- Museum number
- 1867,0506.45
- Description
-
Pottery: black figured amphora. One small piece chipped out. Designs black on red panels, with incised lines and accessories of white and purple; along the tops of the panels, a border of honeysuckle and lotus (a), and a border of lotus-buds (b).
(a) Combat of Heracles and Geryon: On left Heracles, with lion's skin over short purple chiton and quiver with open lid fastened round him, attacks Geryon on right with his club. The latter is represented with three separate bodies, joined at the hips, and fully armed, the nearer of the shields having a plane-leaf as device, the further one a thunderbolt. One of the bodies is turned backwards, as if wounded, and carries a spear; the figure nearest the front wears a short chiton of scales showing over the hips. Between the combatants Eurytion lies prostrate, with head to right; he wears a cuirass and short purple chiton, and his right hand is pressed to his side; the eye is rendered without the pupil, indicating that he is dead. On the left behind Heracles stands Athene, in a long sleeveless striped chiton, with band of diaper-work down the front and diploidion, and a high-crested helmet, long hair with fillet, on her left arm a shield, right hand raised. On the extreme right is a female figure to left, with long hair, fillet, and long striped chiton with diploidion, probably Erytheia.
(b) Combat of Heracles and Kyknos: On left Heracles, with lion's skin over short purple chiton as in (a), sword and shield, attacks Kyknos, who wears a short diapered chiton showing under his cuirass, and is fully armed, with an anchor as device on his shield. Between them is Zeus interposing, advancing to right and looking towards Heracles; he is bearded, with long hair, fillet, long white chiton, and himation. On left, behind Heracles, is Athene advancing, with fillet, long sleeved diapered chiton, high-crested helmet, and shield; on right Ares, with chlamys, greaves, high-crested helmet, and shield with device of a tripod, thrusting with a spear (not seen in the design).
- Production date
- 540BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 48.26 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Torr, Rhodes in Ancient Times, pl. vi. Β; C. Smith in J.H.S. v. p. 181; Klein, Euphronios1, p. 58.
For the form of Geryon, cf. the description in Apollod. ii. 5, 10 and Paus. v. 19, I, τρείς άνδρες άλλήλοις προσεχόμενοι. For Eurytion, cf. Vase Β194. For Erytheia, cf. Berlin Cat. 2007 and Munich Cat. 337, also Klein, Euphronios1, p. 58. For the combat of Heracles and Geryon, see also Roscher, pp. 1630 ff., 2203 ff. For the combat of Heracles and Kyknos, cf. the description in Hesiod, Scut. Her., and Roscher, p. 2210; also Heydemann, Gr. Vasenb., pl. 1, 4, and Berlin Cat. 1732 (Colchos), 1799 (Glaukytes).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1867
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1867,0506.45
