Facing Fear: Exploring the Representation of Fear in Athenian Vase-painting from the 7th – 4th centuries BC

Abstract

Although emotions, particularly fear, have biological foundations, they are by no means entirely universal and are significantly shaped by the surrounding cultural and social contexts where they are expressed. This thesis is primarily a qualitative and iconographic study of the expression of emotion, specifically fear, in ancient Athenian vase-painting during the 7th – 4th centuries BC. It uses multiple systems of inquiry drawn from classical historical analysis, art history and anthropology to achieve an extensive understanding of the relationship between emotion, materiality and the cultural framework these images operated within. This thesis analyses the use of gesture, posture and facial expressions in visual imagery, to explain how and why fear was represented. By examining specific topographies of fear, such as the realm of mythical and monstrous creatures as well as settings of warfare and human violence, this thesis demonstrates the role of fear-filled imagery in sharing and reinforcing ideas about culture, gender and status within Athenian society.