Down from Olympus

by Suzanne L. Marchand

Since the publication of Eliza May Butler's Tyranny of Greece over Germany in 1935, the obsession of the German educated elite with the ancient Greeks has become an accepted, if severely underanalyzed, cliché. In Down from Olympus , Suzanne Marchand attempts to come to grips with German Graecophilia, not as a private passion but as an institutionally generated and preserved cultural trope. The book argues that nineteenth-century philhellenes inherited both an elitist, normative aesthetics and an ascetic, scholarly ethos from their Romantic predecessors; German "neohumanists" promised to reconcile these intellectual commitments, and by so doing, to revitalize education and the arts. Focusing on the history of classical archaeology, Marchand shows how the injunction to imitate Greek art was made the basis for new, state-funded cultural institutions. Tracing interactions between scholars and policymakers that made possible grand-scale cultural feats like the acquisition of the Pergamum Altar, she underscores both the gains in specialized knowledge and the failures in social responsibility that were the distinctive products of German neohumanism.

This book discusses intellectual and institutional aspects of archaeology and philhellenism, giving extensive treatment to the history of prehistorical archaeology and German "orientalism." Marchand traces the history of the study, excavation, and exhibition of Greek art as a means to confront the social, cultural, and political consequences of the specialization of scholarship in the last two centuries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

424 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 1996

Reviews

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suzanne L. Marchand’s Down from Olympus: Archaeology and Philhellenism in Germany, 1750–1970 (1996) offers a compelling exploration of the relationship between German classical scholarship, archaeology, and national identity. In this meticulously researched study, Marchand examines how German intellectuals and archaeologists constructed an idealized vision of ancient Greece and how this philhellenism influenced German cultural and political life from the Enlightenment to the Cold War. By tracing the evolution of German engagement with classical antiquity, she reveals how archaeology served as both a scholarly pursuit and a tool for national prestige.


Marchand structures her analysis chronologically, beginning with the emergence of philhellenism in the 18th century. She examines how German scholars, influenced by thinkers such as Johann Joachim Winckelmann, elevated ancient Greece as a model of aesthetic and intellectual perfection. This admiration for Greece shaped the development of classical archaeology in Germany, leading to significant state-sponsored excavations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Marchand highlights the ways in which archaeological discoveries, particularly in sites like Olympia and Pergamon, reinforced nationalist sentiments and contributed to Germany’s self-image as a successor to the cultural achievements of antiquity.


A key strength of Down from Olympus is its interdisciplinary approach. Marchand skillfully integrates intellectual history, cultural studies, and political analysis to demonstrate how philhellenism was not merely an academic fascination but also a means of articulating German identity. She critically examines the ideological implications of classical scholarship, particularly in the context of German imperialism and the nationalist movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book also addresses the darker aspects of this legacy, including the appropriation of classical antiquity by the Nazi regime and the subsequent reevaluation of classical studies in postwar Germany.


Despite its many strengths, the book has some limitations. While Marchand provides a rich historical narrative, some readers may find that her emphasis on intellectual elites overlooks the broader societal reception of classical antiquity in Germany. Additionally, her focus on German classical archaeology, while comprehensive, leaves room for further comparative analysis with other European traditions of philhellenism.


Overall, Down from Olympus is a significant contribution to the study of classical reception and the cultural history of modern Germany. Marchand’s work offers a nuanced and critical perspective on how archaeology and classical scholarship were entangled with national identity, imperial ambitions, and political ideologies. This book is essential reading for scholars of intellectual history, archaeology, and German studies, as well as for those interested in the broader intersections of classical antiquity and modern nationalism.

GPT