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Summer Kraft
Art 220- Survey of Western Art from Prehistory through the Middle Ages
Dr. Adam Rudolphi
11/19/2014
Word Count: 1587
Term Project Option 3: Art Historical Fiction: Greek Goddesses from 500-300 BCE
The following study will focus on a select few of the ancient Greek goddesses
worshipped and depicted in art from 500-300 BCE in ancient Greece, focusing on the goddess
Athena, but also with mentions of Artemis and Aphrodite.
In the proposed episode, the ninth doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and his companion,
Rose (Billie Piper), travel to Athens, Greece to the year 2014 after hearing reports of cultural
artifacts disappearing from their rightful places during the day and ending up back where they
belong by morning the next day. Upon arrival to the city, they visit the Acropolis Museum, where
the first artifact has gone missing. The museum curator leads the Doctor and Rose to the area
where they have the east frieze of the temple of Athena Nike on display.1 Astonishingly, the
figures of Aphrodite, Athena, and Artemis are all missing from the frieze, while none of the other
figures have been disturbed. The Doctor and Rose investigate the museum from top to bottom,
but can find no signs of any other artifacts being disturbed, and no trace of the three missing
goddesses. They return to the museum the next morning, only to discover that the goddesses
have returned to their original positions. There is no trace of movement on the security tapes,
rather, the figures are gone one second and there the next.
The next day, the curator of the museum receives a call from the Walters Art Museum in
Baltimore. To the curator's surprise, one of the Walters' pieces of Athena, "Athena with an Owl"2,
has disappeared from the museum, without any trace of a thief or intruder on the security
Pemberton, Elizabeth G. "The East and West Friezes of the Temple of Athena Nike." American
Journal of Archaeology 76.3 (1972): 303-10. Print.
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footage. The Doctor and Rose travel in the TARDIS to Baltimore, arriving at the Walters. Like at
the Acropolis Museum in Greece, the two find nothing that provides any hint as to who, or what,
could be disturbing the artifacts. Like in Athens, the piece returns to the museum the next
morning. The two decide to remain in Baltimore for the next few days in order to further
investigate the disappearances. They spend the night in the TARDIS and return to the museum
the next morning, only to discover that two figures have gone missing. One, a statue of
Aphrodite3, has vanished from its exhibit setting, and another, a figure of Athena3, has also
vanished. Rose and the Doctor thoroughly inspect both settings, but once again are unable to find
any trace of a disturbance. Frustrated and confused, the two decide to spend the day at the Inner
Harbor of Baltimore in order to clear their minds. Later that evening, while walking through the
harbor, Rose and the Doctor hear comments from onlookers directed at two women, dressed in
ancient Greek garb, walking calmly about. The Doctor and his companion recognize the women
as wearing the same garments as Athena and Aphrodite in the missing statues, and attempt to
confront the women. When they notice they are being pursued, the women vanish into the air,
much to the astonishment of Rose, the Doctor, and the onlookers. Shortly after the women
vanish, the Doctor receives a call from the curator at the Walters. The statues have returned to
their rightful place.
Rose and the Doctor decide to spend that night at the Walters, hoping to fully experience the
disappearance of artifacts. In the earliest hours of the morning, the two notice a vase, a blackfigure psedo-Panathenaic amphora3, begin to glow with a fuzzy white light. The Doctor scans the
2,3"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum.

<http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>

Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.

"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>

Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.
32,3

vase with his sonic screwdriver, and the glow begins to solidify into a large orb of light.
Telepathically, the orb asks the Doctor and Rose to please stop scanning it, and the Doctor agrees
under the condition that the being tells them what it wants with the ancient Greek artifacts. The
orb obliges, and explains that it, along with others of its kind, make up an alien race known as
the Setaasons. The Setaasons, it explains, are non-corporeal beings whose home planet was
destroyed thousands of years ago. When their planet was destroyed, the Setaasons discovered
Earth, and found that they could inhabit humanoid objects and use them as functional human
bodies. The orb explains that the Setaasons were worshipped as gods throughout the world, and
its particular group formed the ancient Greek pantheon. Recently, worship and interest in the
Greek gods has declined, and the Setaasons were curious as to whether inhabiting the forms
worshipped by ancient peoples thousands of years ago would inspire a revival of their worship.
The Doctor explains that the time for the worship of ancient gods is long gone, and the Earth has
moved into a different era where they no longer have a place. However, feeling sympathy for the
Setaasons, the Doctor agrees to take them to a place where they will be able to make a home.
The Doctor takes the orb to the TARDIS, where the Setaason calls the others of its kind.
Hundreds of floating orbs of light, in various sizes, appear in the TARDIS, filling it with a
radiant display of lights. The Doctor fires up the TARDIS, and they emerge on an empty, barren
planet devoid of life. The planet is in ruins, with fallen buildings and statues lying everywhere.
The Doctor explains that a terrible accident rendered this planet unlivable to most beings, but
because the Setaasons are non-corporeal, they will be able to survive here, taking the forms of
the statues. The orbs begin to exit the TARDIS, coming onto the surface of the new planet and
filling it with light. The episode ends, with a shot of the Doctor and Rose looking out on the
newly-occupied planet.

Figure 1: The Frieze of the Athena Nike Temple in the Acropolis Museum. Athens, Greece.
The east frieze of the temple of Athena Nike, located in Athens, Greece, depicts a gathering of
various gods and goddesses.4 Some of these figures can be identified, including the figures of
Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite.5 Of the fourteen sections that originally formed the frieze of the
temple, some remain with the Acropolis Museum in Athens, while others are located in the
British Museum.6 The frieze was constructed with the temple in around 420 BCE.6

Pemberton, Elizabeth G. "The East and West Friezes of the Temple of Athena Nike." American
Journal of Archaeology 76.3 (1972): 303-10. Print.
4

Harrison, Evelyn B. "Notes on the Nike Temple Frieze." American Journal of Archaeology
74.4 (1970): 317-23. Print.
5

"Home | Acropolis Museum." Home | Acropolis Museum. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.

<http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en>
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Figure 2: Athena with an Owl

This figure is small, about 14.5 inches tall, and made of bronze. It was created in the Classical
period, around 450 BCE.7 Created by a Greek artist in Greece, this figure depicts a gentler
Athena than usually portrayed. She carries an owl delicately in one hand, a symbol of her status
as goddess of wisdom, and is draped in a simple garment rather than her full armor.8 Though this
statue forgoes the fully-armored depiction of Athena, she does wear a helmet with a sphinx
affixed to the top. The figure is located at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>

Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.
7

Sissa, Giulia, and Marcel Detienne. The Daily Life of the Greek Gods. Stanford: Stanford UP,
2000. Print.
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Figure 3: Athena
This figure is relatively small, about 6 3/4 inches in height. It is a Roman bronze copy of the
Greek original, the original having been created in the 5th century BCE.9 The statue is known to
be of a type known as Giustiniani. Here, Athena is fully clad in her armor, ready to go into
battle.10 Her arm is raised, and she wears a helmet on her head. The figure is located at the
Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>

Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.
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10

Nilsson, Martin P. Greek Popular Religion. New York: Columbia UP, 1940. Print.

Figure 4: Aphrodite
This figure was sculpted in around 330 BCE, made from bronze. It is about 5 3/4 inches in
height, a relatively small piece.11 The piece is a Greek figure of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
She is depicted nude, as is often the depiction of this goddess of desire.12 As the goddess of
beauty, her form is depicted as elegant and pleasing to look at.13 This figure is located in the
Walters Art Museum in Baltimore

.
"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>
Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.
11

12

Rose, H. J., M.A. A Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1929. Print.

Farnsworth, Charles H. "The Judgment of Paris: Or The Worth of Beauty." The Musical
Quarterly 1.2 (1915): 162-68.
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Figure 5: Black-Figure Pseudo-Panathenaic Amphora

This amphora is a Greek creation, made in around 500 BCE by a
Greek artist. The material used to create this vase is terracotta, a form
of ceramics. It is approximately 17.5 inches tall, and originated in
Athens, Greece.14 The figure on the vase is the goddess Athena,
bearing her shield and holding a spear aloft, ready to throw. This
depicts Athena as the goddess of war, one of her many facets in
addition of the goddess of wisdom and crafts.15 The Panathenaic
festival was held every year in dedication to the goddess Athena in
Athens, Greece.16 The vase is located in the Walters Art Museum in
Baltimore.

Bibliography
Pemberton, Elizabeth G. "The East and West Friezes of the Temple of Athena Nike." American
Journal of Archaeology 76.3 (1972): 303-10. Print.

"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx>

Last Accessed: 18 November 2014.
14

15

Vermaseren, Maarten J. "The New Mithraic Temple in London." Numen 2.1/2 (1955): 139-

45.

Waldstein, Charles. "The Panathenaic Festival and the Central Slab of the Parthenon Frieze."
The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts 1.1 (1885): 10-17.
Web.
16

Harrison, Evelyn B. "Notes on the Nike Temple Frieze." American Journal of Archaeology 74.4
(1970): 317-23. Print.
"The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum. <http://thewalters.org/default.aspx> Last
Accessed: 18 November 2014.
Sissa, Giulia, and Marcel Detienne. The Daily Life of the Greek Gods. Stanford: Stanford UP,
2000. Print.
Nilsson, Martin P. Greek Popular Religion. New York: Columbia UP, 1940. Print.
Rose, H. J., M.A. A Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1929. Print.
Waldstein, Charles. "The Panathenaic Festival and the Central Slab of the Parthenon Frieze."
The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts 1.1 (1885): 1017. Web.
"Home | Acropolis Museum." Home | Acropolis Museum. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en>
Vermaseren, Maarten J. "The New Mithraic Temple in London." Numen 2.1/2 (1955): 139-45.
Farnsworth, Charles H. "The Judgment of Paris: Or The Worth of Beauty." The Musical
Quarterly 1.2 (1915): 162-68.
Figure 1 image obtained from "Home | Acropolis Museum." Home | Acropolis Museum. Web. 18
Nov. 2014.

<http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en>

Figures 2-5 images obtained from "The Walters Art Museum." The Walters Art Museum.
<http://thewalters.org/default.aspx> Last

Accessed: 18 November 2014.

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Term Project Option 3: Art Historical Fiction: Greek Goddesses from 500-300 BCE

Summer Kraft

Art 220- Survey of Western Art from Prehistory through the Middle Ages
Dr. Adam Rudolphi
11/19/2014
Word Count: 1587

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Materials List

Figure 1: The Frieze of the Athena Nike Temple

Figure 2: Athena with an Owl
Figure 3: Athena
Figure 4: Aphrodite
Figure 5: Black-Figure Pseudo-Panathenaic Amphora