TRAVELERS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: THE CASE FOR ANCIENT PARIANS
by Dora Katsonopoulou
Abstract
The island of Paros located in the centre of the Aegean Sea, emerged as an organized polis/state already in mid-8th century BC. Its geographical position favored early sea communications and foundation of colonies along the Mediterranean. In the article, I discuss the impressive phenomenon of itinerant Parians in the Mediterranean in relation to (a) the colonies founded by Paros in the Propontis, the North Aegean and the Adriatic Sea, (b) certain activities of travelling groups of artists in Greece proper and the periphery of the Greek world, and (c) two exceptional cases of itinerant Parians, Archilochos the poet (7th century BC) and Skopas the sculptor and architect (4th century BC). Finally, a short mention is made of another type of
mobilization of fighters, under state control.
IN “PARION STUDIES III, Propontis and Surrounding Cultures”
Famous Sculptures by Classical Greek Masters in Parion and the Troad
by Dora Katsonopoulou
Abstract
In the Classical period, Parion and the Troad were embellished with great artistic works by renowned Greek sculptors. The first of these masterpieces made for the city of Parion was the bronze statue of Herakles, a work of the sculptor He(a)gesias, in the early 5th century BC. In the following 4th century BC, new celebrated sculptures were set up in Parion: a marble statue of Eros by the famous Athenian sculptor Praxiteles and another bronze statue representing the Trojan prince Paris, most probably the one created by Euphranor
from the Isthmos, a work praised by Pliny. In the same era, another celebrated Greek sculptor, Skopas of Paros, made a statue of Apollo with a mouse (Apollo Smintheus) for the sanctuary of the god at Chryse, later known as Alexandria Troas, in the Troad. In the paper, these works a) are presented and discussed on the basis of the
available literary and archaeological evidence and b) their historical background and possible association with the mythical past and history of the region are considered.
On the Legacy of two Exceptional Parians: Archilochos the Poet and Skopas the Sculptor
by Dora Katsonopoulou 2019
In an earlier article on Skopas of Paros1, I discussed the possible Parian origin of the distinctive Skopaic style and its relation with the natural, social and cultural environment of the culptor’s native island. In particular, I found common elements shared in the work of Skopas and of his great ancestor, the poet Archilochos, and decided to follow up on the issue. Read more →
Since our First International Conference on the Archaeology of Paros and the Cyclades dedicated to the Paria Lithos and the Parian Sculpture Workshops,1 new sculptures associated with
Paros and its unique marble have come to light.
Follow a manual added link
