My collage today, for LMAC 134 began with a search for the identification of the monument in @shaka's remarkable template photo:
First question I asked: Is it Greek or Roman. I found a Youtube video that helped me sort that out. One clue was the steps on the side of the building. Roman temples had them in the front. Greek temples had them all around. Also, Greek temples were built on hills or mountains in rural areas. Roman temples were built in urban areas, on flat ground.
I had guessed it was Greek, but now I knew. Then I looked at pictures of notable Greek temples and found one of the Acropolis with this particular perspective presented. The part of the Acropolis we are looking at in @shaka's picture is called the Erechtheum.
Erechtheum Acropolis Athens
Credit:Jebulon. CC 1.0 license
In ancient Athens, the Erechtheum was dedicated to various deities and mythical figures: most principally the statue of Athena Parthanos, but also Erechtheus, Boutes Ploughman, Pandrosos, Kekrops, Hephaistos and Poseidon.
Roman Replica of Athena Parthenos Statue
Credit: George E. Koronaios, cropped by Neoclassicism Enthusiast. Used under CC 4.0 license. The original statue in the Acropolis was destroyed but this Roman version, known as the Varvakeion Athena, is considered to be quite true to the statue that resided in the Erechtheum.
The Acropolis changed hands many times. According to a website called The Collector, the Acropolis of Athens was settled in prehistoric times. It became a place of prominence during the Mycenean Civilization. When it was adopted by the Ancient Greeks, it was already rich in tradition and mythology. It went through a Persian invasion, Roman rule, and Ottoman rule. Under Ottoman rule, the Erechtheum served as a harem.
Acropolis of Athens, 2017
Credit: Spirosparas. Used under CC 4.0 license.
In my collage I symbolically represent a European attempt to arrest control of the territory from the Ottomans. This occurred at a historic battle called the Venetian Siege of the Acropolis.
Engraving, Venetian Siege of the Acropolis
Credit: Anonymous engraver,1680s. Public domain.
Weaponry definitely included cannons. Warships from that era might have looked something like this British ship:
HMS Sovereign of the Seas, 1637
Credit: 17th Century, unknown. Public Domain.
Although the Europeans did prevail in this battle, the victory was short lived. The next year, the Acropolis was retaken by the Ottomans. Much of the existing structures had been destroyed and so the area was repurposed for residences.
You can see that I got interested in the history behind the ruins in @shaka's template photo. My collage is probably more literal narrative than art. I hope the history excursion was mildly entertaining for my readers. Now to credit sources that helped me create the collage.
Of course LIL, the LMAC Image Library, figured largely in the endeavor. I thank the following LIL contributors:
Two Images from @louis88:
The Greek hill upon which my monument sits.
The Shore, with the dramatic waves
From @muelli I borrowed three images essential to the collage:
Doorway
Landmark
Fire
From @quantumg I borrowed the beautiful
Column
And
From @seckorama indispensable
Rocks
I Borrowed three images from Unsplash:
Warship from raimonKlavins
Cannon fire from George Martin
I used GIMP, Paint and Paint 3D to manipulate the images and make the GIF frames.
I have been associated with LMAC, the collage contest, almost since its inception. It's obvious that making a collage for me is more than just putting together elements and hoping for the best. Each time I make a collage, it is a growth experience. This is true, I believe, for many of our 'regulars'.
LMAC was the brainchild, and inspiration of @shaka, who continues to lead the community. The team, @quantumg, @mballesteros, and I support him and the community.
LIL has become intrinsic to LMAC. This library of images would not exist without the hard work and coding skills of @quantumg and @shaka. Visit our library. Contribute to it. LIL is a Hive resource. It exists for everyone in the Hive community. Rules and procedures for borrowing and contributing may be found here.
Finally, voting for winners in this week's contest is going on right now, here. All of Hive is invited to vote on a favorite collage. A new round of the contest begins on Thursday. Check out rules and procedures here.
I wish everyone peace, health and the joy of a creative life.
This blog reminds me my honeymoon, in which we visited this place (we went for a trip around the Mediterranean Sea). Thanks for the memory, and the nice projection into the past through your collage :)
So nice to see you here, and with such a nice message. Bringing back memories of your honeymoon--that is a good thing. I'm happy about it.
I do love history. It is over and done with. There is something settling about looking into the past, as there is in looking into the future (physics). Gives us perspective, I think.
I appreciate that you visit, @lemouth. Thank you!
Have a most wonderful summer.
History is super important to avoid re-doing the same mistakes again and again. Unfortunately, I have the impression that it is a facet of humankind to repeat the same mistakes again and again... Checking the news everyday is sufficient to be convinced of this (unfortunately).
As a side note, physics also allow us to look into the past. But in the distant past (Big Bang times).
Oh, how did I miss this animated piece of gold!!! That's exactly what's been happening all the time in PeakD these days. Some posts I don't see until many days later.
Really impressively animated. The island and the sea are also very nicely done. I like how you have stylized the destruction on the island. And the sea looks rough, as if churned up by the fighting.
Very well done, my friend!
Thanks for the once again very interesting edu-part of your edu-collage. As always, I learned something new from you. :-)
Thank you my friend. You really give me high praise. I know that's because you value originality and effort. You look past technical deficiencies. I'm grateful for that.
We learn over time to be as good as we can be, but also to be ourselves. I don't have the command of form and execution that you, maria, or eve66 has. But you look past that, and evaluate my stuff for what it offers, not what it lacks.
Thanks for making me feel good about my collage, which was obviously a great pleasure to design. Note that your beautiful column was indispensable.
No need to dim your own light, dear @agmoore.
There are no technical deficiencies. All of us just haven't been able to try out all kinds of possible ways yet.
As our friend Bob Ross used to say - "However you think it should be, that’s exactly how it should be."
It's your canvas, it is your world. You can do whatever you want in it. And you did what you wanted to do in it very very well!
🍀☘️🌿
Thank you for your wonderful artwork and history lesson. 😎
Thank you for your visit and your message,friend @muelli. Your images from LIL are always so helpful.
Have a peaceful day, and try to stay cool :)
I enjoyed this historical collage. Interesting place with a fascinating history.
The statue of Athena looks wonderful. Is that a snake beside her? I wonder why the Olympian gods were fascinated with snakes. I have a statue of Hygeia, Goddess of hygiene and health, and she has a snake too. Medusa had snakes on her head. And so on. Did they have a snake problem in ancient Greece? 🤣
Hello friend @litguru,
Thank you for the question. You know I looked this up. Intriguing. Came across a great paper The Meaning of the Snake in the Ancient Greek World. Athenians especially did see the snake as protector. There didn't seem to be a particular problem with snakes. These animals simply had great symbolic value (in other cultures also). The paper is speculative but interesting.
As always, you offer interesting insight.
Hope you are not steaming as most of Europe and the U. S. is.
This is interesting! I thought historians knew why the serpent appears so often in Greco-Roman antiquities. The author in your cited paper mentions that the snake likely represented some primordial force. Perhaps, it has to do with the poison, which can be beneficial in some instances. A wonderful mystery! Thank you for the paper!
Thankfully, our weather has been cooler than average this year, but our forest fire season is beginning. 😌
Wonderful!
I love your collages always give me a lesson in history, culture, etc..
Great and uplifting Work.
Hope you are feeling great...
You are so kind to visit. This is not 'art', but it does allow me to speak through visual representation, and that is satisfying.
I hope you are also well. I love your work, every week!
Thanks for your contribution to the STEMsocial community. Feel free to join us on discord to get to know the rest of us!
Please consider delegating to the @stemsocial account (85% of the curation rewards are returned).
You may also include @stemsocial as a beneficiary of the rewards of this post to get a stronger support.
Thank you so very much! That is very generous and kind of you.
Thank you, @cuddlekitten. Cats and dogs, kittens and puppies: among my favorite things in the world.