1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. Consider it a double feature. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: Enjoy the show. Welcome to this day in History class, 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: where history waits for no one. The day was April. 5 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: A farmer named your Ghost Controdas was digging through the 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: ruins of an ancient city on the Aegean island of Milos, 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,959 Speaker 1: which was then known as Melos. As he was removing 8 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: the stones from a wall, he began and covering a 9 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: sculpture an insign in the French navy name Olivier. Boutier 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: was on the island looking for antiquities when he saw 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: the farmer. The farmer was looking for stones for a 12 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: structure he was building, so he took no interest in 13 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: the statue. He just covered it with dirt. But Boutier, 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,319 Speaker 1: on the hunt for relics, paid the farmer to dig 15 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: up the statue. First, the farmer uncovered the top half 16 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: of the sculpture, the new torso and head of a woman. 17 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: After more digging, he unearthed the lower half of the statue, 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: then a middle section that was missing. Piece together, it 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: was a woman standing with her weight shifted into one 20 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: hip cloth draped around her hips and legs slightly larger 21 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: than life size. The farmer also found a hand holding 22 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: an apple, a piece of an arm, and two herms, 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: which are sculptures with a pillar on the bottom and 24 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: a bust or head and torso of a person on top. 25 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: Mutier drew the pieces of the statue the farmer had found. 26 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: He tried to get a French vice consul and his 27 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: captain to buy the statue, but to no avail. That's 28 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: the story that's generally thought to be true, although there 29 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: are some conflicting accounts of the sculpture's discovery. Author and 30 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: editor Paul Carris claimed a peasant named Yourgos Botonis and 31 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: his son Antonio found the statue in two pieces and 32 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: several other marble fragments in February of eighteen twenty. But 33 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: eventually French and Greek authorities reached an agreement where in 34 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: the French food pay one thousand francs for the statue. 35 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: The Marquis de Riviere, the French ambassador to the Ottoman Turks, 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: approved the purchase. After traveling around the Mediterranean see the 37 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: statute got to Paris in February of one and in 38 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: March it was presented to King Louis the eighteenth, who 39 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: soon donated it to the Louver. At first, the French 40 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: believed the sculpture to be from the Classical period of 41 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: Greek art from the fifth and fourth centuries BC, and 42 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: the classical work was exactly what the Loup wanted, But 43 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: a base found near the statue attributed the sculpture to 44 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: Alexandro's son of Mendis, citizen of Antioch. Of Mander, the 45 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: Greek city of Antioch wasn't found until after the Classical age, 46 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: meaning the statue had to be from the Hellenistic period, 47 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: an artistic age that wasn't looked upon as favorably as 48 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: the Classical, So the director of the Loups said the 49 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: base was not part of the sculpture. He convinced a 50 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: scholar to write a paper in eighteen twenty one saying 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,399 Speaker 1: that the sculpture came out of the school of Praxidils, 52 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: a renowned Greek sculptor from the fourth century BC. That 53 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: was the official assertion for more than a century. During 54 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: that century, Venus was presented as a classical marble, and 55 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: generally people soaked that up. Stay for some critics who 56 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: dismissed the sculpture's value. French scholars went up against German 57 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: scholars who said that the statue was Hellenistic and that 58 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: it was rightfully Germany's because it was found on land 59 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: owned by Crown Prince Ludwig the First of Bavaria. But 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty one the Lubs conservator of Greek Enroman 61 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: antiquities acknowledged the Hellenistic dating of Venus de Milo. It's 62 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: now believed that Alexandros of Antioch created Venus de Milo 63 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: between one even one b C. What actually happened to 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: the base in question, whether it was destroyed or hidden, 65 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: is a mystery. Today, the Grecian statue we mistakenly call 66 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: Venus de Milo, Venus's Greek name is Aphrodite, still lives 67 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: in the Lube in Paris, and Hellenistic art is now 68 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: viewed positively. The well known marble sculpture is now considered 69 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: a masterpiece in the art world, but it went through 70 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: a pretty long journey to get there. I'm Eve Jeff Coo, 71 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 72 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. A couple of notes here about 73 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: the Venus de Milo. Some people think she might actually 74 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: be the sea Goddess and for tried e and also 75 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: the fact that her arms are missing has led many 76 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: people to speculate on what she was doing with her 77 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: arms when she had them. If there's something that I 78 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: missed in an episode, you can share it with everybody 79 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: else on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at t d i 80 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: HC podcast. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll 81 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: see you again tomorrow. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and you're 82 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: listening to This Day in History Class, a podcast for 83 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: people interested in the big and small moments in history. 84 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: The day was April eighth, nineteen o five. Anti apartheid 85 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: activist Helen Joseph was born. Helen was born Helen Beatrice 86 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: May Finnel in Sussex, England. She grew up in London, 87 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: where she began attending King's College of the University of London. 88 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: She majored in English and got her bachelor's degree in 89 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: nine Helen then moved to India to teach at a 90 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: school for girls and Hydera bod She taught there for 91 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: a few years before she moved to Durban, South Africa 92 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: in ninety one. There she met and married a dentist 93 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: named Billy Joseph, who was seventeen years older than her. 94 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: Helen lived the life of a socialite, mixing with the 95 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: white upper middle class, but by the time World War 96 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: Two started in nineteen thirty nine, the couple had grown apart. 97 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 1: During World War Two, Helen served as an information and 98 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: welfare officer and the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Through her work, 99 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: she became more aware of social and political issues in 100 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: South Africa. She saw that black people were being dispossessed 101 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: and how they were being discriminated against in areas like 102 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: housing and education. After the war, Helen began directing community 103 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: health centers in Johannesburg and Cape Town. She helped found 104 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: the Congress of Democrats, which was the white wing of 105 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: the African National Congress. In nineteen fifty one, she took 106 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: a job as secretary director of the Medical Aid Fund 107 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: of the Garment Workers Union and the Transpaal Province. At 108 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: the time, Sally Sachs was the head of the Garment 109 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: Workers Union. Sachs had a big influence on Helen. Helen 110 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: became more opposed to apartheid and exposed to left wing politics. 111 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty four, she helped organize a Conference for 112 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: the Federation of South African Women, which she later became 113 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: secretary of. In nineteen fifty five, she was one of 114 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: the people who read out clauses of the Freedom Charter 115 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: at the Congress of the People held at Clipfontine. The 116 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: Freedom Charter was a statement that laid out a vision 117 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: for a united and democratic South Africa. The next year, 118 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: Helen helped lead a march to the Union Buildings in 119 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: Pretoria to protest past laws, which were laws that required 120 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: non white people to carry documents that authorized their presence 121 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: and restricted areas. Helen's opposition did lead to her persecution, 122 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: as she was arrested for high treason in nineteen fifty 123 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: six and later banned. She was acquitted years later, but 124 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two she was still prohibited from getting 125 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: visitors on weekends or nights, or socializing with more than 126 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: one person at once. Helen was put under house arrest 127 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: and she faced assassination attempts over the years. Meanwhile, the 128 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: apartheid government was still squashing other opponents. It banned the 129 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: Congress of Democrats, and it passed the Sabotage Act, which 130 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: broadened the definition of sabotage anti apartheid leader Nelson Mandela 131 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: was arrested and imprisoned, but anti apartheid activity continued, and 132 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: Helen continued to be a part of that resistance. She 133 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: became a sponsor of the United Democratic Front, which served 134 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: as the legal internal wing of the banned African National Congress. 135 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: In the last years of Helen's life, some reforms had 136 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: begun to take place. Mandela was released from prison in 137 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety, racial restrictions in public places were lifted. Helen 138 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: died in Johannesburg in December of nineteen She wrote three books, 139 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: If This Be Treason, about the treason trial. She was 140 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: a part of Tomorrow's Sun and an autobiography called Side 141 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: by Side. I'm Eve Chef Coote and hopefully you know 142 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 143 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: And if you haven't gotten your fill of history, you 144 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: can check us out on social media on Facebook, Twitter, 145 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: or Instagram at t d I h C podcast. You 146 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: can also send us an email if you have anything 147 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: you want to tell us at this day at I 148 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks again for listening to the 149 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: podcast and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from 150 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 151 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.