Archaeological Museum
This is one of Greece’s largest archaeological collections, not surprising as Samos was a major power player in the Aegean from as early as the 7th century b.c. Early Samarians traded cities on the Black Sea and with Egypt, dug elaborate tunnels and built magnificent sanctuaries to the gods. They also cultivated the wines for which Samos is still famous. From the Heraion, a sanctuary devoted to the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus , comes one of six monumental kouroi, statues of naked youths that flanked the roadway leading to a massive temple. Towering more than 5m (16 ft.), the gray-and-white marble kouros is the largest free-standing statue from ancient Greece to survive intact. Other statuary from the Heraion includes the Genolos Group, named for the sculptor who inscribed his name on the bases of his pieces. The marbles depict a family—a reclining patriarch, his seated wife, a boy playing the pipes, and three girls poised to sing. The family seems to be showing its devotion and eagerness to pay tribute to the goddess, but the marbles may also be a bit of ostentation—ancient one-upmanship flaunting the wealth required to commission such a pricey offering. The museum is set just beyond Vathy’s waterside municipal gardens.
This is one of Greece’s largest archaeological collections, not surprising as Samos was a major power player in the Aegean from as early as the 7th century b.c. Early Samarians traded cities on the Black Sea and with Egypt, dug elaborate tunnels and built magnificent sanctuaries to the gods. They also cultivated the wines for which Samos is still famous. From the Heraion, a sanctuary devoted to the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus , comes one of six monumental kouroi, statues of naked youths that flanked the roadway leading to a massive temple. Towering more than 5m (16 ft.), the gray-and-white marble kouros is the largest free-standing statue from ancient Greece to survive intact. Other statuary from the Heraion includes the Genolos Group, named for the sculptor who inscribed his name on the bases of his pieces. The marbles depict a family—a reclining patriarch, his seated wife, a boy playing the pipes, and three girls poised to sing. The family seems to be showing its devotion and eagerness to pay tribute to the goddess, but the marbles may also be a bit of ostentation—ancient one-upmanship flaunting the wealth required to commission such a pricey offering. The museum is set just beyond Vathy’s waterside municipal gardens.
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