Vergina
The Royal Tombs and the Ancient City
Published in January 2004
Book
Hardback
244 pages
978-960-213-128-2 (ISBN)
Description
Excerpt from the prologue written by the author Manolis Andronicos - ...It has been necessary to try to produce a text which will serve the needs of the specialist without ignoring those of the general reader. Such attempts are far from easy in execution and not infrequently succeed only in sacrificing academic integrity without providing adequate information for the non-specialist. It is not for me to say if I have achieved what I set out to do. Nevertheless, in addition to the text, there are the illustrations to the book which I believe contribute to the success of its purpose as I have defined it. A picture is always the best means - after the objects themselves - for every reader, specialist or not, to gain a closer idea of archaeological finds. Once I had decided to write the book, I considered it essential not to limit myself to the recent impressive finds from the royal tombs, but to set before the reader a synoptic but solid account of all the archaeological finds in the area.
In this way, its considerable interest becomes comprehensible - an area which has yielded graves containing hand-made prehistoric pottery and bronze jewellery, a magnificent architectural complex dating to the last years of the fourth century, the theatre of a city, a small temple and a series of monumental Macedonian tombs with unique painted compositions of the classical period, masterpieces of jewellery made by Greek goldsmiths, of miniature sculpture and the most magnificent products of Greek metalworking. The brilliance of the latter sheds new light on the older finds so that these acquire their proper perspective. In addition to all this, the finds from Vergina provide new information about Macedonian Hellenism, our knowledge of which so far is based almost exclusively on literary sources emanating from Athens. It is natural that that city, the only serious political rival to Macedonia, should frequently distort its enemy's true face and denigrate its historical contribution to the development of Hellenism, at least before the meteoric rise of Alexander the Great.
In this way, its considerable interest becomes comprehensible - an area which has yielded graves containing hand-made prehistoric pottery and bronze jewellery, a magnificent architectural complex dating to the last years of the fourth century, the theatre of a city, a small temple and a series of monumental Macedonian tombs with unique painted compositions of the classical period, masterpieces of jewellery made by Greek goldsmiths, of miniature sculpture and the most magnificent products of Greek metalworking. The brilliance of the latter sheds new light on the older finds so that these acquire their proper perspective. In addition to all this, the finds from Vergina provide new information about Macedonian Hellenism, our knowledge of which so far is based almost exclusively on literary sources emanating from Athens. It is natural that that city, the only serious political rival to Macedonia, should frequently distort its enemy's true face and denigrate its historical contribution to the development of Hellenism, at least before the meteoric rise of Alexander the Great.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Athens
Greece
Illustrations
185 illus
Dimensions
Height: 280 mm
Width: 220 mm
ISBN-13
978-960-213-128-2 (9789602131282)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Manolis Andronicos was born at Prusa in 1919. He studied classical archaeology at the University of Thessalonike (1936-1940) and took his doctorate there in 1952. His thesis was entitled Plato and Art (reprinted in 1984). During the German occupation he left for the Middle East and after the war taught privately. In 1949 he entered the Archaeological Service. In 1954-1955 he spent 2 years in Oxford, engaged in post-doctoral studies. In 1957 he was appointed lecturer and in 1961 Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Thessalonike where he taught until his retirement in 1983. In addition to his archaeological and academic activities he was concerned with matters of education, art and literature and published studies and articles in many newspapers and periodicals, most of which have been printed as collected essays. He taught and lectured frequently in many American and European universities and, in addition to numerous articles in Greek and foreign periodicals, he wrote several books. He excavated at various sites in northern Greece (Veroia, Kilkis, Chalcidice, Thessalonike) but much of his effort was concentrated on Vergina where he first worked as an assistant to his teacher, K.A. Rhomaios (1938-1940); in 1952 he embarked on his own excavations. His systematic work led, in 1977, to the discovery of the magnificent finds in the tombs of the royal family of Macedonia, probably including that of Philip II. Manolis Andronicos was a life member of the Archaeological Society of Athens, member of the Society for Macedonian Studies, of the German Archaeological Institute of Berlin, of the A.I.C.A., of Art Thessalonike, of the Explorer's Club of New York, honorary member of the Spanish Association of Classical Studies Pastor and of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, London. He was president of the Archaeological Council (1964-1965), of the National Theatre of Northern Greece (1974-1975) and a vice-president of the National Hellenic Research Foundation. In 1980 the Athens Academy elected him a corresponding member and in 1982 he received the Olympia Prize from the A. Onassis Foundation.
Content
PROLOGUE, 9; PREFATORY NOTE, 11; THE ANTIQUITIES OF VERGINA; THE SITE OF VERGINA - THE HISTORY OFITS ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION, 17; THE CEMETERY OF THE TUMULI, 25; THE MONUMENTAL MACEDONIAN TOMBS, 31; THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS, 38; The palace, 38; The theatre, 46; The temple of Eukleia, 49; THE ROYAL TOMBS THE EXCAVATION OF THE GREAT TUMULUS, 55; The first attemps, 55; The end of the excavation, 79; THE GRAVE STELAI, 83; THE TOMB OF PERSEPHONE, 86; "PHILIP'S TOMB", 97; The structure, 97; The painting, 106; The grave goods in the main chamber, 119; The couch, 123; The ceremonial shield, 136; The weapons, 140; The cuirass, 140; The helmet, 144; The sword, 144; Spears, 145; The greaves, 146; Vessels, 146; Vessels for a banquet, 146; Vessels for the bath, 160; Four unrelated bronze items, 162; The sarcophagus and the gold larnax, 168; The royal diadem, 171; The antechamber and its contents, 175; The gorytos, 180; The greaves, 186; The pectoral, 189; Gorgoneions, 189; The myrtle wreath, 191. The larnax and its contents, 191; THE PRINCE'S TOMB, 198; The building, 198; The inside of the tomb and the grave goods, 198; The metal objects, 209; CONCLUSIONS, 218; The dating of the tombs, 224; The identity of the deads, 226; The assassination and burial of Philip, 231; Summary, 233; Footnotes, 237; Bibliography, 238; Index, 240.