The Greeks, the Near East, and Art during the Orientalizing Period

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of the Near East, specifically the Phoenicians, during the Orientalizing Period in ancient Greece that began in the 7th century BCE. The influence of the Near East was one of the greatest catalysts in changing the Greek world During this time, the Greeks experienced changes in art, the development of a writing system, changes in the systems of trade, the founding of settlements far away from the Greek mainland, changes in architecture, and works of Homer were written down, (from which we have learned much about the daily life and history of this period). Our knowledge of the Orientalizing Period is constantly developing through new archaeological finds and these finds and the surrounding history is described thoroughly in a plethora of documents. Although the information can be overwhelming due to this mass amount of research, this paper will specifically be presenting the change in designs, motifs, subject matter, and depictions of the gods in Greek art as evident on pottery, metalworking, sculpture, and ivory carving