During the Archaic period western Asia Minor experienced a magnificent flourishing of art and culture. In poetry and writing, sculpture and philosophy great works were created and in architecture the greatest temples of the Greek world were constructed in Ephesos, Samos and in Miletos (Didyma). It is often said that the pre-socratic philosophers, most of whom belonged to this cultural sphere, laid the foundation for later natural science, as they tried to explain the phenomena of the physical world not by mythology but by rational thought. This Archaic, “Ionian Enlighthenment” no doubt contributed substantially to the development of Classical civilization.
This flourishing paradoxically happened at a time, when most of these Greek cities were to some extent dependent on the empires of Lydia and Persia. Following the Persian wars 499-479 BC western Asia Minor was liberated from Persian supremacy for about a century and instead came under the influence of Athens. In most parts of western Asia Minor this seems to have been a time with far less economical activity and almost no monumental architecture of Ionia can be dated to the 5th century, - the time when democratic Athens experienced its greatest flowering.
Economy apparently improved when Western Asia Minor again came under Persian control after the “King’s Peace” in 386/87 BC. A new cultural revival immediately began which in many respects was a revival of the slumbering Ionian Enlightenment and it is therefore often called “The Ionian Renaissance”.
As pointed out by Anton Bammer (1972, pp 34ff) the first major project of the Ionian Renaissance seem to have been the construction of the Maussolleion at Halikarnassos. This tomb was clearly an integrated part of the overall plans for a re-foundation of Halikarnassos by the Persian governor or satrap Maussollos, who had decided to make Halikarnassos the capital of his newly established Persian satrapy of Karia. Maussollos wanted to make his new capital a well-fortified and secure place, where he could live comfortably and organize his political ambitions for interfering in the Greek world on behalf of the Persian Great King. To embellish the city with monumental buildings and art he invited leading artist, architects and philosophers from the Greek world to his court.
Although Halikarnassos may have been the first really big project of the Ionian Renaissance, this was nevertheless a general flourishing that spread quickly to entire western Asia Minor and not only the tomb of Maussollos in Halikarnassos, but also the newly re-built temple of Artemis at Ephesos became famous and numbered among the Seven Wonders of the World.
While the Ionian Renaissance may be said to have begun about 386 BC it is not possible to say when it ended. The ideas and styles of the Ionian Renaissance developed and continued into the Hellenistic period and were not particularly influenced by Alexander’s conquest of Western Asia Minor in 334 BC and then of the entire Persian Empire. Hellenistic Alexandria no doubt drew substantially from the culture of 4th century BC Asia Minor in art and architecture, and it was for instance people from this area that constituted important sources of inspiration for Kallimachos and Euclid.
Poul Pedersen
Literature
F. Noack, Die Baukunst des Altertums (1910).
A. Bammer, Die Architektur des jüngeren Artemisions (1972).
J. Isager (ed); Hekatomnid Karia and the Ionian Renaissance. Halicarnassian Studies vol. I. Odense 1994.
P. Pedersen, “The Ionian Renaissance and some aspects of its origin within the field of architecture and planning” in: J. Isager (ed); "Hekatomnid Karia and the Ionian Renaissance". Halicarnassian Studies vol. I Odense 1994 p. 11-35.
P. Pedersen, “Reflections on the Ionian Renaissance in Greek Architecture and its Historical Background” in: Hephaistos 19/20, 2001/2002 97-130.
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I. Jenkins; Greek Architecture and its Sculpture in the British Museum. London 2006 (p. 14-25: Chapter One, “Enlightenment and Renaissance”).
P. Pedersen, “The Ionian Renaissance and Alexandria – seen from the Perspective of a Karian-Ionian lewis hole” in: Karlsson, L. & Carlsson, S. (eds), Labraunda and Karia, Proceedings of the International Symposium commemorating Sixty Years of Swedish Archaeological work in Labraunda. The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities Stockholm, November 20-21, 2008. Uppsala Universitet (2011) p. 364-388.
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In Danish language
P. Pedersen, ”Olympia og Den ioniske Renæssance”. Kronik i; Beretning 2007-2008. Det Danske Institut i Athen (2009) s. 75-95.
P. Pedersen, ”Den ioniske Renaissance.” LOGOS – Tema Ionien. Klassikerforeningens medlemsblad. No. 2. 2020, 8-20.