Introduction: The Classical Revolution: Treasures of Ancient Greece (03:20)

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This film presents the emergence of Greek classical art and experimental artistic techniques that inspired it.

Valley of the Temple (01:55)

The Greeks at Agrigento were proud of their city, building monumental temples dedicated to different gods. Greek craftsmen carved scenes from the lives of gods on the monuments.

Technical Improvement in Sculpting (02:58)

Around the year 550 B.C., scenes were presented in a strong yet simple fashion. The figure occupies the same plane as the surface of the original block of stone. One hundred years later, stone leaps to life with movement, psychological tension, expression, and a sense of drama.

Victory Sculptures (04:57)

The technical shift in artistry was influenced by competition—to out shine rival city-states in the Greek world. In 1979, archaeologists discovered a sculpture that would push Greek sculptors to their limit.

The Lost-Wax Technique (04:43)

The most plausible cause for the Greek Revolution is technique—encouraging artistic experimentation. The lost-wax technique for creating bronze statues was perfected in 500 B.C.

Bronze Warriors (02:50)

Bronze statues discovered on the sea bed depict warriors with a sense of psychology. These are evidence that bronze casting was an intimate part of the Greek Revolution.

Bi-Lingual Pots (03:08)

Around 530 BCE, an artist expanded on the black figure technique, creating figures in red and taking vase-painting to new levels of sophistication.

Red Figure Vases (02:02)

With red figure vases, the details of the image are painted on. This freedom of technique allowed artists to expand their subjects.

The Darker Side of the Greek Imagination (03:27)

By day, rationality ruled ancient Greece; by night irrationality ruled. Symposium pots offered artists endless creative possibilities.

Perfection in the Human Figure (04:51)

The Greeks put man at the center of the universe. In idealizing the human body, they aimed for artistic perfection. Polykleitos had a profound effect on Greek art.

Acropolis of Athens (03:45)

Polykleitos became known as the man who defined classical art. The idealized male body was a powerful factor in the Greek Revolution. In the 5th century B.C., Athens dominated Greek art and philosophy, drama, and politics.

Mystery of the Parthenon Frieze (02:10)

No one knows what the Parthenon sculptures represent. The frieze dramatizes a great procession of citizens and gods. The overarching message is of "political togetherness." A social revolution had stimulated an artistic one.

Intimate Greek Art (03:07)

View an unexpected style of Greek vase and hear an analysis of the scene portrayed. This

Tomb of Philip II (04:31)

Greek city-states were frequently at war. By the middle of the 4th century B.C., Athens and most of Greece were brought under their sway. In 1997, archaeologists discovered the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.

Royal Tombs (02:49)

Inside royal tombs, excavators found a series of treasures. A gold casket held the remains of Philip's queen. A new art glorifying an all conquering hero was discovered.

Praxiteles' Wit (02:58)

With self-glorifying rulers came a new generation of celebrity artists—men who broke the rules. Praxiteles relished scandal, and emphasized the sensual appeal of marble.

Hermes & Dionysus (02:45)

In the scattered ruins of Olympia, a sculpture believed to be Praxiteles was excavated. It shows a Greek god engaged in a mundane activity, Hermes playing with the infant Dionysus.

The Greek Miracle (01:49)

The artistic achievement of classical Greece seems almost overwhelming, yet the Greeks did not think art would be their greatest legacy.

Credits: The Classical Revolution: Treasures of Ancient Greece (00:43)

Credits: The Classical Revolution: Treasures of Ancient Greece