Akerstrom Terracotta Frieze

8/3/2019 Akerstrom Terracotta Frieze

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/akerstrom-terracotta-frieze 1/11

The Proceedingsof the

Xth International Congress

of Classical Archaeology

Vol. I

Ankara-izmir 23 -30 jIXj1973



Edited by E K REM A K U R GAL

Published by T UR K TAR i H K U RUM U

Printed in Turkey

T U R K TARtH K U R U M U BASIMEVi

Ankara, 1978



IONIA AND ANATOLIA-IONIA AND THE WEST

THE FIGURED ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTA FRIEZE: ITS

PENETRATION AND TRANSFORMATION IN THE EAST AND

IN THE WEST IN TIlE ARCHAIC PERIOD

AKE AKERSTROM

( Sweden) Plates 35 - 9()

One of several questions upon which interest has been focused as

a consequence of the extensive archaeological activity in Asia Minor

in recent years is the problem of the penetration of Greek ideas and

Greek artistic forms in the interior of Anatolia in the Archaic period 1 .

W c shall follow this penetration in a special category of finds, namely

the Greek terracotta roof and specifically the figmcd frieze, which is

the speciality of the East Greek roof. As we shaH see, the penetration

proceeded in Anatolia over a wide geographic area with varying eth

nographic and cultural conditions, which resulted in differing practices

in the use of types and representations. But the same kind of figured

frieze was current also in the West, in central Etruria, w-here it had

been transmitted from Ionia. There it met different conditions. The

subject of this pap er is to study th e changes in and use of frieze decoration

in these two parts of the ancient world where it played a role in archi

tectural decoration. These reactions seem to me significant.

The practice of pl'otecting u huilding -with a roof of terracotta

tiles, laid according to a planned system, is one of the most successful

inventions of the Greek spirit. In its basic form it is still in use today.

The invention occurred in the 7th century B. C. and the place was

Corinth 2. Being a product of the Greek spirit it soon developed embel

lishing accessories, such as the sima, the revetment tile, the antefix and

others. On the mainland this roof reached ils fully developed form in

1 On the new situation in Anatolian archaeology see JiiI. JiiIellink, Anatolia: Old

and New Perspectives (Proceed. Amer. Philos. Soc. Vol. llO, No.2, 1966, p. 111 ff.).

" Author, Archit. Terr. Kleinasiens, p. 257ff.



320 AKE AKERSTROM

th e late 6th century. The type was taken over for th e marble roof of the

Greek temple in th e Classical pel'iod - which, of course, does not mean

that th e production of terracotta roofs ceased.

In th e meantime th e Corinthian roof spread north of th e Corinthian

Gulf, where it developed certain local features. Through Corfu, via

th e old sea route to the West, th e practice passed to South Italy an d

Sicily. In Sicily this resulted in th e impressive an d colourful terracotta

roofs which adorned th e Doric temples of the flourishing island, in Syra

cuse, Selinus an d elsewhere.

Less spectacular was th e result in South Italy, including Campania.

From Campania certain types of antefixes spread to Latium and southern

Etruria, bu t to Etruria we shall return later. This is what happened

m th e West.

What happened in th e East? Th e earliest terracotta roof so far

found in Ionia is a Corinthian roof from th e naiskos of th e Archaic

Didymaion, dating around 575-550 B. C. 3. I t left no descendants. The

following development took another course. In Ionia the idea arose,

presu.mably prompted by intercourse with the Near East, to decorate

a sima or revetment with a figured representation. Th e figured frieze,

never met with on th e mainland, is th e distinguishing mark of the East

Greek terracotta roof.

The practice of making a terracotta roof became popular in th e

cities of the Ionian coast. At first sight th e finds ma y seem richer today

in northern Ionia. This depends mainly on th e fact that Larisa hap

pens to have been excavated. The early centre, however, was no doubt

southern Ionia. Finds from later years seem to confirm this.

From the cities on th e coast th e terracotta roof penetrated to th einterior of Anatolia. Th e distribution seems to have followed two main

routes: one started from South Ionia, presumably th e district of Miletus,

an d followed th e Meander valley, with a branch over the Karabel pass.

Besides this there was another route from th e district of Smyrna, fol

lowing th e Hermus valley eastwards. These tw o passages touched Sardis

in Lydia, Midas City in western Phrygia an d Gordion in central Phrygia.

This is what I call th e Lydian-Phrygian or inland route. The penet-

3 Op.cit. p. 204.

IONIA AND ANATOLIA - IONTA AND THE WEST 321

ration also took another way: from th e cities on th e coast, in the North

as well as in the South, th e Greeks transmitted the practice of the

terracotta roof by sea through th e Hellespont an d th e Black Sea to th e

com,t and hinterland of Pontus. This I call th e Pontic-Anatolian or

sea route (Pl. 85, Fig. 1).

I t is no t possible here to follow in detail th e eastward distribution

of the terracottas. I t ma y suffice to point out the main features. Sardis,

our fil'st station, on th e inland route, is still entirely Greek, bu t th e

repertOl"Y of types is more limited compared to nearby Lal'isa. Modelling

an d colours ar e infel'iol' in quality •Midas City further east on the route

has left only a dozen fragments of terracottas. Their chaxactel', how

ever, is still essentially Greek. The great change comes with Gordion,

th e en d station on th e inland mute.

Ou r first question is to what extent Greek types, an d which of them,

have accompanied us on the way. From Midas City thel'e is a fragment

with a procession of birds. This I'epresentation is known from Miletus,

Mylasa an d Euromos; it is no dou.bt of South Ionian origin (Pl. 86, Figs.

2-4). In Gordion thel'e was a pair of simae, consisting of a raking cornice

decoxated with "lyre and star" (PI. 86, Figs. 5-6). an d a lateral sima

with a lotus £lowel' on either side of the waterspout . This pair of simae

is likewise of South Ionian origin. I t seems to have been popular at

Sardis. Th e Gordian pieces are provincial in execution 4. From Gordion

should also be mentioned a low raking cornice of Greek type decorated

with two chains of diamonds; an d finally, for th e sake of completeness,

Ill. 1. "Anatolian" types. a) Revetment tile ("Schenkelplatte");

b) "Sima". (Author, Die archil. Terr. Kleinasiens, fig, 73).

4 Op.cit. p. 75, 77; pI. 44 : 2; 45 : 2-4; 49; 50 : 1 (Sardis); 147f.; pI. 83 (Gordion).

F.21



322 AKE AKERSTROM

an "Anatolian" tile (type "Schenkelplatte") showing together with

diamonds a chain of "lyre&" 5. This seems to be all.

The Greek terracottas in Sardis, Midas City an d Gordion are

useful, because they help us to stake out the route. But they also reveal

how limited a repertory of true Greek types has followed us all th e way.

Gordion is our most interesting site. Two types dominate th e

picture, or rather two versions of one type which we have no t me t before

in Anatolia (Ill. 1 a-b) I t is a rectangular or square shaped tile with an

attached "leg" bent backwards at right angles. I f the "leg" is attached

to th e upper edge, th e tile serves for revetment, if attached to th e bot

tom, it serves as a sort of sima. These two types have no t been foundon th e sites of th e coast bu t similar types are known from th e West,

especially from Sicily. They are derived from ordinary Greek types to

serve special needs, in this case in Phrygian architecture.

Their decoration is ornamental or figured. Several series of tiles

show a diamond or chequerboard decoration, ornaments which ar e

familiar to us from Phrygian vase-painting bu t above all from th e

sculptured rock facades in the district of the Midas City 6. These facades

reflect in their decoration to a large extent the use of terracotta tile",

in ordinary Phrygian architecture.

More interesting, an d more intriguing, is th e figured decoration in

Gordion. There are four representations: 1) chariot scene with deer

hunt; 2) Theseus killing th e Minotaur; 3) antithetic bull an d lion in

upright position; an d 4) antithetic goats rearing up against a tree (PI. 87).

Th e figure types are all ultimately Oriental. One is used for a Greek

theme, Theseus and the Minotaur. They ma y all have been transmitted

through th e Greek islands (Rhodes ?). This seems fairly certain for

Theseus an d th e Minotaur and for th e goats with th e tree.

The strange thing about these representations is their old-fashioned

character. Th e chariot scene, well known from North Syrian monuments

from th e earlier 1s t millennium B. C., could easily mislead us as to

its date were it not for th e Greek hoplite calmly walking before th e

horses (PI. 87, Figs. 7-8). Our version of the bull-lion group (PI. 87, Fig. 11 )

never entered· th e repertory of Greek orientalizing art. The figure types

5 Op.cit. pI. 82 : 3; 85 : 1-2.

8 Op.cit. p. 156f.; pI. 80; 84 : 1-3.

IONIA AND ANATOLIA - IONIA AND THE WEST 323

of Theseus an d of th e goa1 s and tree are both attested in Rhodian vase

painting of th e early 7t h century (PI. 87, Fig. 9, 10, an d 12). Bu t all

four representations in Gordion should be dated no t earlier than th e

6t h century 7.

Before we consider th e significance of th e situation at Gordion it

seems suitable to examine first the terracottas which have come to

light in th e Pontus district.

On the Pontic coast there is th e Milesian-Phocaean colony Amisus.

In th e near hinterland there were found at Akalan, in what was presu

mably a local chieftain's citadel, a quantity of architectural terracottas,

certainly products of a Greek workshop at Amisus 8.

I f we move further inland, to Pazarh in Cappadocia, also presu

mably th e site of a local ruler, we are faced with an entirely different

situation 9. There is here no single example of a true Greek terracotta

type (except for th e plain roof which is of the usual "hybrid" type).

The types used are th e tw o prevailing at Gordion, which we have just

described.

As- to th e decoration it should be observed that whereas Gordion

ha d several sets of tiles decorated with diamond and chequerboard,

there is in Pazarli only one such set, decorated with diamonds 10. Bu t

there are several figured representations to be considered here 1) marching

soldiers 2) bull-lion walking, confronted 3) antithetic goats standing at a

a tree; an d 4) griffins an d centaurs, respectively walking an d confronted

in two registers. All these representations belong to the 6th century

(PI. 88).

I t seems quite obvious that this stock of themes cannot be derived

from Gordion. I f we examine th e motifs, it appears that they ar e all

Greek. The two griffins can be followed back to Lampsakos an d Sardis

an d are, of course, a standard motif in Greek orientalizing art. Th e

same is th e case with th e bull-lion walking, which was immensely popu

la r in early Greek art. The centaurs used in an antithetic pattern seem

to be a North Ionian invention. The goats belong to the standard stock

7 Op.cit. p. 151 : "Sporadica" and "Sonstige Friesreihen".

8 Op.cit. p. 121£f.; pI. 61£f.

9 Op.cit. p. 161£f.; pI. 87ff.

10 Op.cit. pI. 93 : 2.



324 AKE AKERSTROM

of orientalizing motifs. There can be no doubt that they have all heen

transmitted by th e Greeks via th e Pontic coast. I t also appears that

Pazarh is more Greek than Gordion.

Our examination of th e situation in Gordion an d Pazarli respec

tively permits us to draw some conclusions concerning th e penetration

of Greek architectural terracottas in Anatolia. I f we ask why Gordion

still adopts for architectural decoration in the 6th or even 5t h century

such old-fashioned them('ls as those referred to abo'Ve whilst Larisa on

th e coast excelled in a variety of representations of ripe Archaic charac

ter, such as the chariot races, horsemen, banquet scenes, Herakles an d

the centaurs an dornamental

friezes (PI. 89),th e answer

isthat th e

Greeks did no t colonize th e interior. From the point of view of Gordion

it is no t a matter of the later arrival of the motifs they used since these

ha d been transmitted on earlier occasions. They were at hand, an d

presumably th e Gordions felt content to use them. One of the results,

of course, is that we have in Larisa a series of individual roofs, whereas

in Gordion we have a rather monotonous mass-production of th e

prevailing subjects.

In Pazarh the situation is different. The ungainly figures are puzz

ling, still more so because they are painted in Phrygian technique,

whence their Harlequin-like appearance. Another striking feature is

that all th e motifs are antithetic groups, either originally antithetic

or secondarily used as such - with one exception, th e marching soldiers.

They chose these motifs partly because of their general suitability for

architectural decoration, partly also, I think, because they were in con

formity with those two old inherited compositional principles with

which the decorators were familiar, namely th e antithetic group an d

th e procession. An d yet, as already mentioned, Pazarh is more Greek

than Gordion. There seem to be two explanations. Greek influences

worked quicker oversea on distant Pazadi in Cappadocia than over

land on Gordion in Phrygia. Secondly, Pazarli seems to have enjoyed

a settled cultural standard to a lesser degree than Gordion, an d therefore,

it was comparatively less resistent to Greek influences.

I should like to ad d here a note on th e roof itself. The plain roof we

are faced with in Anatolia is th e same as that prevailing in th e West,

a Greek provincial roof which I call th e "hybrid" roof, using plain rain

tiles an d semi-circular cover tiles (except for a gabled type used in


Gordion). On th e Greek sites th e sima, th e revetment tile and other

clements grew as organic decorative additions to the roof. The two

"Anatolian" types, described above one used for revetment, th e other

for sima-like application, presumably ha d a looser relation to the roof

construction itself. Thus, they could be used more freely. To what

extent this plain Greek roof was in general use in Anatolia, is difficult

to say. An d it must be remembered that the flat roof was always th e

traditional roof in the East. However, th e Greek roof for a gabled buil

ding was presumably found useful. An almost pathetic tail-piece to th e

story of its march towards the East is a plain Greek roof of the type

described which was foun.d in th e Phrygian levels on the Biiyiik kale,

th e acropolis of Bogazkoy. And with this we leave th e East 11.

In th e West th e plain roof described above was current in all parts

of Italy. Etruria seems to have been affected by th e practice of making

a terracotta roof in th e earlier part of the 6th century, in logical succession

to the introduction of the terracotta roof in South Italy an d Sicily 12.

It should also be noticed that th e architectural terracottas played a

special role in Etruria. For whereas in other parts of the ancient world

architectural terracottas were mainly a matter fo r th e Archaic period,

th e practice in Etruria went on from th e Archaic down to th e beginning

of ou r era.

The centre of early production in Etruria was certainly Caere 13,

no t Veii, in spite of the publicity its school and master Vulca enjoy in

th e early Roman tradition. From southern Etruria th e ar t spread to

inner an d northern Etruria and over Latium as well.

Typical of the early development in Etruria in th e first period,

which, according to my dating, means roughly the second half of the

6t h century, is th e figured frieze, used for decorating revetment tiles

an d th e raking cornice 14. Th e idea of the figured frieze was no doubt

11 Op.cit. p. 190f.

12 Op.cit.p. 268f.

13 Op.cit. p. 272.

14 Andren's chronology cf. Architect. Terr. from Etrusco·ltalic Temples, 1940, p.

CXXX, CLI and CCXI. My own dating cf. Die architekt. Terr. Kleinasiens, 1966, p.

274. Andren's revised dating cf. Opusc. Rom. VIII, 1974, p. Iff. As to th e beginning

of th e practice of architectural terracottas in Etruria Andren adheres to his belief

that those pieces which he considers th e earliest should be dated to the last quarter

of the 7th century B.C. I find no vaHd reason for such a date, nOr is there much likeli·



326 AKE AKERSTROM

introduced by East Greek immigrants in Etruria around or slightly

before 550 B. C. The subjects represented ar e partly East - Greek,

partly borrowed from th e Corinthian an d Attic black-figured vases

which were at that time imported to Etruria in quantity. The coro

plasts preferred subjects suitable for a procession, chariot scenes, hor

semen, soldiers, animals. A typical specimen of this sort is a set with

chariot scenes an d horsemen from Caere, datable around 550 B. C.

(PI. 90, Fig. 24) 15.

Th e following period is sub-Archaic in character an d covers th e late

6t h century an d a large part of th e 5th, marking th e zenith of terracotta

production in Etruria 16. During th e 5t h century th e figured frieze goesout of fashion. There ma y be several reasons for this. I t ma y be the

result of a decrease in the Attic import, or more probably because th e

decorative ar t in general gave up th e old repertory of suitable

motifs, processions etc.

No less striking is another tendency. Whereas in th e previous

period th e size of the crowning member in relation to th e figured field

was in what could be called normal proportions, th e same crowning part

now starts growing higher an d higher (PI. 90, Fig. 25). As if this

were not enough, it is provided with a high crest inserted in its upper

edge (PI. 90, Fig. 26). One might well ask how these daring constructions

could stand wind an d weather. Pari passu th e main field is steadily

shrinking an d tolerably filled, no more with figures bu t with a painted

meander 01' guilloche. On th e revetment tiles th e figured field likewise

decreases in height while th e crowning member increases. In addition

th e lower part of he tile grows to form a hanging curtain (PI. 90, Fig. 27).

The same tendency is also reflected in th e eaves-tiles an d th e head an

tefixes with a framing tongue-pattern, the latter growing to an enormousshell 17.

hood for it, considering the over-all situation, i.e. the origin of th e art in Greece and

its spread to the East and the West, and th e accepted dates for these events. In my

opinion Etruria in this respect is no isolated phenomenon bu t only one member of

several in a family whose actions in Greece, in the East and in the West are otherwise

fairly well known to us.

15 Andren, Archit. Terr., pI. 4-5.

16 Andren, Archit. Terr., p. CLIff.; Author, Archit. Terr. Klainasiens, p. 272ff.

17 Andren, op.cit. p. CLVIIIf.; CLXX and pIs. 1-2; 17.


This general phenomenon,. a residual vegetating archaism, is a

symptom of lack of inventiveness. This luxuriation, which could be

compared with a pathological growth of cellular tissue, has th e effect

that th e original balance between th e different parts of the tile is

destroyed. I t should at once be admitted that th e coroplasts display

great skill in choosing ornaments and comhinations of them to make

curtains an d crests attractive 18. I t should also be mentioned that in

the Late Classical - Hellenistic period it became a widespread fashion

in Etruria to adorn th e temples with pedimental sculptures created

under fresh impulse from th e Greek world 19. These are often of high

artistic standard. What interests us here, however, are th e changes in

the old, inherited set of terracotta types. The tendencies which we have

followed continue in the Hellenistic period in the progressive growth

of the crowning memhers, th e crests and curtains eventually swallowing

up what was originally th e main part of the terracotta, th e figured

field. I t is consumed hy its own outgrowths (PI. 90, Fig. 28).

The penetration of architectural terracotta types, an d specifically

th e figure frieze, thus was achieved in Anatolia with, as it were, a strugg

le. There was resistence on the part of those lands where there had

always been kept alive old eastern artistic t raditions, in Cappadocia

an d still more in Phrygia. Therefore, th e terracottas in Anatolia, in

shape an d decoration, had to make concessions an d modifications to

survive. In Etruria th e conditions ~ e r e entirely different, and this is

dramatically shown in the development of the traditional types, th e

raking sima an d th e revetment tile. Once introduced they lived on in

what could be called unrestricted freedom, unhindered by an y indi

genous artistic tradition, in a capricious, often entertaining luxuriance.

18 Op.cit. p. CCVIf.

19 Op.cit. p. CCXIVf.



Akerstrom Plate 85

SCtl'-"AKLES MEER

. ~ . Fig. I - Map of Asia Minor. The "Lydian-Phrygian" and "Pontic

Anatolian" routes of distribution.



Plate 86

Bird procession :

Fig. 2 - Mylasa (Mylasa);

Fig. 3 - Midas City Fig. 4 - Miletus (Smyrna).

(Istanbul).

"Lyre and star" sima :

Fig. 5 - Sardis (Istanbul).

Fig. 6 - Go rd io n (Ankara).

Akerstrom Akerstrom

Fig. 7 - Orthostat relief from

Zinjirli (Sendschirli III, pI.

XXXIX).

Fig. 9 - Gordion, Theseus slaying

the Minotaur (Drawing Marian

Welker).

Fig. 11 - G or di on , Antithetic bull

and lion (Photo th e author).

Plate 87

Fig. 8 - G or di on , chariot scene

(Reconstruction, Gordion

Expedition).

Fig. 10 - Rhodian vase-painting.

Centaur grasping tree. Brit.

Mus. A 439 (Photo Mansel).

Fig. 12 - G ord io n, Antithetic goats

(Photo 'the author).



Plate 88

Pazarh:

Fig. 13 - Warriors.

Fig. 15 - Attithetic goats.

.Akerstrom

Fig. 14 - Bull-lion antithetic,

in two registers.

Fig. 16 - Griffins an d centaurs confronted,

in two registers (Photos the author).

Akerstrom Plate 89

Larisa:

Fig. 17-18 - Chariot scenes.

Fig. 19 - Herakles and the centaurs. Fig. 20 - Horsemen, antithetic.

Fig. 21 - Banquet scene.

Fig. 22-23 - Ornamental friezes (Larisa am Hermos n, figs. 7; 12;

16; 15; 20; 35; 32).



Plate 90

Etruria and Latium:

Fig. 24 - Caere, warrior's departure.

Akerstrom

Fig. 25 - Palestrina, chariot

procession.

Fig. 26 - Satricum, raking cornice with crest.

Fig. 27 - Civita Castellana,

revetment tile.

Fig. 28 - Caere, revetment tile (Andren

Archit. Terr. from Etrucso- Italic

Temples, pIs. 4; U5; 39; 43; 19).

Akerstrom Terracotta Frieze

Documents

Transcript of Akerstrom Terracotta Frieze