The Archaic Korai from the Athenian Akropolis: A Reexamination of the Material Evidence

Marble statues of standing draped maidens, or korai, were dedicated on the Athenian Akropolis for nearly a century in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C.E. The mystery of their identity has drawn many scholars to study various aspects of their visual characteristics. In the early part of the 20th century, the main focus was on stylistic and chronological considerations. Some studies also examined their iconographical possibilities. In the last 20 years or so, the korai have been the subject of many new publications, ranging from an update of Richter's work on the korai to arguing that the korai were portraits of actual Greek maidens. Studies furthering previously suggested identifications for the korai have also been taken up again. And recently, investigations of the social and political implications as well as the religious function of these statues have been carried out. Despite these new contributions, questions still remain, and a thorough reappraisal of the Akropolis korai that closely examines the sculpture for evidence and at the same time incorporates new work would still be useful. The comprehensive treatments of the korai from the Akropolis are over eighty years old, and so it seems that a new appraisal of the evidence and a reconsideration of the material in light of more recent discoveries and studies are needed. The aim of this dissertation is to re-examine the korai and the material related to them, and to bring the discussion about the various issues associated with the Akropolis korai up to date, including their function, meaning, and identity.