Trapeza (table)
The ancient Greeks called their tables a trapeza ( ancient Greek τράπεζα " four- footed ", plural τραπ Griechenαι trapezai ) .
For the Greeks, tables were of a different, less valued importance than they are today. Nevertheless, they were used in various contexts in everyday life. In the private sector they were used as a location for food while eating or for game boards, in the sacred area they were used as sacrificial tables to hold offerings to the gods, see Trapeza . Sometimes statues were placed on them. During the symposiumAt the beginning of the festivities, small tables were placed in front of the individual participants and the food was served on them. After the meal, the tables were cleared away and the symposium continued without them or the tables were included in their performance by dancers and acrobats. Since the tables were mostly low, they could easily be pushed under the clinics .
In archeology, five basic forms of Greek tables are distinguished. They were created from different materials. There were tables with three and four feet, the term trapeza , " four- legged", was used for both forms. In contrast, the term tripus ( ancient Greek τρίπους , " tripod ") was used for tables with three and four legs. Constructions were also possible with just a single foot under the middle of the plate, with legs in an inverted T-shape or with two lateral plates instead of the legs. The table top could be rectangular or round. While the top was mostly made of wood and removable, the feet were often made of more noble materials such as precious wood, metal (bronze, silver, gold), ivory or marble. The plate was also often covered with bronze. In many cases the tables were transportable. The feet were often in the shape of animals (lions, deer). The legs were also often heavily decorated. Solid, non-transportable marble tables were produced for use outside of buildings.
Solid marble trapezai had been in use as offering tables for a long time, for example in ancient Athens, next to representative tombs. According to a law of Demetrios of Phaleron , the ruler of the city between 317 and 307 BC. In addition to kioniskoi or vessels, they were the only permitted grave decorations. Size and shape were limited. Since Demetrios sent officials to check and imposed high penalties for violations, the law was largely observed. They were almost always made of Hymettic marble . The painting on the trapezai is rarely preserved. The only adornment besides the painting were generally inscriptions .
literature
- Walter Hatto Gross : Cafeteria. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, Col. 1224 f.
- Rolf Hurschmann : Table. In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 12/1, Metzler, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-476-01482-7 , column 620 f.
- Jutta Stroszeck : The Kerameikos in Athens. History, buildings and monuments in the archaeological park. Bibliopolis, Athens 2014, ISBN 978-3-943741-04-9 , pp. 150–151.
