Abstract
Previous studies of the development of narrative in the Geometric period have revolved around questions regarding the existence of mythological narratives and the artistic origins of narrative images. Discoveries of new images from the 10th through the early 8th cen- turies during the past few decades have complicated these discus- sions about the development of narrative and pushed back the date of the earliest representations of human action. By considering nar- rative as a discourse and analyzing the circumstances of artistic production, viewer response, viewing context, and visual language, it is possible to suggest that narrative art in Crete and Athens were independent phenomena that met local needs in distinct ways.