Side A: Herakles carrying the Delphic tripod, from the waist up

Side B: maenad and satyrs

Side A: Herakles, Apollo, and the Delphic tripod

Side B: satyr and maenad, from the waist up

Collection: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Summary: Side A: Herakles and Apollo struggling for the tripodSide B: Maenads and satyrs
Ware: Attic Red Figure
Painter: Attributed to the circle of Euthymides
Date: ca. 510 BC
Dimensions:

H 0.65 m
Primary Citation: ARV2, 1705 (Basle Market); Para, 324
Shape: Amphora
Beazley Number: 275680
Period: Late Archaic

Decoration Description:

The scene on Side A is bordered at the top and sides by a palmette design, and at the base with a lotus chain. Side B has the same palmette design at the top and lotus chain at the bottom, but on the sides is a leaf pattern. Above the foot is a pattern of rays. The handles are decorated with rows of ivy.

Side A: Herakles and Apollo are shown fighting over the tripod. Herakles is on the left. He stands frontally, holding the tripod, which is slung over his shoulder, by his left hand. He holds his club in his right hand. He wears a red wreath in his hair, but is otherwise nude. He looks back at Apollo, who reaches out to grab him with his right hand, holding his bow in his left. He is also nude, except for a quiver on his back. In between them, in the background, is a palm tree. By the appropriate figures are inscriptions [epig-rough]*E*R*A*K*L*E*O*S ("Herakles"), and *A*P*P*O*L*L*O*N*O*S ("Apollo"). Between them is written *K*A*L*O*S ("Beautiful").

Side B: A maenad dances between two satyrs. She is in the center of the composition, walking to the right, and looking over her shoulder. She wears a sleeved tunic and a long cloak with zigzag borders. She wears a headband in her hair, and carries a vine in each hand, with which she wards off the satyrs' advances. Both of these are nude, ithyphallic, with long hair and pointed beards. The one on the left steps toward her, holding his left hand above his head to protect himself from the vine branch. The satyr on the right has grabbed the maenad's arm with his right hand, and also steps toward her.

Inscriptions:

Side A, by the appropriate figures: [epig-rough]*E*R*A*K*L*E*O*S ("Herakles"), and *A*P*P*O*L*L*O*N*O*S ("Apollo"). Between them is written *K*A*L*O*S ("Beautiful").

Collection History:

William Francis Warden, Catharine Page Perkins and James Funds, 1963.

Sources Used:

H. Hoffmann "Some Recent Accessions of Greek Vases" MFA Bulletin 61 (1963) 153

Other Bibliography:

G. Maspero Le Dessin dans L'Art Grec (Paris, 1963) no. 26