Herakles and Antaios

What type of pot is this?

Calyx Krater

Who made this pot?

Euphronios

When was this pot made?

Late sixth century, 515-510 BC

What is the mystical context behind this pot?

The pot depicts the struggle between Herakles and the giant Antaios, son of Poseidon and Gaia. The battle was unequal, for the giant could regain his strength by touching earth and he killed any newcomer to his territory. And yet it is Herakles who triumphs here.

What is aesthetically pleasing about this pots composition? Is there compositional symmetry?

• A ‘W’ shape is created through the poses and positioning of the figures with the two women, one dancing on either side of the men and the two men fighting centrally. It creates a series of diagonals which form a ‘w’ shape and balance each other out

• The women are facing inwards doing the same pose as each other

• The heads of Herakles and Antaios are the central focus which emphasises the importance of the battle

How is detail created in the figure of Herakles?

• Calm and alert facial expression → thin eyebrows, wide eyes

• Black glaze used on his tight neat curls

• Intricate paint detail in the dragging toes and tendons shown in the leg and feet

• Knees bent, feet planted → secure strong pose

• Defined powerful musculature

How is detail created in the figure of Antaios?

• Long, unruly straw like hair and beard with a lighter colour than Herakles created through diluted slip

• Bush like thick eyebrows and moustache

• Fully exposed full frontal body makes him appear monstrous and vulnerable to Herakles

• Grimacing with the effort of fighting→ furrowed eyebrows, strained eyes, pouted lips

What didactic message is this pot sending to the contemporary Greek audience? How is it conveyed?

The superiority of civilisation over barbarianism is conveyed through the stark differences between Herakles (the civilised) and Antaios (the barabaric).

• Unkept hair VS neat hair

• Calm pose VS flailing pose

Scholarly Quotes

What does Woodford say about this pot?

‘Euphronios was…a powerful artist’

Scholarly quotes

What does Boardman say about this pot?

‘…its precision and command of line can compare with the very best in contemporary statutary’

Scholarly Quotes

What does JG Pedley say about this pot?

‘Vase painters led the way in showing the body in motion’