自然的探索與利用：古希臘陶器的裝飾技術（西元前530年到前300年）

Exploring and Employing the Nature: Techniques of Decoration in Ancient Greek Vases, c. 530 - 300 BCE

西元前530-300年的古希臘正處於文化興盛的高峰，也是希臘陶器的紅色人物風格盛行的年代，當時也有黑色人物風格、白底的陶器等其他的類型，無論是材料或是製作的技術都達到相當高的水準。這段期間陶器的成就很可能與前古典時期專制僭主鼓勵外邦工匠、藝術家移入有關。此外，在二次波斯戰爭結束之後，雅典成為希臘最強大的城邦之一，也吸引眾多外邦人移居雅典，其中包含許多優秀的工匠，他們對於陶器的成就很可能有重要的貢獻。雅典及希臘其他地區的陶器工匠能夠選擇合適的陶土、黑泥陶衣及其他的色料，展現了對於自然環境中的礦物的理解。希臘陶器在二千五百年以後仍然能保持原貌，實因希臘人能夠掌握自然環境中的資源、並且能發展出妥適的技術將不同的材料結合。

Ancient Greek civilization was in its prime between 530 and 300 BCE. Among the achievements is its pottery, including the styles of red-figure, black-figure and white-ground vases. The pottery was made with fine materials, and the technique of production was in a high standard. This could be partially contributed by foreign craftsmen. Since the archaic period, tyrants encouraged foreign skilled workers to immigrate into their city-states, and more were attracted into Athens after the two Persian Wars, when the city-state became one of the most powerful. Athenian pottery workers and those from other regions of Greece were able to find suitable clay, and raw materials of black gloss and other pigments in their environment. This shows their understanding of various minerals in the nature. Greek pottery is usually in a good condition after about two thousand and five hundred years, and this is due to the fact that the Greek craftsmen could recognize and distinguish different natural sources for their use, and that they developed proper techniques to combine them.