Mighty Zeus guards the entrance, welcoming visitors to his domain.
The powerful god is one of the first things people see as they enter the mythology portion of “Treasures of Ancient Greece,” the newest exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. All around the outstretched arm of the statue are displays and items related to the Olympians: Athena, Poseidon, Herakles — better known from Roman mythology as Hercules — and others.
They are depicted on vases, marble relics, bronze statues and other priceless items from antiquity.
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The mythical deities are just part of the museum’s deep immersion into Greek culture, both past and present. “Treasures of Ancient Greece” tells the story of one of civilization’s most important contributors, delving into the Greek people’s roles in civics, fashion, sports, philosophy and other areas.
Coinciding with the exhibition’s opening is another feature at the museum, “Take Me There: Greece,” which focuses on the modern nation and its food, art, music, dance, dress and other aspects.
Together, museum officials hope that people better understand how a culture from more than 5,000 miles away impacts their everyday lives.
“This is about how the Ancient Greeks lived and what was important to them, and how that connects to where we are today. In each of these, we’re drawing those lines between the different dots,” Monica Humphrey, exhibits manager for the museum. “Seeing pictures of these things is really cool, but it was overwhelming to actually see this in person. That’s the power of having the objects here.”
One of the exhibition’s most fascinating pieces is separated into its own room. Visitors walk into the glass-enclosed space, where shimmering blue lights make it appear that you’re underwater. In a protective case at the center is what looks like a weathered, sea-eroded piece of gear. This is a duplicate of part of the Antikythera Mechanism, a machine is believed to be the first analog computer in the world.
The machine was used by the ancient Greeks to calculate the movement of celestial bodies and dates when certain planets or stars would arrive.
“It will help families understand how a civilization from long ago predicted eclipses of the sun and moon in relation to big events like the ancient Olympics,” said Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
The actual mechanism was recovered from a shipwreck near the island of Antikythera in the early 1900s. Excavation of the site continues to yield exciting discoveries.
“Even today we have excavations in the same area of the shipwreck of the Antikythera because it was found in the shipwreck with other objects and with many statues. We’re waiting for more results with this shipwreck and what was together with the Antikythera Mechanism,” said Maria Vlazaki, secretary general of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport.
The mechanism and other priceless artifacts have made their way to Indiana through the museum’s partnership with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Greek department that oversees the country’s cultural treasures. The museum was able to access more than 150 artifacts, from statues to busts to spearpoints and weapons, many of which have never been seen in the U.S. before.
For the museum, the opportunity to showcase these artifacts was an excellent opportunity, particularly with the planned Take Me There: Greece exhibit opening as well, Humphrey said.
“The ‘Take Me There’ series is really near and dear to our hearts and our mission, bringing the world to Indianapolis and really talking about how other people’s daily lives mirror ours and are different, so we can understand that, respect it and embrace it,” she said. “When we open those exhibitions, we really want to be sure we’re talking about the breadth of a country and culture, so that’s why we look for an ancient companion exhibit.”
“Treasures of Ancient Greece” spans two full museum galleries, with one portion devoted to mythology and another dedicated to other aspects of Greek culture. Guests can learn about sports, beauty, civics, philosophy and daily life.
Interactive stations allow them to run in the Olympics, or vote in the Athenian Assembly, the central institution of democracy in the city.
One station asks you to read quotes from the trio of famous philosophers: Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. You can choose which one most closely matches your own personal beliefs, and then a digital photo of yourself is imposed on a marble bust of that philosopher.
“We want to speak to different types of learning, different interests. We want to have something for everyone who comes in here, regardless of how they like to learn and what they like to see,” Humphrey said. “We want to connect to our visitors in many different ways and get them excited about this.”
Statues of the goddesses Artemis and Dionysos, carved marble relief panels and a massive floor mosaic of Aphrodite from about 1,800 years ago speak to the skill and creativity of ancient artists.
“We organized it in a way that we thought would be fun, and show connectivity between our lives today to Ancient Greece,” Humphrey said. “So much of what we do today stems from that time period.”
After immersing yourself in the world of the Ancient Greek’s, visitors can walk to the nearby gallery housing Take Me There: Greece. Stepping through the gallery doors, people are taken through a replica airliner and displays showcasing the popular tourist areas of the country: Crete, Thessaloniki, Santorini and Ioannina.
The exhibit recreates a Grecian town square, called a plateia, with a newsstand, tavern, outdoor cafe and bakery. A cultural area displays Greek dance, dress and artwork. Visitors can strum the guitar-like bouzouki or practice your dance steps with an interactive video display.
Other areas of the exhibit focus on olive oil production, fish markets and the Orthodox Christian church, which a vast majority of the country belongs to. A special portion is dedicated to the conservation organization Archelon and its mission to save sea turtles.
“It’s hard for us to travel to a place like Greece, or the other places we’ve represented in the past. We want to make sure we’re bringing authentic experiences here. That means objects, and recreating a space that’s authentic, that you’d see there,” Humphrey said. “You’re not a tourist, you’re part of the action.”
“Treasures of Ancient Greece” is on display through Jan. 5, 2020, while “Take Me There: Greece” will be available to guests for the next three years.
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"Treasures of Ancient Greece"
What: A new exhibition looking at the contributions of Ancient Greece and how those contributions impact our lives today.
Where: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 N. Meridian St.
When: Through Jan. 5, 2020
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Admission: $7 for adults, $4.50 for seniors 60 and older, $4 for youth ages 2-17. Kids under 2 free. The admission is on top of museum admission, which varies depending on the day.
Information and tickets: childrensmuseum.org
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