Previous Lecture

Dr. John Oakley
College of William and Mary

Athenian Lekythoi: Masterpieces of Greek Funerary Art

Monday, October 12, 2009, 7:30PM
University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Richards Hall, Room 15

The Lincoln - Omaha Society of the Archaeological Institute of America announces the second lecture of the 2009-2010 season: Athenian Lekythoi: Masterpieces of Greek Funerary Art.

The images found on classical Athenian white-lekythoi are the subject of this lecture. These oil containers were placed in and on Athenian tombs as grave gifts, and therefore, not surprisingly often have scenes connected with graves and funerals, making them very important documents for understanding ancient Greek funerary rites. In fact, they are the primary source of funerary images from fifth-century Athens and are found in nearly every museum whose holdings include Greek art, since they are often considered the most beautiful of Greek vases.

This lecture examines the development of the standard themes found on white lekythoi, namely two women in a domestic setting, the visit to the tomb, and the mythological ministers of death: Hermes, the ferryman Charon, and the brothers Hypnos (sleep) and Thanatos (death). And it synthesizes what these scenes tell us about classical Athenian perceptions of and reactions to death.

Dr. John H. Oakley received his Doctorate from Rutgers University, and he specializes in Greek art and archaeology and Roman sarcophagi. He is currently the Chancellor Professor in the Department of Classical Studies at The College of William and Mary in Virginia. He has conducted fieldwork in England, Rome, Corinth, and Crete, among other destinations. As a visiting professor around the globe, Oakley has taught at Princeton University, L’Université Libre de Bruxelles, and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. He has done extensive work for the AIA, being President and co-founder of the AIA Williamsburg, VA Chapter, and also as a traveling lecturer.

Dr. Oakley will be giving the Joukowsky Lecture, named for Martha Sharp Joukowsky, past President of the AIA and Professor of Old World Archaeology at Brown University.