London E 224 (Vase)

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Collection:	London, British Museum
Summary:	Above: rape of the daughters of LeukipposBelow: Herakles and others, including Athenian tribal heroes, in the garden of the Hesperides,
Ware:	Attic Red Figure
Painter:	Attributed to the Meidias Painter
Potter:	Signed by Meidias
Date:	ca. 420 BC - ca. 410 BC
Dimensions:	H. 0.521 m.
Primary Citation:	ARV2, 1313.5
Shape:	Hydria
Beazley Number:	220497
Period:	Classical

Decoration Description:

Painted in two registers separated by a meander and checker band. Upper frieze: the rape of the daughters of Leukippos. The action takes place in the upper part of the register, with spectators watching below. At center, an archaic xoanon (cult statue) on a pedestal (Ionic capital?), frontal and standing stiffly erect, holding her left hand palm outward and a fluted phiale in her right. The statue and the altar below it set the scene of the rape in a sanctuary. To either side of the statue are the chariots of the Dioskouroi, Kastor and Polydeukes. The left-hand chariot is galloping away, driven by Polydeukes, who is carrying off Elera. Polydeukes wears short elaborately decorated chiton and mantle, and holds the reins and a whip, with his arm around Elera. Elera wears a long chiton, a short mantle which she raises off her shoulder with her left arm, a necklace, earrings, bracelets and a stephane.

Below the statue, Kastor seizes the other daughter of Leukippos, Eriphyle. Kastor stands on a rocky outcrop, grasping Eriphyle with both hands around her waist, lifting her off the ground. They are dressed like Polydeukes and Elera. To right of the statue is the chariot of Kastor, with his charioteer Chrysippos waiting for his master and holding the reins.

Below these figures, are Aphrodite and her companions, as spectators. At the center of this group is an Ionic altar. Aphrodite is seated to left, leaning against the altar and turning back to look at the rape. She wears a long chiton with studded sleeves, a mantle over her legs, earrings, a necklace, bracelets and a stephane, and raises her right hand. To her left, Chryseis crouches, holding her chiton and looking in shock at Kastor and Eriphyle. Behind Chryseis, Agave runs to Zeus at her left while looking over her shoulder at the rape. Agave wears a Doric chiton, earrings, bracelets, and stephane, and raises her mantle from each shoulder. Zeus, seated on a rock, is bearded and wreathed with laurel, and carries a sceptre in his right arm; he watches the scene calmly. To the right, Peitho (Persuasion) runs away while looking back over her shoulder, holding her mantle with her left and right hands.

In contrast to the violence of the story and of earlier depictions in vase-painting, the Meidias Painter depicts the characters in calm and restrained attitudes. Eriphyle and Elera hardly struggle or try to escape, and Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Zeus, the father of Kastor and Polydeuces, watch the scene without interfering. The rape is thus transformed to a romantic elopement. For the subject, see Paus. 1.18.1.

Lower frieze: Herakles in the garden of the Hesperides. At center stands the apple tree with its golden fruit, entwined by a scaly serpent. Two Hesperides, Chrysothemis and Asterope stand to the left of the tree. Chrysothemis advances from the left to pluck an apple. She wears a Doric chiton, jewelry and a sphendone. Asterope leans against her with both arms. Next to the left, Hygeia sits on a hillock, looking back towards Chrysothemis; she lifts the edge of her drapery from her shoulder, and holds a long scepter. To her left, Klytios stands facing right, one leg raised and bending forward, nude except for a mantle over his legs. He holds two spears, and raises his arm to point at the apple tree. Behind him, a laurel bush closes the scene. To the right of the apple tree, Lipara moves towards the tree. She holds apples in the fold of her peplos, and raises her veil off her shoulder, turning back slightly to look at Herakles. Herakles is seated to her right on a lion skin, looking at Lipara; he has a sword slung over his shoulder, and carries his club. An olive bush separates Herakles from Lipara. Behind him, Iolaos, holding two spears, moves away from Herakles. He is nude except for a long chlamys, a petasos on his back, a sword and sandals.

All the figures in this scene look inward at the tree, except Lipara who turns her head towards Herakles. The attitudes, gestures and emotions of the groups on either side of the apple tree balance each other, with Klytios and Iolaos framing the composition, Klytios and Herakles gazing towards the center, Hygieia and Herakles sitting facing inwards, Hygeia and Lipara looking over their shoulders and lifting their drapery.

The other side of the lower register depicts Athenian tribal heroes and other characters, totaling seven male figures with women at each end. From left to right are the following: Elera, wearing a Doric chiton; Medea, in Oriental costume (a long decorated chiton, a girdle and a kidaris), and holding a box and raising her mantle from her shoulder; and Arniope wearing a long chiton, jewelry, and a sphendone. Philoktetes and Akamas confront one another, Philoktetes wearing a chlamys and holding two spears, Akamas seated with a sceptre, leaning on a rock. To the right, Hippothon is standing with two spears and sword, looking to the right and conversing with Antiochos, who is nude and seated on a mantle. Behind Antiochos, Klymenos, carrying two spears, moves to the right, looking behind him and extending his left arm to Hippothon and Antiochos. To his right is Oineus, moving to his right with two spears, and holding his arm out to Demophon, who looks back at him while moving to the right. The last figure is a woman, Chrysis, seated on high ground, looking at the heroes. She wears a long chiton, a broad stephane and jewelry, and holds her hand up as if to Oineus.

Jewelry, laurel-berries, fruit and details on the xoanon were gilded; other details are painted with purple, white, and brown; some incision.

Inscriptions:

On the shoulder, *M*E*I*D*I*A*S *E*P*O*I*H*S*E*N ("Meidias made it").

All of the figures are labelled. Upper frieze: *E*L*E*R*A, *P*O*L*U*D*E*U*K*T*H*S, *X*R*U*S*E*I, *X*R*U*S*I*P*P*O*S, *Z*E*U*S, *A*G*A*U*E, *X*R*U*S*E*I*S, *A*F*R*O*D*I*T*H, *K*A*S*S*T*W*R, *E*R*I*F*U*L*H, *P*E*I*Q*W (Elera, Polydeukes, Chrysei, Chrysippos, Zeus, Agave, Chryseis, Aphrodite, Kastor, Eriphyle, Peitho); lower frieze:*K*L*U*T*I*O*S, *U*G*I*E*A, *A*S*S*T*E*R*O*P*H, *X*R*U*S*O*Q*E*M*I*S, *L*I*P*A*R*A, *H*R*A*K*L*H*S, *I*O*L*E*W*S, *A*R*N*I*O*P*H, *M*H*D*E*A, *E*L*E*R*A, *F*I*L*O*K*T*H*T*H*S, *A*K*A*M*A*S, *I*P*P*O*Q*W*N, *A*N*T*I*O*X*O*S, *K*L*U*M*E*N*O*S, *O*I*N*[E]*U*S, *D*H*M*O*F*W*N, [*X*R*U*S]*I*S(Klytios, Hygieia, Asterope, Chrysothemis, Lipara, Herakles, Iolaos, Arniope, Medea, Elera, Philoktetes, Akamas, Hippothoon, Antiochos, Klymenos, Oineus, Demophon, Chrysis).

Sources Used: Smith 1997, 314-17; Burn 1987, 15-25; Smith 1896, 173-177