The Athenians of the fifth century BCE both created and were captivated by an unusual and memorable concept that provided citizens with an ancestry that was closely linked to the very earth they inhabited: autochthony. Although autochthony in classical Athens has been studied extensively, the methodology of viewing the myth as a representation of a ritual and performative act has not been widely considered. This paper reflects upon autochthony from the angle of its ceremonial (re)presentation, considering how iconography helped shape a concrete and specific understanding of Athenian civic identity, including familial ties with the gods and eponymous ancestors. By situating fifth-century visual representations in vase painting as the most effective conduit for what autochthony meant, we can better understand its power as a visual action that replicates a ritual gift.
Introducing GalenThe Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) at New York University is known for its record of erudite exhibitions, presenting such rich visual feasts as A Wonder to Behold: Craftsmanship and the Creation of Babylon's Ishtar Gate and Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes. 1 With The Empire's Physician: Prosperity, Plague, and Healing in Ancient Rome, ISAW delves into new territory, exploring the textual and visual history of medicine in the Roman world through an online format. 2 Curated by Claire Bubb, Clare Fitzgerald, and Alexander Jones, this digital exhibition provides an overview of the world in which the physician Galen (129-ca. 216 CE) lived and practiced medicine. Its emphasis on Galen's writings, which documented events such as the Antonine Plague and the Great Fire of Rome, lend it a contemporary angle that will be recognizable to anyone who has charted the unknown "new normal" of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last nearly two years.The Empire's Physician opened online on 26 February 2021 and is intended to be available online indefinitely. It can be reached from ISAW's home page by clicking "Exhibitions"; however, once "inside" the exhibition, there is no clear way to return to ISAW's homepage, where associated programming and events can be found. An introductory video sets the tone as a first point of contact with the exhibition (fig. 1). In just under two minutes, a brief text alternates between playful, animated images of woodcut figures excised from
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