Perseus Art and Archaeology Browser

ID:

aa_4797

Beazley Number:

200437

Type:

Vase

Date:

ca. -520

Period:

Late Archaic

Context:

From Caere

Region:

Etruria

Painter:

Attributed to Oltos

Potter:

Signed by Pamphaios

Condition:

Broken and restored. Side B is very damaged with many fragments missing.

Dimensions:

H. 0.275 m.

Ware:

Attic Red Figure

Shape:

Stamnos

Decoration Description

Side A: Herakles and Acheloos fight. Herakles, nude and wearing a wreath in his hair, is to the left and partially hidden by Acheloos, whom he is grabbing in a wrestling hold. He grabs Acheloos by the horn with one hand, and has the other hand at his throat. With his left foot he straddles the snake body of Acheloos. Acheloos' body from the breasts up is human (or satyr, with pointed ears and snub nose), but the rest of him is a Triton, with scales and dorsal fins. He grabs Herakles' wrists and tries to free himself, unsuccessfully. There is the inscription *F*A*N*F[*A*I*O*S] *E*P*O*I*E*I ("Pamph[aios] made [me]"). Bruhn (113) also notes the inscription *E*R*A*K*L*E *A*X*E*L*O*I*O ("Herakles, Acheloos") on Side A, and *O*R*E*I*Q*U*A ("Oreithua") on Side B, but no one else notes this and it is not visible in photographs. Herakles and Acheloos is a rare subject on red figure vases, but common on late sixth century black figure ones. Oltos is unique in showing Acheloos as half-satyr, half-triton (Philippaki, 2). It is also suggested that portraying him with a bull's horn and a Triton body is actually showing all at once the successive phases of his transformations (Ahlberg-Cornell, 100).

Side B: A dancing maenad is shown, wearing a chiton, himation, and animal skin. She carries a tree, crotalon (castanet) and ivy wreath. Opposite her is a flute-playing satyr.

At the shoulder on both sides, tongues and an ivy pattern. At the base there are rays, and around the handle attachment points are tongues and palmettes.

Graffiti

Side A: *F*A*N*F[*A*I*S] *E*P*O*I*E*I ("Pamphaios made [me]"). Bruhn (113) also notes the inscription *E*R*A*K*L*E *A*X*E*L*O*I*O ("Herakles, Acheloos") and *O*R*E*I*Q*U*A ("Oreithua") on Side B, but no one else notes this and it is not visible in photographs.

Collection:

London, British Museum

Citations and Bibliography

ARV2, 54, 5, 1622; Beazley Addenda 1, 79

G. Ahlberg-Cornell Herakles and the Sea Monster in Attic Black-figure Vase-painting (Stockholm, 1984): 100, 105, fig. 37; Boardman 1975, fig. 54; Bruhn 1943, 113-114; Philippaki 1967, 2, pl. 2

LIMC, 1 pl. 50, Acheloos 245; Schefold 1978, fig. 195; Poliakoff 1982, pl. 24; Birchall & Corbett 1974, 34; R. Flacelire and P. Devambez Heracls, images e rcits (Paris, 1966): pl. 16; J. Charbonneaux Grce Archaique (Paris, 1968): 315, fig. 361; Gerhard 1840-1858, pl. 115