HERODOTOS
Welcome to Argos, traveler.
HERODOTOS
My name is Herodotos, and I am a traveler
from Halikarnassos.
HERODOTOS
I retrace the cause of various events, such
as wars and great calamities.
HERODOTOS
I describe what I see and record what I am
told - all with the aim of providing a better
understanding of why these things occur.
HERODOTOS
Look for me to introduce you to many sites.
HERODOTOS
I have always admired the dedication of Greek
metalworkers.
HERODOTOS
Without them, we would not have the inspiring
monuments that stir the hearts of Greek citizens
everywhere.
HERODOTOS
This is Argos, one of the oldest cities in
Greece.
HERODOTOS
The Argives were an ingenious people famous
for innovations in areas like military tactics.
HERODOTOS
However, what they were most renowned for
was their metallurgic artistry, especially
with bronze.
HERODOTOS
I hope you enjoy yourself.
Look for me at the end of your visit.
NARRATOR
The area that would become Argos was inhabited
as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, but it
was in the 7th century BCE that it officially
became a city-state.
NARRATOR
One of Argos's major pillars was its metallurgical
industry.
NARRATOR
As far back as the 8th century BCE, the city
was famed for making products like long dress
pins and tripod cauldrons, as well as impeccable
body armor.
NARRATOR
In addition to their technical excellence,
the Argives were also creative, as seen in
their masterful bronze sculpting, -
NARRATOR
- which became prominent in the city during
the 6th and 5th century BCE.
NARRATOR
Bronze is an alloy composed of ninety percent
copper and ten percent tin.
NARRATOR
Because of this, copper and tin needed to
be smelted and combined to create the material
needed for sculpting.
NARRATOR
After the bronze alloy was formed, it was
melted in special furnaces.
NARRATOR
They required a tremendous amount of fuel,
and were usually supplied with charcoal made
from specific types of wood.
NARRATOR
It's possible they were also coated with a
protective lining of clay, which would have
been sensible given the melting point of bronze
is approximately 950 degrees Celsius.
NARRATOR
Once the required bronze was melted and collected,
the furnaces were dismantled and dumped.
NARRATOR
In the 8th century BCE, most small-scale statues
were molded using a complicated and lengthy
method called solid lost-wax casting.
NARRATOR
From the 7th century BCE onwards, metal workers
adopted the more efficient hollow lost-wax
casting.
NARRATOR
At its core, this process involved using sculpting
models from wax, making molds over these models,
-
NARRATOR
- then filling the molds with bronze to produce
the desired shapes.
NARRATOR
The process was advantageous because it saved
on materials, produced lighter statues, and
reduced the chance of possible defects.
NARRATOR
Once all the pieces of the sculpture were
molded, they were welded together and subjected
to the cold-working process.
NARRATOR
This process involved repairing the sculpture's
flaws by filling any holes and cracks with
specifically-measured bronze patches.
NARRATOR
Afterwards, the sculpture was scraped, chiseled,
and polished until it was deemed satisfactory.
NARRATOR
Decorative details like hair, eyebrows, and
mustaches were added with the use of a sharp
tool.
NARRATOR
Eyes - which could be inset with ivory, glass,
or silver - were attached to their sockets
using a resinous kind of glue.
NARRATOR
Teeth and fingernails were inlaid with silver,
and lips and nipples with copper.
NARRATOR
These small touches added color, and contributed
to the sculpture's lifelike appearance.
NARRATOR
Bronze sculptures have a long and varied history
in Greece.
NARRATOR
During the Geometric period of 900 to 700
BCE, the sculptures mainly depicted idealized
heroes, charioteers, and horses, -
NARRATOR
- and most of them were dedicated to sanctuaries.
NARRATOR
The Orientalizing period followed in the 7th
century BCE.
During this time, Greeks began adopting sculpting
techniques from the East, -
NARRATOR
- and the depicted statues expanded to include
mythological creatures like griffins and sphinxes.
NARRATOR
The Archaic period saw statues that reflected
a better understanding of human anatomy, -
NARRATOR
- which eventually culminated in the realistic
and powerful human sculptures of the Hellenistic
period.
NARRATOR
Argos was the home of Polykleitos, one of
the most famous sculptors in Ancient Greece.
NARRATOR
His works, like the Doryphoros and Diadoumenos,
as well as his treatise on sculpting called
the Kanon, had a massive impact on the art
as a whole, -
NARRATOR
- particularly in regards to ideal body proportions.
NARRATOR
Sadly, the original versions of Polykleitos's
sculptures have been lost, along with most
bronze statues from Antiquity.
NARRATOR
As time went on, many bronze statues were
melted down to be recycled in things like
weapons, ammunition, and even church bells.
NARRATOR
Because of this, marble copies from the Roman
period are our best evidence of the masterpieces
of Greek sculpture.
HERODOTOS
I see you have completed your tour.
HERODOTOS
I trust you have a new appreciation for Greek
sculptures, after learning of the heart and
soul that was poured into each step of their
creation.
HERODOTOS
Now, what else would you like to do?
HERODOTOS
Then let us dive right in!
Here is your first question.
HERODOTOS
Which era of sculpting came first?
HERODOTOS
The Hellenistic period began in 323 BCE, following
several other eras.
Try again.
HERODOTOS
The Orientalizing period lasted for most of
the 7th century BCE.
It introduced Eastern sculpting techniques
to the Greek world, but it was not the earliest
era.
HERODOTOS
Try a different answer.
HERODOTOS
The Classical period lasted from 480 to 323
BCE, making it relatively "new" in the grand
scheme of things.
HERODOTOS
But please, try another answer.
HERODOTOS
Correct!
The Geometric period lasted from 900 to 700
BCE, and mostly featured small-scale statues
and statuettes of heroes and horses.
HERODOTOS
On to the second question.
HERODOTOS
Bronze was an alloy composed of which two
metals?
HERODOTOS
Copper and zinc made up brass, not bronze.
Try another answer.
HERODOTOS
Combining copper and gold did not form bronze.
Instead, it merely gave the gold a rosy tint.
HERODOTOS
Try another answer.
HERODOTOS
Silver and gold produced an alloy called electrum.
Keep trying.
HERODOTOS
Yes!
To get the bronze required for sculpting,
metal workers first needed to smelt copper
and tin.
HERODOTOS
One last question for you.
HERODOTOS
Which renowned sculptor was a native of Argos?
HERODOTOS
Myron was an Athenian sculptor.
Try again.
HERODOTOS
Praxiteles was originally from Athens.
Keep trying.
HERODOTOS
No, Skopas was born on the island of Paros.
Try a different answer.
HERODOTOS
Yes!
Polykleitos was based in Argos, and had an
enormous impact on the art of sculpting.
HERODOTOS
You've done well, traveler.
Your knowledge of metalwork is astounding.
HERODOTOS
Then farewell, traveler.
May we meet again soon.
