classicus

This is the period when Greek art perfected its harmonious and ideal forms, from around the time Pericles took control of government in Athens to around the year of Alexander the Great's death. The term “classic” derives from the Latin classicus (meaning “of the highest class” or “exemplary”; classicus was originally the adjectival form of classici, the highest class in the classis [the class divisions of Roman citizens], whose meaning was repurposed). This period is generally divided into the High Classical period in the second half of the 5th century BC (“sublime style”) and the Late Classical period in the 4th century BC (“graceful style”) (this division and naming are by Winckelmann).

ギリシア美術がその調和的･理想的形式を完成させた時代で，ペリクレスがアテナイの政権を手中に収めた頃からアレクサンドロス大王の没年ころまでをいう。クラシックclassicの呼名はラテン語のクラシクスclassicus(〈最上級の〉〈模範的な〉の意)から由来する(クラシクスは本来，クラシスclassis(ローマ市民の階級区分)における最上級層クラシキclassiciの形容詞形で，語意が転用されたもの)。この時代は一般には前5世紀後半の盛期クラシック(〈崇高な様式〉)と前4世紀の後期クラシック(〈優美な様式〉)とに区別される(この区別と命名はウィンケルマンによる)。