History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 2 (of 2)Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
History
History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 2 (of 2)
Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
Mythology, Classical, in art; Pottery, Ancient; Pottery, Etruscan; Pottery, Greek; Pottery, Roman
Two doubtful references to opening scenes of the war are to be found in
a supposed consultation of Zeus with Themis among the Olympian
deities,[1378] and a representation of the Greeks formally demanding
back Helen,[1379] a demand which of course was not granted. The story
of Telephos also belongs to an early stage, and three incidents
therefrom are found. In one case he is represented as wounded by the
spear of Achilles[1380]; again, entering the Greek camp disguised as a
beggar, in order to apply to Agamemnon for aid[1381]; and, lastly, he
is seen seizing the infant Orestes, whom he threatens to destroy if his
request is not granted.[1382] A R.F. kylix in Boston represents in the
interior Odysseus persuading Achilles to heal Telephos’ wound; on the
exterior the wounded hero comes, not to Agamemnon’s tent, but to his
palace at Mycenae.[1383]
At a much later stage of the war comes the incident of Troilos, a
subject which attained to great popularity, especially with the B.F.
vase-painters. It falls into five distinct scenes: (1) the departure of
Troilos, with his two horses[1384]; (2) the ambuscade of Achilles
behind the fountain to which Polyxena comes to draw water[1385]; (3)
the flight of Troilos and Polyxena, and pursuit by Achilles[1386]; (4)
the death of Troilos[1387]; and (5) the fight over his body.[1388] Of
these, the ambuscade and the pursuit are the most commonly represented.
A few incidents which are not to be traced in literature probably
belong to the Ante-Homeric period. They are (1) Achilles bandaging the
wounded Patroklos, on the well-known Sosias cup[1389]; (2) the wounded
Achilles tended by Patroklos and Briseis[1390]; (3) a combat of Hector
and Achilles attended by Sarpedon and Phoinix (in one case Phoinix
interrupts)[1391]; (4) a general combat of Greeks and Trojans.[1392]
It will be most convenient to deal with the various scenes which can be
traced to the Homeric poems (or to co-ordinate traditions) in tabular
form, noting where possible the actual passages which they appear to
illustrate. But it must be borne in mind that the vase-painter was
never an illustrator; he rather looked to literature for suggestions,
which he worked out on his own lines, and consequently coincidences
with or divergencies from the Homeric text must not be too closely
insisted upon.
Book I. 187 ff. The dispute of Agamemnon and Achilles.
Possibly to be identified in such scenes as on B.M. B 327, 397, and
E 13; but very doubtful: see below, p. 133, and Robert, _Bild u.
Lied_, p. 213.
320 ff. Agamemnon and Briseis.
Reinach, i. 148 = Baumeister, i. p. 721, fig. 776 (Hieron in
Louvre); and see B.M. E 76. Achilles and Briseïs are found
grouped together on two R.F. vases, but without any particular
allusion: see B.M. E 258 and Helbig, 84 = _J.H.S._ i. pl. 6 =
Reinach, ii. 91.
430 ff. Chryses propitiating Apollo.
Engelmann-Anderson, _Atlas to Iliad_, iii. 12.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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