The Ancient Greeks and Romans form what we collectively call Classical Civilization. Historians consider these cultures to be the cornerstones of European civilization. In truth, both civilizations influenced a wide portion of the Mediterranean world, and not just Europe. However, the influence of ancient Greece and Rome on European art, culture, literature, philosophy, political thought and many other aspects of society cannot be overstated.

The first era of Greek art we will be studying, the Geometric and Archaic periods, will see Greek artists' interest in conveying a realistic human form. Greek artist's ability to render more and more realistic depictions of the human body will continue through these early periods and culminate in the Classical period.

VOCABULARY LIST
Acropolis
Architrave
Bilingual Pottery
Blind porch
Canon
Cavea
Cella
Contrapposto
Corinthian
Cuneus
Doric
Entablature
Entasis
Frieze
Geometric
Humanism
Ionic
Kore, korai
Kouros, kouroi
Krater
Lost Wax
Megaron
Metope
Orchestra
Orientalizing
Pananthenaic
Peristyle
Phidias
Skene
Slip
Stylobate
Tholos
Triglyph
Volute
White ground
Zeuxis