Artifact Research

                Using Image Quest, I searched through countless pictures of Ancient Greek sculptures, pots, and architecture. After a long search, I was rewarded with this picture of a vase depicting students at a Greek school. The creator is unknown, but the vase can be found at the Staatliche Museum in Berlin.

Although I could’ve easily picked the first picture of pottery or sculpture I saw, I knew I wanted to find something that would easily tie into our class discussions and assigned readings. This vase fits my criteria almost perfectly. Depicted on the vase are students of a Greek school practicing music and writing. In the readings, the Greeks were described as a people that valued the arts and as we can see, this vase reflects that. The Greeks valued democracy and the participation of their citizens in the democratic process. However, in order to participate effectively, the Greeks pursued study of the arts such as writing, speech, and music. These allowed the Greeks to convey their views and have constructive discourse, leading to the development of the Greek democratic system.

Where this ties into our studies in rhetoric is how rhetoric was a key area of study for students looking to get involved in the democratic system, whether for the sake of democracy or a personal quest for influence. The Greek Sophists traveled from city to city, teaching art and rhetoric to those who could afford their services, much like the depiction on the vase.

Masters and pupils at the Athenian school where studies included music. Greek red figure vessel . Staatliche Museum Berlin

Works Cited

Masters and pupils at the Athenian school where studies included music. Greek red figure vessel . Staatliche Museum Berlin. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/300_2285431/1/300_2285431/cite. Accessed 11 Sep 2017.