According to the Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, the art of jewelry making can be observed under the word toreutikē, the art of ornamental works in metal. (τορευτική – toreutikē). Both the Greek and the Roman name come from the words denoting in the two languages “the graver’s tool” (τορεύς – toreus); and in its general sense caelatura may be taken as meaning the arts employed in the production of ornamental… Read more
“…we must endeavour to speak of timber [hulē], saying of what nature is that of each tree, what is the right season for cutting [temnein] it, which kinds are hard or easy to work, and anything else that belongs to such an enquiry.” Theophrastus Enquiry into Plants 5.1.1, adapted from translation by Holt (p417) Theophrastus, (c371–287 BCE) was a pupil of Plato and later a pupil and friend of Aristotle,… Read more
When Pindar says “Water is best, (ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ) and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth” in Olympian 1, he is not wrong. Life happens around water. It is hard to find an example that water is not present in our daily lives. Water cleans, nourishes, and heals. Who wouldn’t enjoy a nice bath? How about the ancient Greeks? In this… Read more
Having come across across references to trees and to wooden construction in the Iliad and Odyssey, my curiosity was piqued, and I decided to gather a few examples where wood and trees were mentioned, to try and better understand what these meant in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry. Are there any special associations with trees or using wood? What kinds of trees are mentioned? There are a number of similes with… Read more
Mycenaean gold When we see the golden artefacts found in the Grave Circles A and B at Mycenae and the so-called “treasure of Priam,” it shows an incredible abundance of gold, silver and bronze in the Mycenaean period. Even in Homeric poetry we have the mention of “Mycenae rich in gold” [polúkhrusos][1], and there are references various metals in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry: silver, gold, iron, along with copper and… Read more