The colonies in southern Italy and Sicily had grown as strong and rich as many cities in the motherland and had made demonstrations of wealth by dedicating treasuries in the national sanctuaries and by building many lavish temples at home.
The courts of these tyrants became the significant cultural centres, and there was an increase in the demand for art of all kinds; demonstration of the rulers' wealth and power took the form of temple building more ambitious than in almost any other period of Greek art, while in sculpture there was a growing use of expensive and elaborate statuary for dedication and for marking tombs.
Today, it is mostly served at weddings and other celebrations as the ultimate demonstration of a host's wealth and hospitality.
Then, when the industrial revolution produced a new, affluent middle class, children became a vehicle for the demonstration of this recently acquired wealth.
Do any of these people actually enjoy looking at art? Or do they simply enjoy having easily recognised, big-brand name pictures, bought ostentatiously in auction rooms at eye-catching prices, to decorate their several homes, floating and otherwise, in an instant demonstration of drop-dead coolth and wealth.
In the past year, Luanda has been the scene of unprecedented demonstrations calling for more freedom, a fairer distribution of wealth, and Mr Dos Santos's removal.
His views echoed many of those in the church who felt the demonstration, campaigning against corporate greed and for a better distribution of wealth, is a perfect fit with Christian teaching.
The day started with a trade union march and ended with rioting, as people left the demonstration to smash the windows of banks, posh car dealerships and other symbols of wealth.
