoming Note.
https://www.academia.edu/110913228/The_Lechaion_Harbor_and_Settlement_Land_Project_invites_Niki_Evelpidou_National_and_Kapodistrian_University_of_Athens_
Our ongoing excavation- The lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project, a Synergasia between the American School of Classical Studies and the Corinthian Ephorate of Antiquities (G. Spyropoulos, Paul Scotton, Dylan Rogers, Maggie Beeler, e.t.c.)-, is critical and necessary because we are excavating what is now known to be a sizable settlement which includes fortification walls, neighborhoods, streets, numerous structures, e.t.c. ...... The Lechaion harbor was an important node for travelers,armies, goods, and new ideas flowing through the multicultural Mediterranean system. The construction of a roadway, the Diolkos, to facilitate transport between the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs and hence between the western and eastern Mediterranean,demonstrates an early and keen understanding of strategic connectivity between land and sea(s).
https://cla.csulb.edu/departments/classics/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
https://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/lechaion-harbor-and-settlement-land-project/
Lastly, the relief of Heracles or Nero as Heracles carved into the wall of an ancient canal trench of the Corinthian canal is discussed by
Dr. Strazdins in her manuscript: " Fashioning the Future in Roman Greece: Memory, Monuments, Texts", Oxford University Press. The book
was sent to me with compliments of the publisher.
The book has already been uploaded, however, without the cover. I therefore upload the cover, along with Pl. 1-12, which in the original publication are color and not black and white.
My apologies for this.
1. Site of the Villa and Herodes Atticus
2. Estate and Landscape (agricultural activities, profitable marble quarries. See also Spyropoulos 2006, p. 9-34 and 183-229)
3. Life at the Villa (a luxurious philosophical retreat)
4. The Grounds of the Villa
5. Staff and Status (See also Spyropoulos 2006, p. 9-34 and 183-229)
With Drawings of capitals, plinths, statue-bases, upper part of the Exedra, columns, mosaics, e.t.c.).
Please Note that the portraits (fig. 5, 37, 38) have been reidentified (see Spyropoulos 2006 and 2015).
Surprisingly enough little attention has been focused on the interaction between work of art and viewer in the Roman world; even though Frank Brown’s seminar text on Roman architecture begins by exhorting the reader to recognize that the architecture of the Romans was, from first to last, an art of shaping space around human beings, and even though scholars of ancient art and architecture admit movement within sculpture, or eccentricities in architectural form, they rarely afford a work of art an active role in manipulating a viewer or visitor. However, although Roman Villas “constitute a complete classical cultural and religious Pantheon, impressing on the contemporary observer through their sculptural and architectural program the significance of Rome as a powerful guardian of Greece’s ancient heritage”, Herodes’s Atticus Villa must be also introduced as a vehicle through which a complex and puzzling person as Herodes Atticus himself might be fully revealed. In Architecture the Romans never lacked bold imagination. The use of Apsis, the simple or complex vault, the clerestory roof, in other words the Enclosure of space-see the Great Basilica on the North side of the Villa- became a key feature of Roman Architecture., which could be both mystifying and physically overwhelming. Spaces covered by dome first appeared in palatial architecture during Nero’s reign. It is all the most extraordinary, then, that as soon as domes were introduced, so sophisticated a spatial composition as the octagonal room as the DOMUS AUREA should have been conceived, and soon developed in absolute perfection in Hadrianic times.
To gain an idea of how magnificent the interior of Roman buildings has actually been, we only need to look at one of the best preserved monument, the Pantheon in Rome, a monument which best exemplifies the importance of space in Roman architecture. With its hemispherical dome and orderly division of the interior walls into different levels, the Pantheon becomes a symbol of empire, harmony, eternity and Cosmos.. Nowhere was there better opportunity for cosmic expressions than in imperial and especially residential architecture. In building his house alongside Apollo’s Temple on the Palatine, for instance, cohabited with Apollo.,while Nero clearly saw himself as cosmocrator in the heart of a man-made microcosm, complete with an enormous pool, as an image of the sea, surrounded by buildings to resemble cities. Hadrian built up his Villa in an extraordinary way, applying to parts of it the renowned names of provinces and places, such as the Lyceum, the Academy, and so on. And, so as to omit nothing, he even fashioned “infernal regions”, says the HISTORIA AUGUSTA, indicating that Hadrian’s purpose, and the same applies to Herodes Atticus, was not simply to create structures in which to live. Rather, he recreated the lands he had visited and the places of his imagination in an architectural microcosm, over which he, like Nero in his Golden House, was actually a ruler.
One of these buildings is known as Teatro Maritimo or Island Enclosure, and is very similar to the one in the Villa of Herodes Atticus. It consists of a colonnaded portico, within which is a circular canal with an island at its center (In the Villa of Herodes Atticus, west of the Garden-Stadion, and above the Great Basilica we meet the central core of the Villa, the Atrium, which was skillfully adapted to the landscape configurations and served as an OPEN GARDEN.The Atrium, rectangular in shape, occupies the centre of the Villa and is surrounded by a deep channel cut in the native soil and smoothed externally. This artificial pool, an ingenious Impluvium, was certainly being filled with water, in order to create an allusion of a river. Hadrian's Villa at Tibur (Tivoli) comprised palaces large and small, a quest-hostel, Basilica, pavilion, dining-rooms, baths, a library, porticoes, pools, servants' quarters, a stadium, cryptoportici, a palaestra, a vaulted temple of Serapis, and a complex of elongated pool and triclinia, intended to recall Alexandria's Canopus with overtones of Antinous, his lost beloved. Neros villa at Sublaquenum (Subiaco) seems to be a bold forerunner of this scheme. It was designed as a villa maritima inland and the river was dammed to create an artificial lake).
The association of the Villa and its garden-ATRIUM- with philosophical and intellectual pursuits is widespread in Greek and roman literature. Many of the features of the Athenian gymnasia, gardens and parks, which were associated with the major philosophical schools, were adopted by the Romans in their domestic architecture. Cicero sets many of his philosophical discourses at villas and specifically in gardens and at his estate at Tusculum he had built an Academy and Lyceum. By means of such garden pavilions with such culturally ostentatious names, these Romans sought to recreate at their estates the philosophical gardens of Athens, which symbolized an ideal of self-sufficiency and frugal contentment. Fish, birds and plant life completed the cosmic image, and over this miniature Cosmos, defined by his environment, Herodes Atticus ruled supreme, dominating the elements at will and mastering time.
The west side of the Atrium- In fact we have here a three-sided portico (porticus triplex) and a panoramic view of the Gulf of Astros (see f. ex. the Villas maritimae of Julio-Claudian and Flavian date , like the famous Villas at Castellamare di Stabiae, and the Villa San Marco with a porticus triplex and a panoramic view of the Bay of Naples (Varro, De Re Rustica I, 13, 3.) Multi - level villas of the porticus style are also known to have been part of the Neapolitan repertoire. All share the predilection for space, light, air and vistas and the porticus, provided for all of these in a uniquely successful fashion- was occupied by a Nymphaion and an Exedra erected upon it, an architectural construction ingeniously adapted to the whole setting of the Villa’s main compartments, which can be restored as having a façade of rows of niches decorated with portraits of Herodes Atticus, his friends and companions, as well as with those of the imperial family.
In the years between 165-170 A.D. Herodes repeatedly lost members of his family, his wife and beloved foster sons(trophimoi). Having been overwhelmed with grief upon the death of each one of them and in order to memorialize them in death, he had statues and portraits of them erected, inscribed with curses against anyone who might damage them, declared them Heroes, and acting like a Homeric Hero himself, he organized feasts and even founded games, that took place in the sanctuary of Antinous. With the Romans, as with the Etruscans, the survival of the soul after death was an ancient, deep-seated belief. It is true that during the first centuries BC and AD the skeptical attitude to immortality of the Epicurean and Stoic systems had its repercussions in Rome and Italy. Among the great majority of people of the Roman period there persisted and prevailed the conviction that some kind of conscious existence is in store for the soul after death and that the dead and living can affect one another mutually. Human life is not just an interlude of being between nothingness and nothingness. Grave reliefs, banquet reliefs, marble Kline, the Marathon Stele, a supreme monument to the heroized dead, replaced the initial and beautiful sculptural program of the Villa.
The old warm glow of this huge build manifesto, the power and refreshing vitality of the architecture and the vibrant, overwhelming energy, which emanated from the amalgamation of sculpture and architecture and the innumerable configurations, were no longer felt, as the whole Villa was transformed into a Mausoleum. Unlike the Etruscans, who had been brought down by their increasing idleness and hedonistic self-indulgence, for the Romans the pursuit of Otium meant indulging in philosophical speculation and time well spent. Indeed the creation of an environment in which the study of Greek and Roman literature and philosophy could be practiced, gave birth to the classic Roman Villa. That Otium that was instinctively felt by anyone who entered the site without any need for prior reflection, was no longer there as the whole place was transformed into a dark Mausoleum.
The Villa of Herodes Atticus is being proved a magnificent monument, the best of its kind on Greek soil, as a result of major building activity. It was Herodes Atticus, the wealthy sophist and admirer of Greek and Roman art, who managed to build a Villa so nicely and so richly decorated thus celebrating the invigorating vision of the Graeco-Roman world. Everything was executed with meticulous care, finess and delicacy, with symmetry and grace. In this way his Villa was not only a pleasant place for him but also proved a vigorous contribution to the History of Art.When Herodes Atticus assembled these installations of poetry and marble, he was certainly not engaged in pure self-advertisement, nor in purely disinterested retrospection, but in a form of meditation about his own multi-cultural identity (CORPUS HERMETICUM-GETTY PUBLICATIONS). His idiosyncratic monuments served many purposes, one of which was to create spaces that could be read simultaneously according to MULTI-CULTURALcodes, spaces where CROSS-CULTURAL ENNCOUNTERS would eventually make sense.
On the cover: portait head of Aelius Ceasar found in the Western Basilica of the Villa (see iside p. 28). The portrait is now being published, under permission, by my colleague at Sapienza, Prof. Marco Galli, and was presented at the ASCSA (The forgotten Hadrian's heir: a new portrait of Aelius Ceasar from the Herodes Atticus' estate at Eva/Astros Kynouria).
The Drawings of the Sanctuary of Antinous (p. 93 and 94) have illustrated an article by M. Papaioannou (Villas in Roman Greece), in: The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin: Late Republic to Late Antiquity (eds. A. Marzano-G.P.R. Metraux), Cambridge University Press.
2. An academic lecture at the Universität Braunschweig, on a topic of my choice
3. A public lecture at the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum which could also be about an aspect of my research on the Villa of Herodes Atticus. The public lecture at the museum in German will be in German.
In my ISAW-NYU paper I took a different approach to examining the Villa in order to consider a pattern of cosmic allusions that emerges when roman monuments are seen as a cohesive group. Sometimes these allusions are explicit, though at other times they are less obvious, only emerging through contextual reading. Using Herodes Atticus’ Villa as a point of departure, I carefully examined the presence and influence of the Cosmos in the architectural design and decorative details of Greco-Roman residential architecture.
In my Scuola Italiana lecture, which I present here, and which was proudly displayed both by the Scuola Italiana and the ASCSA , I focused on the emergence of the personality-identity of Herodes Atticus from the “subtle echoes” of his estate at Eva/Loukou Kynourias. Based on the fact that Herodes Atticus and elite Greeks in the Roman empire, as E. Strazdins (Future of the Second Sophistic) correctly remarks, often had dual identities, and as such one was necessarily simultaneously connected to both the past and the present , I focused on the relationship between the past and the future, and how this relationship intersects and is negotiated in the present by those predominantly elite Greeks, whose cultural production, whether in the form of literature or monument, demonstrates the temporal slipperiness and playfulness with cultural history and record, furthermore on the motivations for and the connection between writing oneself into future consciousness by marking the landscape with monumental structures intended to stand for eternity.
In my most recent lecture at the J. P. Getty Museum (Corpus Hermeticum in the Villa of Herodes Atticus), on the auspicious occasion of an international Symposium (Egypt-Greece-Rome: Cross-cultural Encounters in Antiquity), on 26 August 2018, I placed emphasis on the syncretic blending of Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures in varying degrees in Roman buildings/villas, such as the Villa Farnesina, the House of Augustus, House of Sallust (Pompeii), Villa Adriana, Villa of Herodes Atticus, e.t.c., where this cultural mixing of decorative Egyptianizing motifs alongside what could be considered typical Greek or Roman motifs (Dionysos, f.ex) serve as a stylistic reflection of an appropriation of conquered cultures by means of integration into the “new imperial language”. My paper was structured around a test case of these ideas (processes of appropriation: a “distortion” by means of constructing a commemorative Monumental Anthology for the consumption of posterity and immortalization, not a negation of the prior semiotic assemblage) and aimed at giving a proper answer to the following question: Do all of these stylistic references amassing into an eclectic composition, thus inducing specific associations with certain places, and the revival of MOS MAIORUM, support, aside from the image of the homeowners, the power of illusion or the allusion?
The lecture: "HERODES ATTICUS AND THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD: IMPERIAL COSMOS, COSMIC ALLUSIONS, ART AND CULTURE IN HIS ESTATE IN SOUTHERN PELOPONNESE" placed emphasis on Imperial Cosmos, on astrological and cosmological significance in Roman archeology, on the unique way that cosmology became manifest in architecture using the Villa of Herodes Atticus as point of departure.
I wish to profoundlhy thank: M Galli, E. La Rocca and all my Sapienza colleagues and students.
A huge Thank-you to Katherine Dunbabin, Sean Corner and all the Faculty Members and Studens at McMaster University.
I have actively participated in the excavation conducted by Dr Korka, while at the same time-in addition to my work on the field and the storage room-, I have also widely lectured on Greek and Roman vase painting and pottery, for the students involved in the aforementioned systematic excavation project (I attach Dr Korka's Letter of Recommendation).
I recently became responsible for the systematic excavation of Ancient Teneas on behalf of the Ephorate of Corinth and for the current excavation period to be carried out in September-October 2020, together with the Director of the overall program Dr Elena Korka,
The conference was organized by the director of the Tenea archaeological excavation project Dr Elena Korka and the association “Friends of Ancient Tenea” under the auspices of the Region of the Peloponnese, the Municipality of Corinth, the University of the Peloponnese, the Hellenic National Commission of UNESCO and the
Hellenic National Committee of ICOMOS
According to Dr Korka: "The three cities, Troy – Tenea - Rome, are linked through a common mythological past. The research and studies connected to these cities and their common bonds, will contribute to the better understanding of the historical and archaeological
data. On the occasion of the Year of Troy, and due to the recent important archaeological findings from the excavations of Ancient Tenea, the organizers were hosting a scientific meeting for the first time related to the three regions.
The purpose of this conference was to enable direct communication and exchange of views on these issues, between Greek and foreign scholars in the fields of Archeology, Architecture, Archaeometry, as well as between experts in Cultural Communication and Cultural Routes, Monuments Management, Archaeological Sites
and Museums, as well as in History, Mythology, Linguistics and Topography.
The exchange of ideas and expertise between prominent scientists involved will result in enriching the relevant bibliography, creating new partnerships and in developing new cultural itineraries"
B. Symposium: Egypt-Greece-Rome: Cross-Cultural Encounters in Antiquity (Lecture: Corpus Hermeticum in the Villa of Herodes Atticus by G. Spyropoulos).
2. Glimpses of the Invisible Dead: A Seventh-Century B.C.E. Cemetery
in Northern Piraeus (20 min)
Nathan T. Arrington, Princeton University (first author), Georgios Spyropoulos, Ephorate of Corinth-La Sapienza, and Demetrios J. Brellas,
Framingham State University
In the present paper, the new statue will be fully described and reconstructed (general pose, position of the arms and head, which is now missing, etc.). The statue resembles stylistically the so-called Herakles Lansdowne, a Hadrianic copy of a 4th century BC original generally attributed to Skopas, mainly because of its resemblance to the Tegean sculptures.
Both statues seem to be quite similar in pose, proportions, style and execution, and the way musculature is rendered. They both seem to be influenced by 5th century models. However the differences between the two works (e.g., the different position of arms, etc.) necessitate a detailed comparison which can give us the overall composition (reconstruction) of the statue type and at the same time reliable information on details, for example as to whether the Lansdowne Herakles or the one from the Villa most objectively reproduces the ancient Greek original.
Since the style of the Herakles Lansdowne and of Skopas in general has always been a “puzzle” to scholars -some trace Polykleitan influences, while others see dependence on purest Attic types or a blend of Peloponnesian and Athenian traits- I believe that the reconstruction and the comparison of the statue from the Villa with works attributed to the same artist, will allow us to draw conclusions on the style of the artist, the general aesthetic attitude which found expression in his work, his remarkable innovations in style and execution and his influence on his contemporaries.
Finally, since many of the statues found in the Villa were either divided into groups or displayed as symmetrical pairs, reference will be made to the sculptural decoration of the "Garden-Stadion" of the Villa. As the author has already noted in previous publications, it seems that a statue of Herakles holding in his left hand the apples of the Hesperides, probably copying a work of Lysippos, was set up opposite the Skopaic Herakles.
Paper will be published soon.
ABSTRACT
Cemetery art and the extraordinary legacy of funerary monuments, from ancient Egypt to modern town planners’ schemes, is art, in the truest sense of the word. Although the subjects, symbols and allusions of funerary art have suffered a somehow curious neglect at the hands of writers, funerary monuments are among the most potent architectural monuments, bearing witness to our uneasy acknowledgement of mortality and our strong desire to remember those who have died.
From bizarre ancient necropolises to architecturally stunning contemplative spaces, the continued remembrance of the dead, whether his life after death was viewed either as a dismal world fraught with peril and darkness, or very much like earthly existence, was not simply a personal concern, but rather a very important civic and religious duty dictated according to the concept of “eusebia” which, though frequently translated into English as “piety”, was much closer to social obligation. Burials were therefore conducted with ritual ceremonies and the inclusion of personal property and a vast variety of symbols, the understanding of which might help us gauge and unravel quintessential elements of the deceased and at the same time stimulate remembrance among the livings.
A wide-ranging approach to the study of cemetery art led me to consider a pattern of allusions that emerges when funerary monuments are seen as a cohesive group. Sometimes these allusions are explicit, though at other times they are less obvious, only emerging through contextual reading. Death and architecture reveal many hidden wonders and beauties throughout the world.
Emphasis will be also given to Herodes Atticus who has always displayed his disapproval towards the lack of feeling of the Stoics. The transformation of his Villa in southern Peloponnese into a mausoleum, as a result of his propensity for extravagant grief, confirmed the commonly held view that some kind of conscious existence is in store for the soul after death and that the dead and the living can affect one another mutually. Human life is not just an interlude of being between nothingness and nothingness.
Egypt’s interactions with ancient Greece and Rome during four major
time periods, the Bronze Age (ca. 2000–1200 bc), Egypt’s Late Period (ca. 664–332 bc), the Ptolemaic Period (323–30 bc), and the Roman Empire
(ca. ad 30–300). Covering a range of materials, including archaeological finds, artworks, and texts, the research presented adds to a growing body
of scholarship on cross-cultural exchange among Egypt, Greece, and
Rome in antiquity. This symposium accompanies the major international
loan exhibition Beyond the Nile: Egypt and the Classical World.
The three-hour seminar, held within the premises of the ASCSA, focused on collectors in Antiquity (by M. Miles) and on two splendid sculptures from the collection of Herodes Atticus, a statue of Skopas and Lysippus.
HERACLES OF SKOPAS:
Headless statue of the Hero holding the lion skin in his left and most probably a club in his now missing right arm. Although the position of the arms is reversed, which is mainly due to the copyists who often improvised freely changing scale, proportions, orientation and sometimes even the context of the original works by substracting and reversing, the statue resembles the so-called Heracles Lansdowne, a Hadrianic copy of an original of the 4th cent. B.C., clearly associated with the style of Skopas.
During systematic excavations undertaken by Theodore Spyropoulos and George Spyropoulos in the Villa of Herodes Atticus at Eva in Arkadia, a headless statue of Herakles, an excellent copy of an original made by Skopas in the 4th century BC, was found in the so-called "Garden-Stadion" of the Villa, where it originally stood.
The statue resembles stylistically the so-called Herakles Lansdowne, a Hadrianic copy of a 4th century BC original generally attributed to Skopas, mainly because of its resemblance to the Tegean sculptures.
Both statues seem to be quite similar in pose, proportions, style and execution, and the way musculature is rendered. They both seem to be influenced by 5th century models. However the differences between the two works (e.g., the different position of arms, etc.) necessitated a detailed comparison which can give us the overall composition (reconstruction) of the statue type and at the same time reliable information on details, for example as to whether the Lansdowne Herakles or the one from the Villa most objectively reproduces the ancient Greek original.
Since the style of the Herakles Lansdowne and of Skopas in general has always been a “puzzle” to scholars -some trace Polykleitan influences, while others see dependence on purest Attic types or a blend of Peloponnesian and Athenian traits- I believe that the reconstruction and the comparison of the statue from the Villa with works attributed to the same artist, will allow us to draw conclusions on the style of the artist, the general aesthetic attitude which found expression in his work, his remarkable innovations in style and execution and his influence on his contemporaries.
Finally, since many of the statues found in the Villa were either divided into groups or displayed as symmetrical pairs, reference will be made to the sculptural decoration of the "Garden-Stadion" of the Villa. As the author has already noted in previous publications, it seems that a statue of Herakles holding in his left hand the apples of the Hesperides, probably copying a work of Lysippus, was set up opposite the Skopaic Herakles.
HERMES MERCURIUS BY LYSIPPUS:
The association of the Villa and its garden with philosophical and intellectual pursuits is widespread in Greek and roman literature. Many of the features of the Athenian gymnasia, gardens and parks, which were associated with the major philosophical schools, were adopted by the Romans in their domestic architecture. Cicero sets many of his philosophical discourses at villas and specifically in gardens and at his estate at Tusculum he had built an Academy and Lyceum. By means of such garden pavilions with such culturally ostentatious names, these Romans sought to recreate at their estates the philosophical gardens of Athens, which symbolized an ideal of self-sufficiency and frugal contentment.The statues of athletes in the Villa were placed within architectural frames. This is the case with the two marble Stele representing victorious athletes, probably Herodes Atticus himself, when he, like his father Attikos, served as an Ephebe in Sparta. They were originally placed between the columns of the Stoas, overlooking the Gymnasium. Others were placed in the Atrium as free standing sculptures. To this category belongs the statue of a youth identified on the basis of his attributes as HERMES MERCURIUS, roman copy and one of five replicas of a lost original attributed to Lysippus in the 4th cent. BC.
The best surviving replica of this statue type is to be found in the MUSEI CAPITOLINI in Rome. As I explained to the students, in order to be able to reconstruct the original, the procedure usually followed is to compare the surviving replicas in order to see which one is a close copy of the original, in other words the exact copy, or a free copy, that is a version of the original that reflects the basic character of the prototype, but differs substantially in details-position of the arms, head, etc. Roman copies were largely made in marble, and translation into marble necessitated the use of struts and supports and at the same time allowed artist to freely improviseby substracting and reversing, even changing scale and proportions of the original.
Prolonged study has proved that the youth from the Villa copies an original made by Lysippos, an artist contemporary of Praxiteles and Skopas, in other words a late classical sculptor, whose stylistic innovations would be used in Hellenistic Art for centuries. His work dramatizes the crucial difference between Classical and Hellenistic Art. Observing the statue carefully, one might very easily detect the stylistic features of Lysippos: The heads are smaller than had been the case in earlier Greek Art, the legs are longer. In other words we observe a tendency to increase apparent height by reducing the size of the head and slimming down the body. The short restlessly mobile hair, which lies flat on the head in untidy, restless tufts, the new stance of the feet which carry the body jointly, thus creating a marked restlessness, the weight of the torso, which has been alleviated by slimmer proportions and a rising line, are all good examples of Lysippos’ versatility that was about to make him so influential during the Hellenistic Age.
Compared to the Apoxyomenos, which seems to be a later work of the artist, the statue from the Villa seems to be in more complete repose. It seems to lack the three-dimensionality of the Apoxyomenos, which is greatly emphasized, when the arms project forward and toward the viewer, defining a plane perpendicular to the plane of the body, creating an interaction between figure and space, and increasing the statue’s implied capacity for movement.
This optical impression is due to the movement that pervades the whole body. The broken axes and blurred distinctions between weight-bearing and free produce the impression that the weight of the body is in on the left leg, but in the next moment it will be shifted to the right one. There is excitement not only in the face but in every limb. This is one form of the PATHOS of the 4th cent. , as contrasted to the ETHOS of the 5th. No longer was a background needed as in earlier Greek art, innumerable possibilities were actually opened for Hellenistic plastic art.
The passage from Classical to Hellenistic is now evident: Symmetry was replaced by Eurythmy, Reality gave way to Appearance, Rationality to Fantasy, and Tactile values became Optical ones.
In opinion, Lysippos certainly admired the Praxitelean world, but because it tended to have a luxurious and even effeminate character, he combined it with noble nad severe ideas of earlier artists, therefore infusing new blood into the stagnating Classical art; but in order to break the boundary with his predecessors he introduced a unique Intensity and Virtuosity. The result was a human being capable of grace and effort, slender in proportions, strong, energetic and vibrantly intense, ad after that representations of men in Greek art was never again the same.
As already mentioned above a statue of Herakles holding in his left hand the apples of the Hesperides, copy of the Lysippean Herakles Farnese, was set up opposite the Skopaic Herakles. A specific work by Skopas was long ago singled out as the lost original: a stone Herakles in the training ground-Gymnasium- for youths at Sikyon, near the market place, where a bronze Herakles by Lysippos also stood (Pausanias, II, 9, 6; 10, 1). Considering that both Hadrian’s and Herodes’s purpose was not simply to create structures in which to live, but rather to recreate the lands they had visited and the places of their imagination in an architectural microcosm, over which they, like Nero in his Golden House, were actually rulers, it is very likely that the Skopas-Lysippos display in the Garden-Stadion of the Villa probably copies the Sikyon-gymnasium display.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PAPER WILL BE SOON SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION WITH BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES INCLUDED.
This September, the Department of Classics at McMaster University will be visited by Dr. Georgios Spyropoulos, Directorate General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage at the Greek Ministry of Culture.
I feel deeply honoured.
I also wish to thank Rebecca Levitan (Berkeley Unuversity), C. MacKay (Bryn Mawr College) and everyone participating in this.
Participation in seminars organized by the University of Oxford.
Cooperation with Prof Smith whom I profoundly thank for the invitation.