Scenes from the mythological Trojan War decorate this Athenian black-figure neck-amphora. On the front, Achilles and Ajax, two great heroes of the Greeks, sit playing a board game. The goddess Athena stands in front of the board and gestures. The warriors have their armor and weapons ready, as if just pausing during a break in the conflict. This scene of Ajax and Achilles gaming was very popular in Athenian vase-painting of the late 500s B.C. and was a favorite of the painters in the Leagros Group. Many scholars believe that this mythological scene also served as a contemporary political parable on the value of staying alert, since the tyrant Peisistratos had been able to take control of the city of Athens while the army was distracted. The back of the vase depicts three hoplites, or warriors, in a line. Such files of hoplites are rather unusual in vase-painting, and this depiction may have been meant to relate to the scene on the front of the vase. These hoplites may be Greeks on the march to counter a Trojan attack, while Ajax and Achilles are notified by Athena. Such an interpretation would explain Athena's unusually prominent position on this rendition of the scene. --J. Paul Getty Museum; Bareiss Loan: S.80.AE.292, May, Helmut, ed. Weltkunst aus Privatbesitz, exh. cat. (Cologne: Kunsthalle Köln, 1968), cat. no. A 24.; Bothmer, Dietrich von, and J. Bean. Greek Vases and Modern Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bareiss. Exh. checklist, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: 1969. p. 2, no. 19.; Brommer, Frank. Vasenlisten zur griechischen Heldensage. 3rd ed. (Marburg: 1973) p. 335, no. 23.; Woodford, Susan.
Scenes from the mythological Trojan War decorate this Athenian black-figure neck-amphora. On the front, Achilles and Ajax, two great heroes of the Greeks, sit playing a board game. The goddess Athena stands in front of the board and gestures. The warriors have their armor and weapons ready, as if just pausing during a break in the conflict. This scene of Ajax and Achilles gaming was very popular in Athenian vase-painting of the late 500s B.C. and was a favorite of the painters in the Leagros Group. Many scholars believe that this mythological scene also served as a contemporary political parable on the value of staying alert, since the tyrant Peisistratos had been able to take control of the city of Athens while the army was distracted. The back of the vase depicts three hoplites, or warriors, in a line. Such files of hoplites are rather unusual in vase-painting, and this depiction may have been meant to relate to the scene on the front of the vase. These hoplites may be Greeks on the march to counter a Trojan attack, while Ajax and Achilles are notified by Athena. Such an interpretation would explain Athena's unusually prominent position on this rendition of the scene. --J. Paul Getty Museum; Bareiss Loan: S.80.AE.292, May, Helmut, ed. Weltkunst aus Privatbesitz, exh. cat. (Cologne: Kunsthalle Köln, 1968), cat. no. A 24.; Bothmer, Dietrich von, and J. Bean. Greek Vases and Modern Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bareiss. Exh. checklist, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: 1969. p. 2, no. 19.; Brommer, Frank. Vasenlisten zur griechischen Heldensage. 3rd ed. (Marburg: 1973) p. 335, no. 23.; Woodford, Susan.
Scenes from the mythological Trojan War decorate this Athenian black-figure neck-amphora. On the front, Achilles and Ajax, two great heroes of the Greeks, sit playing a board game. The goddess Athena stands in front of the board and gestures. The warriors have their armor and weapons ready, as if just pausing during a break in the conflict. This scene of Ajax and Achilles gaming was very popular in Athenian vase-painting of the late 500s B.C. and was a favorite of the painters in the Leagros Group. Many scholars believe that this mythological scene also served as a contemporary political parable on the value of staying alert, since the tyrant Peisistratos had been able to take control of the city of Athens while the army was distracted. The back of the vase depicts three hoplites, or warriors, in a line. Such files of hoplites are rather unusual in vase-painting, and this depiction may have been meant to relate to the scene on the front of the vase. These hoplites may be Greeks on the march to counter a Trojan attack, while Ajax and Achilles are notified by Athena. Such an interpretation would explain Athena's unusually prominent position on this rendition of the scene. --J. Paul Getty Museum; Bareiss Loan: S.80.AE.292, May, Helmut, ed. Weltkunst aus Privatbesitz, exh. cat. (Cologne: Kunsthalle Köln, 1968), cat. no. A 24.; Bothmer, Dietrich von, and J. Bean. Greek Vases and Modern Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bareiss. Exh. checklist, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: 1969. p. 2, no. 19.; Brommer, Frank. Vasenlisten zur griechischen Heldensage. 3rd ed. (Marburg: 1973) p. 335, no. 23.; Woodford, Susan.
Pottery: black-figured neck-amphora. (a) Hermes leading goddesses to Paris: Hermes advances to right, bearded, with long hair, himation with purple spots, petasos, endromides, and caduceus, by his side a goat to right, followed by the three goddesses, Aphrodite, Athene, and Hera. They have long hair, with fillets, long chitons and himatia, both embroidered, and left hands extended. Aphrodite holds branches of an apple-tree with fruit in right hand, Athene has a high-crested helmet and spear in right hand, and looks back at Hera, who has a sceptre in right hand, ending in a pomegranate. By Athene's side is a hind walking to right. (b) On the left Apollo Citharoedos to right, beardless, with long hair, fillet, long chiton and himation, both embroidered, playing with a plectrum on the chelys, from which hangs drapery. Before him, looking back at him, is Athene, with long hair, fillet, high-crested helmet, aegis, long chiton and himation, both embroidered, in left hand a spear; by her side a bull walks to right. In advance of her is Hermes moving to right and looking back, bearded, with hair looped up, short chiton and chlamys, both embroidered, petasos, endromides, and caduceus, left hand extended. In the field, branches of an apple tree with fruit. --The British Museum, A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 5, British Museum 4, London, BMP, 1929
Pottery: black-figured neck-amphora. (a) Death of Priam at the altar of Zeus Herkeios: In the centre is Neoptolemos to right, in tall visored helmet, embroidered chlamys, and greaves, stabbing Priam with spear. Priam has fallen across the altar and looks back beseechingly; he is partly bald, with white beard and long tresses, and long embroidered chiton; he raises right hand above head. On his body and the altar are purple streaks of blood. With left hand Neoptolemos thrusts back Hecuba, who is standing to left, with right hand placed on his helmet, and left raised to head; she has long hair, fillet, long chiton and himation, both embroidered. Behind Neoptolemos is a similar female figure (perhaps Andromache), with hands extended; behind the altar is a tree. (b) In the centre, Dionysos to right, bearded, with ivy-wreath, long chiton and himation, both embroidered, in right hand a vine-branch, in left a keras. At his further side a goat walks to right. On either side of him is a Maenad advancing to right, with long hair, fillet, and long embroidered chiton; the first one has a pardalis (leopard skin) tied round her neck, and right hand extended; she looks back at Dionysos; the second also wears a himation, and holds crotala (castanets) in left hand. --The British Museum, A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 8, British Museum 6, London, BMP, 1931