With DHS prom, themed to a night in Athens, just around the corner, let’s take a glimpse into the history of Athens, including its fashion, architecture, food, and cultural practices.
How Athens got its name: The name Athens comes from a Greek myth in which the goddess Athena and the god Posiedon had a competition over who would become the protector of the city. Poseidon gifted a spring with sea water, and Athena an olive tree. The people of Athens deemed Athena the winner, and so the city was named after her. This myth symbolizes both the great wisdom of Athens, as Athena is the goddess of wisdom, and the city’s deep rooted connection to the sea.
Fashion: Ancient Greek fashion focused on comfort and simplicity. Some notable examples, often depicted in classical art, include:
-Peplos: Typically worn by women, a large rectangle of wool wrapped around the body and pinned at the shoulders, sometimes belted.
-Chiton: Two pieces of fabric, generally linen for men and silk for women, sewn together with a hole for the head and belted at the waist. More elaborate versions would include borders and patterns.
-Himation: A cloak worn by both men and women, made from a large rectangular piece of wool, often draped diagonally over one shoulder.
-Chlamys: An outer garment used as a short cape or cloak, most often worn by men.
-Epiblema: A shawl worn over a chiton or peplos
These pieces were not sewn, rather pinned in place, which allowed for very versatile usage.
Architecture: The Acropolis is a rocky hill which overlooks the city, and at one time was the site of several temples. One of the most iconic examples of ancient Greek architecture is the Parthenon, located on the Acropolis. The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, and it was built in the 5th century BC during Athens’ Golden Age. The temple is known for its Doric style columns. Doric-style columns were typically placed close together, often without bases, with concave curves sculpted into the shafts. Doric column capitals were plain with a rounded section at the bottom and a square at the top. Another important example of ancient Greek architecture in Athens is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, once the largest temple in Greece. The temple was built over several centuries, and was finally completed by the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. This structure utilizes Corinthian style columns, where the frieze was usually decorated with continual sculptural reliefs, with the figures raised from the surface but not completely freestanding.
Food: The diet of an ancient Greek was primarily composed of vegetables, fruit, beans, grains, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and olive oil. Red meat was expensive, and therefore consumed sparingly. Fruit trees were plentiful in Greece, and things like figs, olives, apples, and pears were eaten frequently, in addition to being dried and stored. Olive oil was the main source of fat in the ancient Greek diet, and was used for cooking, dressing, and flavoring. As a seafaring culture, the Greeks had an abundance of fish such as tuna, mackerel, and sea bass. Finally, wine was frequently consumed at meals, but diluted with water as undiluted wine was considered uncivilized.
Practices and beliefs: The Olympian Gods were a part of the polytheistic (a belief in many or multiple gods) Greek religion, and each God or Goddess represented an aspect of the human condition. The 12 Olympian Gods (Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Poseidon, Hermes, Hera, Aphrodite, Demeter, Ares, Artemis, Hades, Hephaestus, Dionysus) were believed to reside on Mount Olympus, and were worshipped throughout Greece with temples, sacrifices, offerings, and festivals. Greek mythology is deeply intertwined with religious beliefs of the time, and mythological tales were often used as a way to explain the origins of man.
