Reading Greek Vases

Repetition and symmetry are the fundamental aesthetic principles underlying the shape and decoration of ancient Athenian vases. This book is the first comprehensive study of the role of repetition beyond its aesthetic value, and as part of a code that conveys meaning to the viewer. Relying on the theoretical background provided through information theory and narratology, Ann Steiner uncovers the different kinds of meaning that painters created through the use of repetition. Using the reading of painted verbal inscriptions as a springboard, she demonstrates how repetition of imagery in multiple fields of a vase can create narration, paradigm, exploration of perceptual and ideological points of view, and parody. Steiner shows how the results of repetition on Archaic Athenian vases reiterate the activities of the elite symposion and the broader cultural values of the elite Athenians. She provides an entirely new way to read ancient Athenian vases.

Review: "This book presents a convincing argument for the multivalency of repetition among scenes on a single vase. Such repetition is normally ignored, considered incidental to other meaning, or overlooked altogether on the grounds that it is insignificant to narrative. Steiner has made a sound case for the relevancy of even small redundancies and for the interconnectedness of individual scenes on a vase." - Kathleen M. Lynch, University of Cincinnati