Horses and Horsemanship in the Athenian AgoraThis concise and beautifully illustrated book demonstrates the many roles played by the horse in the lives of the Greeks, from its place in myth and early history to its significance as a marker of social status and its use in warfare, transportation, games, and festivals. From their arrival in Greece, at the start of the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000 B.C.), horses were a powerful symbol of rank. Bridles and other horse trappings are often found in graves, alongside vases depicting horses grazing, racing, and parading. Sculpture is also full of horse imagery, from monumental equestrian statues (a bronze leg and gilded sword are all that remain from one of these) to tiny terracotta figurines, perhaps the toys of a child. As well as presenting many examples of horse imagery found in the Agora, the author reports on recent finds near the ancient hipparcheion, the stables of the Athenian cavalry. |
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3rd century B.C. 4th century B.C. 6th century 6th century B.C. According Acropolis actual Agora Amazons amphora ancient anthippasia antiquity appear archival aristocratic artist aspects associated Athe Athenian Athenian cavalry Athens base black-figured bronze Bronze Age buildings burial cavalry centaurs chariot race contests Crossroads decorated Delphi depicted display donkey dozens drachmas drawing earliest early entered equestrian events figure figurine five followed four four-horse chariot Fragment frieze grave Greek Herms heroes hipparch hippodrome honor horse horsemanship HOUSE individual inscription iron known late later lead lives look monument mounted mule northwest corner officers Oinomaos Olympia painted Panathenaia Panathenaic Panhellenic games Parthenon perhaps periods Pheidon picture pieces play popular Poseidon preserved prize probably procession prominent Red-figured reference representation represented ride riders Royal sculpture showing side social square statue Stoa Temple terracotta tokens trained tribe usually vases victory