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By Geographical Region & Time Period

• 
  Aryballos, ca. 570 b.c.; black-figure
  Greek, Attic
  Signed by Nearchos as potter
  Terracotta
  

  H. 3 1/16 in. (7.77 cm)
  Purchase, The Cesnola Collection, by exchange, 1926 (26.49)
  
  Around the lip: pygmies fighting cranes
  Around the main surface of the handle: three satyrs; on the ends: Hermes and Perseus; on top: two Tritons

• 
  Statuette of Herakles, last quarter of 6th century b.c.; Archaic
  Greek
  Bronze

  H. 5 1/16 in. (12.8 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1928 (28.77)

• 
  Mirror with a support in the form of a nude girl, second half of 6th century b.c.
  Laconian; Said to be from southern Italy
  Bronze

  H. 13 1/16 in. (33.81 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1938 (38.11.3)

• 
  Column-krater, ca. 550 b.c.; black-figure
  Attributed to Lydos
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta
  

  H. 22 3/16 in. (56.39 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1931 (31.11.11)
  
  Obverse: Hephaistos on a mule among satyrs and maenads
  Reverse: Dionysos among satyrs and maenads

• 
  Kylix, ca. 540–530 b.c.; black-figure
  Attributed to the Amasis Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta
  

  H. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
  Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989 (1989.281.62)
  
  Obverse: Poseidon among Greek warriors
  Reverse: stables of Poseidon

• 
  Panathenaic amphora, ca. 530 b.c.; Archaic
  Attributed to the Euphiletos Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 24 1/2 in. (62.23 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.12)

• 
  Amphora, ca. 530 b.c.; Archaic; red-figure
  Signed by Andokides, as potter; Attributed to the Andokides Painter (red-figure decoration); Attributed to Psiax (black-figure decoration)
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 22 5/8 in. (57.5 cm)
  Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1963 (63.11.6)
  

• 
  Panathenaic prize amphora, ca. 525–500 b.c.; black-figure
  Attributed to the Kleophrades Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 25 1/2 in. (64.7 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1907 (07.286.79)

• 
  Statuette of Nike (personification of victory), late 5th century b.c.; Classical
  Greek
  Terracotta

  H. 7 in. (17.8 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1907 (07.286.23)

• 
  Lekythos (oil flask), ca. 480–470 b.c.; red-figure
  Attributed to the Tithonos Painter Greek, Attic
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 13 3/8 in. (34.01 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.78.2)

• 
  Kylix (drinking cup), ca. 470 b.c.; Classical, white-ground
  Attributed to the Villa Giulia Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm)
  The Bothmer Purchase Fund, Fletcher Fund, and Rogers Fund, 1979 (1979.11.15)

• 
  Lekythos (oil flask), ca. 460–450 b.c.; red-figure
  Attributed to the Nikon Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
  Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Pomerance, 1953 (53.224)

• 
  Stamnos with lid, ca. 450 b.c.; red-figure
  Attributed to the Menelaos Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 14 7/8 in. (37.8 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1906 (06.1021.178)

• 
  Lekythos (oil flask), ca. 450 b.c.; white-ground
  Attributed to the Sabouroff Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 12 7/16 in. (31.6 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1921 (21.88.17)

• 
  Lekythos (oil flask) depicting Poseidon pursuing Amymone, ca. 440 b.c.; Red-figure
  Attributed to the Phiale Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 17 7/16 in. (44.30 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1917 (17.230.35)

• 
  Head of a veiled goddess, Classical, ca. 425 b.c.
  Greek, Attic
  Marble

  H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
  Ex coll.: George L. Hern Jr.
  Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Told Jr., on the occasion of the reinstallation of the Greek and Roman galleries, 2007 (2007.328)

• 
  Oinochoe-chous (jug) depicting women perfuming clothes, ca. 420–410 b.c.; Red-figure
  Attributed to the Meidias Painter
  Greek, Attic
  Terracotta

  H. 8 7/16 in. (21.41 cm)
  Gift of Samuel G. Ward, 1875 (75.2.11)

• 
  Ring with head of Herakles, late 4th–3rd century b.c.; Hellenistic
  Greek
  Gold

  63/64 x 47/64 in. (25 x 18.7 mm)
  Funds from various donors, 1910 (10.132.1)

• 
  Ganymede Jewelry, Hellenistic, 330–300 b.c.
  Greek
  Gold, rock crystal, emerald

  L. of necklace 13 in. (33 cm), H. of earrings 2 3/8 in. (6 cm), W. of bracelets 3 1/8 in. (8 cm), W. of fibulae 1 15/16 in. (5 cm), H. of ring 13/16 in. (2.1 cm)
  Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1937 (37.11.8–.17)

• 
  The Madytos Jewelry, ca. 330–300 b.c.; Hellenistic
  Greek; Said to be from Madytos
  Gold

  Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1906 (06.1217.1-.13)

• 
  Stater with head of Alexander the Great, 286–281 b.c.; Hellenistic
  Greek; Lysimachos, Pella
  Gold

  Diam. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm)
  Gift of Edmund Kerper, Esq., 1952 (52.127.4)

• 
  Head of Athena, Hellenistic, late 3rd–early 2nd century b.c.
  Greek
  Marble

  H. 19 in. (48.3 cm)
  Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1996 (1996.178)

• 
  Statue of Eros sleeping, Hellenistic or Augustan, 3rd century b.c.–early 1st century a.d.
  Greek or Roman
  Bronze

  L. 33 9/16 in. (85.24 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1943 (43.11.4)

• 
  Fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief, 27 b.c.–14 a.d.; Augustan
  Fragments of a Roman copy set in a plaster cast of the original Greek marble relief, ca. 450–425 b.c.
  Marble

  H. 89 3/8 in. (227 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.9)

• 
  Statue of a woman, 1st century b.c.
  Cypriot; said to be from the ruins of Golgoi
  Limestone

  Overall 76 x 24 x 13 in. (193 x 61 x 33 cm)
  The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76 (74.51.2456)

• 
  Fragmentary head of a deity wearing a Dionysiac fillet, probably Julio-Claudian, ca. 14–68 a.d.
  Roman; copy of a Greek work of the 2nd century b.c.
  Marble, pigment, gilding

  H. 11 7/8 in. (30.3 cm)
  Purchase, Anonymous Gift, in memory of Professor Charles M. Edwards, 1992 (1992.11.66)

• 
  Statue of an old market woman, Early Imperial, Julio-Claudian, 1st century a.d.
  Roman
  Marble

  H. 49 5/8 in. (125.98 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1909 (09.39)

The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, each with a distinct personality and domain. Greek myths explained the origins of the gods and their individual relations with mankind. The art of Archaic and Classical Greece illustrates many mythological episodes, including an established iconography of attributes that identify each god. There were twelve principal deities in the Greek pantheon. Foremost was Zeus, the sky god and father of the gods, to whom the ox and the oak tree were sacred; his two brothers, Hades and Poseidon, reigned over the Underworld and the sea, respectively. Hera, Zeus's sister and wife, was queen of the gods; she is frequently depicted wearing a tall crown or polos. Wise Athena, the patron goddess of Athens (1996.178), who typically appears in full armor with her aegis (a goat skin with a snaky fringe), helmet, and spear (07.286.79), was also the patroness of weaving and carpentry. The owl and the olive tree were sacred to her. Youthful Apollo (53.224), who is often represented with the kithara, was the god of music and prophecy. Judging from his many cult sites, he was one of the most important gods in Greek religion. His main sanctuary at Delphi, where Greeks came to ask questions of the oracle, was considered to be the center of the universe (63.11.6). Apollo's twin sister Artemis, patroness of hunting, often carried a bow and quiver. Hermes (25.78.2), with his winged sandals and elaborate herald's staff, the kerykeion, was the messenger god. Other important deities were Aphrodite, the goddess of love; Dionysos, the god of wine and theater; Ares, the god of war; and the lame Hephaistos, the god of metalworking. The ancient Greeks believed that Mount Olympos, the highest mountain in mainland Greece, was the home of the gods.

Ancient Greek religious practice, essentially conservative in nature, was based on time-honored observances, many rooted in the Bronze Age (3000–1050 B.C.), or even earlier. Although the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer, believed to have been composed around the eighth century B.C., were powerful influences on Greek thought, the ancient Greeks had no single guiding work of scripture like the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible, or the Muslim Qu'ran. Nor did they have a strict priestly caste. The relationship between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange: gods and goddesses were expected to give gifts. Votive offerings, which have been excavated from sanctuaries by the thousands, were a physical expression of thanks on the part of individual worshippers.

The Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries located, according to the nature of the particular deity, either within the city or in the countryside. A sanctuary was a well-defined sacred space set apart usually by an enclosure wall. This sacred precinct, also known as a temenos, contained the temple with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues and votive offerings to the gods, and often features of landscape such as sacred trees or springs. Many temples benefited from their natural surroundings, which helped to express the character of the divinities. For instance, the temple at Sounion dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea, commands a spectacular view of the water on three sides, and the Parthenon on the rocky Athenian Akropolis celebrates the indomitable might of the goddess Athena.

The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially of oxen, goats, and sheep. Sacrifices took place within the sanctuary, usually at an altar in front of the temple, with the assembled participants consuming the entrails and meat of the victim. Liquid offerings, or libations (1979.11.15), were also commonly made. Religious festivals, literally feast days, filled the year. The four most famous festivals, each with its own procession, athletic competitions (14.130.12), and sacrifices, were held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. These Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world. Many other festivals were celebrated locally, and in the case of mystery cults, such as the one at Eleusis near Athens, only initiates could participate.

Citation Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. "Greek Gods and Religious Practices". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grlg/hd_grlg.htm (October 2003) Further Reading Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1985. Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth, eds. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3d ed., rev. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Pedley, John Griffiths. Greek Art and Archaeology. 2d ed. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998. Pomeroy, Sarah B., et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Robertson, Martin. A History of Greek Art. 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1975. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions) The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions Other Online Features Greek Art from Prehistoric to Classical: A Resource for Educators

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Moore, Mary B. "The Princeton Painter in New York." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 42 (2007). Moore, Mary B. "'Nikias Made Me': An Early Panathenaic Prize Amphora in The Metropolitan Museum of Art." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 34 (1999). JSTOR | PDF Cropper, Elizabeth. "The Petrifying Art: Marino's Poetry and Caravaggio." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 26 (1991). JSTOR | PDF Cohen, Beth. "The Literate Potter: A Tradition of Incised Signatures on Attic Vases." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 26 (1991). JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Euphronios and Memnon? Observations on a Red-figured Fragment." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 22 (1987). JSTOR | PDF Frazer, Margaret English. "Hades Stabbed by the Cross of Christ." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 9 (1974). JSTOR | PDF Frel, Jiri. "In the Shadow of Antinous." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 7 (1973). JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Greek Vase Painting." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 31, no. 1 (Fall, 1972). JSTOR | PDFs "Director's Note" PDF "Greek Vase Painting" PDF "Greek Vase Painting: An Introduction" PDF Richter, Gisela Marie Augusta. "The Department of Greek and Roman art: Triumphs and Tribulations." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 3 (1970). JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Euboean Black-Figure in New York." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 2 (1969) JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "A Gold Libation Bowl." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 21, no. 4 (December, 1962). JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Painted Greek Vases." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 21, no. 1 (Summer, 1962). JSTOR | PDF von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Greek Marble Sculptures." Metropolitan Museum of Art Greek Marble Sculptures bulletin, New ser., v. 16, no. 6 (February, 1958) JSTOR | PDF Von Bothmer, Dietrich. "Greek Vases from the Hearst Collection." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 15, no. 7 (March, 1957) JSTOR | PDF