Phintias and Euthymides
Jenifer Neils, Case Western Reserve University

3. The Gymnasium

Along with the schoolroom and the dining room, the gymnasium was a part of every young male Athenian's life, and so is a common theme in Attic vase- painting. It was particularly favored by the Pioneers since athletic scenes allowed them to depict the nude body in a variety of positions. Such poses were also a preoccupation of contemporary sculptors, as evidenced by the marble kouros base in Athens (Athens, NM 3476) which is decorated with athletes in relief against a red background. It is constructive to compare the pose of the frontal acontist testing the bindings of his javelin on the reverse of the Paris amphora (Illustration 27) with that of the ballplayer on the relief. Both attempt to depict a frontal leg and twisting abdomen as realistically as possible. If one turns to a later vase by Phintias, the psykter in Boston (Boston 01.8019; No. 67; Illustration 28), [10] one can find an even closer parallel for the relief base; the acontist is in the exact same pose as his counterpart on the relief.

Illustration 27

Illustration 28

Illustration 29

All twelve individuals on the Boston psykter are named. The acontist instructing his companion (Illustration 29) at the far left bears the name *F*A*U*L*O[*S]. Phayllos was a pentathlete from Croton famous for winning three victories at the Pythian Games at Delphi and for commanding the only West Greek ship at the battle of Salamis. The name appears on three other Pioneer vases: an amphora in Munich where he is about to throw the discus (Munich 2308; Illustration 30;Illustration 31), [11] on a neck-amphora in Malibu where he is in the process of hurling the discus (Malibu 84.AE.63; Illustration 32);[12] and another psykter in Turin where he is using a strigil. [13]

Illustration 30

Illustration 31

Illustration 32

The first and third of these vases are signed by the painter Euthymides son of Pollias, whom Phintias named twice on his hydria in Munich discussed earlier, and the second is attributed to him. The use of this name demonstrates another connection between the two artists. They also share the kalos-name Megakles, which could be a reference to a contemporary Athenian, a member of the prominent Alkmaionid family, who was ostracized in 487 B.C.[14] The name of Megakles was also once painted on a large terracotta polychrome plaque decorated with a warrior found on the Athenian Acropolis (Athens, Acr. 1037), but was partially erased in favor of another name, perhaps after Megakles' ostracism. Another Acropolis plaque, this decorated with a black-figure Athena (Athens, Acr. 2590; Graef/Langlotz pl. 109), was dedicated by Pollias, undoubtedly the vase-painter's father and the sculptor who signed several statue bases found on the Acropolis. Since the painting on the first of these two plaques is related to the style of Euthymides, it seems likely that they came from his workshop, suggesting that vase-painters might have been monumental painters as well.[15]