References to Athenian culture were often used by artists, and may be seen in the style of the figures on the body of the Derveni Krater, to emphasize Macedonia’s connection to the intellectual and artistic values of the Athenian elite. Artists working for Macedonian patrons were exposed to new motifs, techniques, and styles, which were then integrated to form a new elite aesthetic. Thus the Derveni Krater grants the viewer a window into the growing Macedonian empire and the cross-cultural exchange that was occurring as different peoples came in contact with each other through the development of an international trade market. Although some scholars claim that this vessel is Athenian1, a closer examination shows an amalgamation of several distinct styles from different corners of the Greek world.

It is in this period of change that the Derveni Krater, a large bronze vessel, was created for a member of the Macedonian elite. The movement of social and political capital away from Attica encouraged artists to seek commissions outside of mainland Greece and may have promoted the transfer of entire workshops to the newly wealthy lands of the Macedonian kings. The previously dominant artistic power, the city of Athens, was in decline after a debilitating loss in the Peloponnesian war left it impoverished and socially unstable. During this period, artists came into contact with a wide variety of styles and integrated different facets of distinct artistic methods and forms into their artworks. At this time, the unstable system of warring poleis attained a new level of stability that increased the ease with which merchants and artists could travel between commercial centers.

In the fourth century, the kingdom of Macedonia was rapidly expanding as Philip II and later his son Alexander the Great used both diplomacy and new military strategies to transform the Greek world from a series of separate city-states into a single entity controlled by one ruler.

The Derveni Krater: Artistic Internationalization in Fourth-century B.C.E.

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