FAH313 WEEK 3 - Homer 1: The Iliad

Title: Berlin Foundry Cup

Date: ca. 490 - 480 BCE

Medium: Attic Red figure Kylix

Location: Vulci, Italy

Description of Art:

Internal tondo:

• Hephaistos —> god of the forge

  • holding Smith’s hammer

• Thetis —> mother of Achilles

  • holding new shield, spear, and helmet of Achilles

  • new greaves have also been made —> hanging on the top

  • on shield = stars + eagle & serpent

Bottom of cup:

• Showing a foundry scene —> craftsmen making sculptures

• hammers on the wall

• sketches

• different “body parts” of sculptures hanging on walls

• Worker stoking a fire

• Another working assembling a sculpture

Significance: HOMER, THE ILIAD

• Patroclus went into war wearing Achilles’ armour and got killed by Hektor

• Hektor killed thinking it was Achilles

• Achilles hearing this, got mad but also had no armour to go into battle

• his mother, Thetis asks Hephaistos to make him new holy armor to protect him

• In text: vivid and dynamic imagery is described to be on the shield he makes

  • Concept of Notional Ekphrasis = vivid description of an art object = only way to visualize it is in our minds (imaginary existence)

• In the art:

  • hard to incorporate all the descriptions on the art piece

  • presence of stars = represents zodiac signs + Kosmos

  • Serpent and snake

    • eludes to Book 12 of iliad

    • eagle drops a snake during the battle = BAD OMEN for the trojans

    • yet the omen is disregarded by Hektor, who eventually gets defeated.

Title: Ajax and Achilles Playing a Game

Date: ca. 540-530 BCE

Medium: Black figure vase painting - Amphora

Location: Attica

Artist: Exekias

Description of Art:

• Achilles on the left

• Ajax on the right

• Both are sitting and playing a game

  • Pregnant moment/moment in between

  • Playing a game to relax between battles of war

  • spears

  • Achilles shield is placed on the side, leaning on the edge defined by black paint

  • Ajax’s helmet and shield resting on the other side (same thing, against the painted edge)

• Inscriptions:

  • of the names (Achilles, Ajax)

  • Achilles is yelling FOUR!

  • Ajax is yelling THREE

  • from this, we know who the winner is (ACHILLES)

• Inscriptions on Amphora —> Exekias was famous for

  • “Exekias Made [Me]!

  • “Onitorides is Beautiful” —> dedication to his lover/crush

Significance: HOMER: THE ILIAD

Title: Achilles Tending to the Wounds of Patroklos Kylix

Date: ca. 500 BCE

Medium: Red-figure kylix

Location: Vulci, Italy

Description of Art:

• Achilles wrapping bandages around Patroklos’ wounds

  • Achilles = clean shaven = meaning younger man

  • Patroklos = beard = meaning older man

    • looking away

    • gritting teeth/wincing in pain

    • was wounded by an arrow, resting against the tondo

    • pushing away from Achilles in pain —> foot pressing on circular wall of tondo

    • but legs are open and lower body facing Achilles = vulnerable position

• The whole scene + composition of art takes into account the size and shape of tondo

  • everything occurs within the circular shape + interact with it

Significance:

• Achilles = Eromenos = “The beloved”

• Patroklos = Erastes = “The lover”

Title: Andromache, Astyanax, and Hector Amphora

Date: ca. 470-460 BCE

Medium: Red figure amphora

Location: Vulci, Italy

Description of Art:

Side A:

• Andromache holding Astyanax

• pose —> gesture of Aporia

  • Aporia = being at loss, looking for something that’s not with her

  • communicates emotional distress, helplessness, uncertainty

• baby holding holding his arms out in the other direction of woman

Side B:

• Hector, wearing his helmet + holding his spear and shield

• ready to go into battle

• snake on his shield = bad omen = foreshadows the fall of Troy and the trojans losing the war.

Significance: HOMER’S ILIAD (HEKTOR’S FAREWELL)

Separation of couple on either side of amphora

• symbolizes the SEPARATION of couple

  • hector goes to war and dies

  • Andromache stays back with Astyanax

In Homer, Iliad:

• Hector tells Andromache he would rather die in war than see her taken as a slave of war

  • his duty to his people and her to protect his city

• Andromache = “man fighting” = has lots of knowledge about the war

Title: Death of Patroclus Krater

Date: ca. 550-530 BCE

Medium: Black-figure Calyx-krater

Location: Attica (iffy)

Artist: Exekias

Description of Art:

• Patroclus lying on the ground = dead

• several warriors above him fighting

  • Diomedes on far right facing Hektor and his soldiers on the left

• Patroclus = bull = signifies innocent hero that died in poetry

  • shown in bottom register

  • bull being attacked by lions

  • lions = trojans warrios

• 3 Greeks vs. 3 trojans

  • Diomedes one of the greek heros

    • Hektor on of the Trojan warriors

• Inscriptions

  • names = Patroclus + Diomedes + Hektor

  • “Onetorides is beautiful!”

Title: Achilles fighting Hektor Volute Krater

Date: ca. 490 - 460 BCE

Medium: red-figure vase painting

Location: Found in Cerveteri

Description of Art:

• Achilles fighting Hektor

• Hektor is wounded = on his back foot = clearly losing

  • beard = meaning older = less strength and

  • blood pouring out of wounds

  • Hektor losing control over his spear and his body

• Achilles in an attacking + forward stance

  • Large spear + shield

  • no beard = younger = stronger and more lively

  • clearly winning

  • agressive stance

  • body angled towards Hektor

  • spear + shield raised towards him

• Athena = patron godess of Achilles

  • Aegis, spear, helmet

  • guiding Achilles and giving him her blessing

• Apollo = on Hektor’s side (his patron god)

  • holding a bow and quiver of arrows

  • looks like he’s running away

  • body facing right while his head looks to the left = like he knows Hektor has lost

Significance:

• Achilles = shows superiority over Hektor in combat

  • Achilles = LION

  • Hektor = BULL (defeated warrior)

Title: King Priam Ransoms Hector’s Body

Date: ca. 490 BCE

Medium: red figure skyphos (drinking cup)

Location: Cerveteri, italy

Description of Art:

• Achilles reclining on his cline

• armor + weapons are hung up

• holding a knife and eating meat

• Achilles facing cup bearer (young boy) on the right

• Pieces of meat on the table in front of him

• Under the table + cline = Hektor’s dead and naked body

• Achilles = celebrating success over the trojans

• on the left:

  • King Priam coming offering ransom for his son’s body

  • servants behind him carrying offerings and the ransom for Achilles

  • King Priam = wants to give his son a proper funeral procession

Significance: Homer’s ILIAD

• This scene is BEFORE Achilles decides to give Hector’s body to his dad

• Achilles disrespected Hektor’s last wishes and his heroics

• Priam wants to honour is last son = give him a proper funerary ceremony

• Ransom also includes Priam’s emotional appeal —> this moves Achilles (IN THE TEXT ONLY)