Culture Watch


Treasures from the royal capital of Macedon” R Ashmolean Museum, 7 April – 29 August 2011


“Heracles to Alexander the Great:


The extraordinary new discoveries of the exca- vations in the royal burial tombs and the palace of Aegae, the ancient capital of Macedon, will be displayed outside Greece for the first time from 7th April, at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.


The exhibition entitled “Heracles To Alexander The Great: Treasures from the Royal Capital of Macedon” will run until 29th August, under the aegis of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Mr George A. Papandreou, in col- laboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism (17th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities).


The treasures of Aegae will be the first major archaeological exhibition in the museum’s new temporary galleries. The Ashmolean, re- opened in 2009 after a highly-acclaimed rede- velopment, will showcase over five hundred recently unearthed treasures made of gold, silver and bronze.


They re-write the history of early Greece and tell the story of the royal court and the kings and queens who governed Macedon, from the descendents of Heracles to the ruling dy- nasty of Alexander the Great.


It is the most important Greek cultural event in many years. From the astounding finds made by the late Professor Manolis Andronikos in the ‘70s to the recent discoveries of the past twenty years, this is ground- breaking work that tells the story of life in the ancient kingdom of Macedon, northern Greece. The artistry, skill and foresight with which these objects were made represent a truly sophisticated dynasty about which there is much more to learn.


Aegae, the Macedonian capital The royal city of Aegae – modern-day Vergina – was the first capital of Macedon and the seat of power of the Temenid kings, named after Temenus, a descendent of Heracles. They ruled from the mid-7th to the 4th century BC, and gave to Greece two of its most famous he- roes, King Philip II (382-336 BC) and his son Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).


Aegae remained relatively unknown until 30 years ago when excavations uncovered the unlooted tombs of Philip II and his grandson Alexander IV. Recent work at the site has con- tinued to unearth a startling wealth of objects – from beautifully intricate gold jewellery, silver-


MARCH 2011, ISSUE 141, Page 3


ware and pottery, to sculpture, mosaic floors and architectural remains.


The exhibition


The exhibition will mark an international first for presentations directly associated with central figures of the Temenid court. The first of the three major themes examines the world of the king and his companions; at war and hunting, as ruler, and the royal funeral. This is the part where arms, armour, golden wreaths and other objects illustrate the lives of Alexander the Great’s royal ancestors.


Next, there is the exploration of the role of women in the royal court. Recent


excavations have focused on the tombs of


the female members of the palace. Jewellery, fashion, grooming objects and many more discoveries underline the leading role of queens, princess- es, high-priestesses. A centrepiece of the exhibition will be the assemblage of five women, four of which date back to the Early Iron Age (1000-700 BC) and one, the ‘Lady of Aegae’, to around 500 BC. The latter woman, a queen and high-priestess, was found in an undisturbed tomb, covered in


spectacular


golden jewellery sewn into her clothes and be- decked with funerary goods.


Finally, the exhibition will take us through ev- eryday life in the palace. Apart from the ceram- ics, silverware and architectural fragments, the development of “symposion”, a key ex- pression of the social and political world of the time, takes centre stage.


Dr Christopher Brown, director of the Ash- molean Musen acknowledged the significance of this first exhibition of the latest discoveries, describing it as “a tremendous honour for the museum.”


PLAN AHEAD IN BRITAIN eading


The Office of Education of the Greek Embassy and the Byzantine Music School of the Archiodese with support from the Hellenic Cen- tre present the children’s story “Childrens’ Eas-


ter” (Παιδική Πασχαλιά) by Alex- andros Papadiamandis. Monday, 11th April at 7:30pm. The Hellenic Centre, 16-18 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5AS.


loniki, the great voice of Rebe- tiko, comes to London for two live performanc- es to celebrate her 50th anni- versary in Greek music. Friday 6th May and


M


Saturday 7th May 2011. Ticket price: £22. Mythopolis, 277 City Road, Islington, EC1V 1LA.


heatre After Troy, by Glyn Max- well - inspired by Euripides’ Hecuba and Trojan Women. In association with Lifeblood Theatre Company. Lowry Theatre Salford, 26-30 April Stepehen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, 10-14 May. For up to date booking information, visit www.aftertroy.com.


T


‘The Greek bail-out one year on: how can Greece return to growth?’ Speakers: Costas Meghir, Professor of Econom- ics, University College London, Herakles Polemarchakis, Pro- fessor of Economics, Univer- sity of Warwick. Chair: Nicos Christodoulakis, Professor of Economics, Athens University of Economics & Business; Former Greek Minister of Economy & Finance. Tuesday, 3 May; 6:30- 8:00pm. LSE Old Theatre, Old Building, Ground floor, WC2A 2AE, Houghton St., London.


T alk usic: Mario from Thessa-


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4