(Pp. 19-29) Jane E. Harrison - Odysseus and the Sirens-Dionysiac Boat-Races-A Cylix by Nikosthenes

8/9/2019 (Pp. 19-29) Jane E. Harrison - Odysseus and the Sirens-Dionysiac Boat-Races-A Cylix by Nikosthenes

1/13

Odysseus and the Sirens-Dionysiac Boat-Races-A Cylix by NikosthenesAuthor(s): Jane E. HarrisonSource: The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 6 (1885), pp. 19-29Published by: The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

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2/13

A

CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

19

ODYSSEUS AND THE

SIRENS-DIONYSIAC

BOAT-

RACES-A

CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

PLATE XLIX.

FouR

years

ago,

in

dealing

with the

Myths

of

the

Odyssey,'

I

raised

afresh

the

time-honoured

difficulty

of

the

art-form of

the

Sirens:

Why

are

the sweet

singers

of Homer

pictured

as

hybrid

monsters-birds

with

the

faces

of women

? Much that

I

then

said about the Sirens

may,

I

hope,

still hold

good;

but the

final

solution

or

part

solution

of the

difficulty

which

I

arrived

at,

I

now believe to be mistaken, and, with more complete material at

hand,

I

hope

in the

present

paper

to offer a

new,

and

possibly

a

more

satisfactory,

solution.

I

fell

then

into the not uncommon

error of

projecting

into the

mind of

the

Greek

vase-painter

a

great

deal

of

allegorizing

tendency

and somewhat

mystical

moral

purpose

which

was

really

conspicuous

by

its

absence

;

my

fami-

liarity

with

the

literary

forms

and

the

literary

growth

of

mytho-

logy

was

much wider

than

my

acquaintance

with the manner

and the influence of artistic tradition. The power of tradition in

an

art

and still more

in

a handicraft

is not

easily

overestimated.

The

thought

and

expression

of

the handicraftsman

is

governed

by

the

art

forms

that lie

ready

to

his

hand,

just

as the

thought

of

a

writer is

moulded

and fashioned

by

the

language

he

em-

ploys.

Each must

use

current

phraseology,

only

elevating

or

debasing

it a

little

according

to his

proper

faculty.

The

more

one

becomes

familiar

with

Greek

vase-painting

the more

weight

does one allow to this principle of typography-the more does

one

recognize

the

simplicity

of

the factors

which,

combined

and

recombined

in almost

mechanical

fashion,

make

up

the

multiplicity

of

vase-compositions.

In

determining

the

origin

of

a

vase

type

we

naturally

look

1

Myths

of

the

Odyssey

n Art

and Literature.

By

J. E. Harrison

Rivingtons).

c2


3/13

20

A CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

for

a

black-figured

instance.

In

the case

of

Odysseus

and

the

Sirens,

I

had

long

been aware

of the existence

of such

an

in-

stance.

Brunn,

in his list of

signed

vases,

gives,

under the head

of

Nikosthenes,

'

42,

aus

Vulci,

einst

bei Durand

(n.

418),

dann

bei

Beugnot

(n.

57),

zuletzt

bei

W.

Hope. (Odysseus

und

die

Sirenen).'

A

description

follows, correct,

except

in one

particular,

which I

shall

note

later.

Acting

on this

notice,

I at once

asked

permission

to

visit the

Hope

collection at

Deepdene,

but

my

letter

remained

unanswered;

nor did more influential

pleading

meet

with

better

success.

I

felt

sure

that

a

vase

by

Niko-

sthenes would at least give the clue to the primitive type of

the

myth,

but

Brunn's

description

left

the

representation

too

obscure to

serve

as

foundation for

a

theory,

and,

much

dis-

appointed,

I

gave up

the

question.

Three

years

later,

when

investigating

a

quite

different

matter,

I

accidentally

learnt

that

the

Nikosthenes vase

was not

in

the

Hope

collection at

all,

but

had

gone,

owing

to the sale of

part

of the

collection,

to

the

Louvre. The

vases of the

Louvre I

had,

in

the

meantime,

so

far as facilities could be obtained, carefully examined; but the

cylix

I

so

earnestly

desired

to

see

had

escaped

me.

I

tell

the

story

of

my

search

only

to

point

two

morals:

First,

the

imper-

ative

need

of a

printed

and

publicly

accessible

record

of

all

sales

of

private

collections;

second,

the

need

of

a

printed catalogue

of all

public

collections. The

difficulty

of

collecting

the

mere

materials

for

the

study

of

vases is

sufficient

without

these extra

and

most

baffling

hindrances.

What I have to say about the vase is best said under two

divisions.

First,

the

connection

of

the

design

with

the

type

of

Odysseus

and

the

Sirens.

Second,

the

connection

of

the

design

with

other

similar

designs

which

I

believe

in

all

probability

relate to

nautical

races

in

honour

of

Dionysos.

First

as to

the

connection of

the

design

with

the

type

of

Odysseus

and

the

Sirens.

The

cylix

from

which

the

design

is

taken is

of

the

ordinary

shape

seen

in

the

cut.

This

drawing,

from

a

photograph,

and

those in

Plate

XLIX.

I

owe to

the

kind

superintendence

of

M.

Hgron

de

Villefosse.

The

scenes

on

the

obverse

and reverse

are

very

similar.

On

the

obverse

appear

two

ships,

the one


4/13

A

CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

21

slightly

in

advance of

the

other;

the

prow

of

each

is

decorated

with

a

boar's

head,

the stern

shaped

into

a

swan's neck and

head.

On each of the

ships

there

stands,

to the

fore,

apparently

on the

outlook,

a

draped

male

figure;

behind,

in

the

stern,

is

seated

the

steersman

with

his

two

oars.

The

outlook man

.of

the

foremost

ship

is

distinguished

from

the others

(probably

with

no

special

intent)

by

his

long

hair,

formally

arranged

in

a

long

stiff

coil,

after

the

familiar,

archaic

fashion

of the

IDiskophoros.

On

the reverse

the same

design

is

repeated,

but

in the

case

of

each

ship

the

draped

figure

on the outlook is

omitted,

and

each

ship

is

further

adorned

by

a

large eye

painted

on

the

forepart-in

the

front

ship

in

black,

in

the hinder one

in white.

All

four

ships

have

their

white

sails

fully

set,

and to

the stern

of each

of

them

is

horizontally

attached a

landing

ladder:

just

such a ladder as we see in

actual use

in

representations

of

scenes

from

the

myth

of

the

Argonauts.

To

our

modern

minds

these

ladders

seem

attached

in

a

fashion

most

inconvenient

for

sailing.

The four

ships

are

interesting specimens

of ancient

war

galleys;

but,

if

they present

any

special

features,

I

must

leave

the discussion

of such to

those

who have

a

knowledge

of

shipbuilding,

ancient

and

modern.

I

pass

to the

remaining

decoration.

Under

each

of the

handles

of the

cylix

is a dolphin, placed there for the double purpose of

filling

decoratively

the

vacant

space

and

of

indicating

the sea.

On

a

spiral

line

coming

out

of the handle

a

Siren

perches,

with

head

turned

in

the direction

of the

ship,

the

body

towards

the

handle.

Brunn

says,

in

his

catalogue

of the

Nikosthenes

vases,

that

'gegen

den

Henkel

je

eine

Sirene

auf

einem

Felsen,

die


5/13

22

A

CYLIX BY

NIKOSTHENES.

nach

den Schiffen

zuriickblickt;'

but

manifestly

no rock

is

indicated,

nor

do

I

think

that the Siren

is

intended

to

be

looking

towards the

ship.

Sirens used

decoratively

make a

better

pattern

with the

head

turned

around

in

this

way,

and

accordingly

we

find

this

attitude

becomes the

typical

one.

Sirens used

in

precisely

the

same

fashion,

and

perched

on a

spiral,

may

be found

not

infrequently

in

vases of the

mature

black-figured

and

very

early

red-figured

style.

In

Gerhard's

Auserlesene

Vasenbilder,

xxviii.,

we have

a Siren of

precisely

this

pattern

perched

on

a

spiral-

not,

as in our

cylix,

as

an

ornament

on

a

handle,

but full

in

the

centre of the design, and yet with no connection with the

subject.

Again,

on a

vase

in

the

Hermitage (Myths

of

the

Odyssey,

pl.

44),

we

have

another Siren

perched

on

a

spiral,

at

the

foot of a

palm

tree.

I

formerly

thought

that

this

Siren-at

whom

the

Apollo

and

Hermes

of

the rest of

the

design

seem

to

look

fixedly-formed

an

integral

part

of the

design.

I

now

believe

her to

be

purely

decorative.

It

may

rightly

be

asked on

what

grounds

I

have

headed

this

paper, 'Odysseus and the Sirens.' Obviously the characteristic

figure

in

this

myth,

Odysseus

bound

to

the

mast,

is

wanting.

No

less

certain to

my

mind

is

it

that

the

Sirens

are

mere

decorative

adjuncts.

The

picture,

then,

resolves itself

into

four

galleys,

possibly

engaged

in

a

race,

and

has

no

mythological

meaning

whatever. Such

is

my opinion;

but,

for all

that;

the

design

has,

I

believe,

a

very high mythological

importance.

We

catch

in

it

the

type

of

Odysseus

and

the

Sirens

just

at

the

very

moment of formation. Let us turn for a moment to a red

figured

rendering

of

the

same

scene,

the

only

one

that,

so far

as

I

am

aware,

exists:

I

mean the

well-known

amphora

of

the

British

Museum

(Myths

of

the

Odyssey,

pl.

37).

Here

the

dead

type

is

vitalized,

translated from a

mere

genre

scene

into

a

design

with

a

mythological

meaning.

The

Sirens,

two

before

(i.e.,

one to

each

handle),

are

three

according

to

current,

though

not

Homeric,

tradition.

By

the

very slightest

addition

of

line

the

spiral ornament has become an

actual

rock.

The

steersman

is

there

and

the

oarsmen

(whom

Nikosthenes

leaves

out),

but,

instead

of the

man

on

the

outlook,

we

have

Odysseus

bound

to

the

mast;

instead of

the

filll

sails,

they

are

partially

reefed,

for at

the

passing

of

the

Sirens

there

fell

a

dead,

noon-day

calm.

In

the

cylix

of

Nikosthenes

the

only


6/13

A CYLIX BY NIKOSTHENES.

23

sign

of

intended

connection

between the

ship

and the Sirens

is

the fact that the

men

on the

outlook seem

to

gaze

her

way,

and

that the

Sirens are

perched

only

on

that

side

of the

handle

towards

which

the

ships

are

steering.

But,

on

the other

hand,

on

the

reverse

the

outlook

men

are

not

depicted,

and

I fear

the

position

of the

Sirens

is determined

merely

by

considerations

of

space.

Why

I

think the

vase

to

be

of

great importance

is

that

it

seems

to

me that in

this

design

we have

a

clear

instance

of what

has

taken

place

somewhat less

obviously

and

strikingly

in count-

less other cases. Forms

accidentally

and

merely

decoratively

juxtaposed

suggest

the

art-form

for the

expression

of

a

myth.

The

art-form (which

must

always

be

carefully

distinguished

from

the

literary

form

and the

origin

of the

myth)

of

the

Myth

of

Odysseus

and

the

Sirens,

I

believe

to have

been

suggested

by

the

merely

accidental

juxtaposition

of

two

racing

galleys

and

the

Assyrian

bird-women

already

long

current in decorative

art.

Thecylix

before

us

is

signed.

4I

kOOE/(0EN

5POIE

is

inscribed

just above the white sail on the obverse to the right hand. A

signed

vase has

its own

importance

with

reference

to

the

style

of

the

potter.

But

as

the

manner of Nikosthenes

is

familiar

to

all

I

need not

stop

to

consider

it.

Dr.

Klein

in his

Griechische

Vasen mit

Meistersignaturen,

has collected

seventy

instances

of

his

signature.

Our

cylix

stands as

No.

60

in

his

list,

and

the

further

authorities

on

his

style

are cited

op.

cit.

p.

24.

The

principal

characteristic

of

the

work

of Nikosthenes

is,

however,

somewhat

important to the matter in hand. He stood on the boundary-

line

between

the black and

red

figured

masters,

but

in

spirit

he

belonged

to the

past.

He was above

all

things

a

mechanical

decorator,

caring

little

for

mythological

meaning,

much

for a

certain

mannerism

of

effect.

Casting

our

eye

over

the

list

of

his

works we find

a few

mythological

subjects,

but

these

treated

in

a

very

abstracted,

schematic,

non-original

fashion:

such

designs

have the

emptiness

and lifelessness

of an often

repeated

scheme which tends to lose its meaning and lapse into a mere

pattern.

What

Nikosthenes best

loves

are

such

figures

as

dancing Satyrs

and

Maenads,

sphinxes,

panthers,

Sirens,

Hippa-

lektryons.

Black-figured types

are

getting

exhausted,

and

Nikosthenes

is

not the man to

revitalize

them;

he decorated

a

vase or

two

in

accordance

with

the new

red-figured

technique,


7/13

24 A CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

but he never

felt

the

impulse

of the new Attic

inspiration.

Perhaps

nowhere

is the contrast

between the new and

old

manner better seen than

by

the

juxtaposition

of the mechanical

cylix

before

us

and the

amphora

with the

red-figured Odysseus

and the

Sirens

already

cited.

I

turn

to the second

point:

the connection

of the

design

in

the

cylix

of Nikosthenes

with

other

similar

designs,

which,

I

believe,

in

all

probability

relate

to nautical races

in

honour

of

Dionysos.

About

the

end of the

black-figured period

it is not

uncommon

to find a certain class of vases decoratedwith a design consisting

of

four or

five

ships

following

each

other

in

regular

succession.

I

have

collected the

following

instances,

to which

no

doubt

many

more

might

be

added:-

a.

Lebes.

Munich,

Cat.

781.

G.,

A.

V.,

ccliv.

b.

Kelebe.

G.,

A.

V.

cclxxxv.,

vi.

c.

Deinos.

Millinger,

Vas.

Coghill,

52.

d.

Deinos.

Politi,

Descrizione

d'una

Deinos.

e. Kelebe. Hermitage, Cat. 10.

f.

Lebes.

Hermitage,

Cat.

86.

g.

Deinos.

Bull.

1873,

p.

125.

These

seven

vases,

it

will be

noted,

are all

of

such

shapes

that

they

allow of decoration on the

lip

of

the

vase.

When the

vase

was

full

of

liquid,

the

ships

painted

on

the

vertical

part

of

the

lip

would

appear

to

be

actually

floating,

and

it

is

possible

the

artist

may

have been

influenced

by

what

seems

a

somewhat

trivial conceit. Be this as it may the ships, four or five in

number,

are in

all

seven cases

used as

decoration

for

the

lip.

It is of

great

importance

to note

what

the

remaining

decoration

of

each

vase

is.

The

Munich

lebes

(a)

has the

horizontal

rim

of

its

lip

decorated with a

frieze

obviously

agonistic, chariot-race,

combat of

armed

warriors,

judges

seated

on

okladiai.

The

Kelebe,

once in

the

Feoli

collection

(b),

has

on

the

obverse,

in

red

figures,

a

palaestric scene, bearded men in con-

versation with

boys;

this

extends

to

the

reverse.

The

horizontal

rim has in black

figures

a

complicated

Dionysiac

scene-Dionysos,

seated

on the

capital

of a

short

pillar,

holds a

rhyton

in

the

right

hand,

a

vine-branch

in

the

left.

To him

advances

Hermes

with

herald's

staff.

Hermes

is

followed

by

a

bearded

Satyr,


8/13

A CYLIX BY

NIKOSTHENES. 25

who leads

a

boy

on

horseback

into the

presence

of

Dionysos.

After

the

boy-presumably

a successful

competitor

in

the

horse-race-comes

a

representation

of

a

Bacchic

festival,

Satyrs

and

Maenads

with

krotala, cithars,

rhytons-the

scene

character-

ised

by

vine-branches,

panthers,

a

snake,

and wine vessels

of

various

shapes,

one a

kelebe

of the

very

shape

of

the vase

it

helps

to

decorate.

We

can,

I

think,

scarcely escape

the inference

that

Dionysos

is here a

prize-giver

at

games

in

his own

honour,

and

that the

galleys

which are decorated

in

the inner vertical side

of

the rim

are

racing galleys

contending

at the

same

festival.

The deinos of the

Coghill

collection

(c)

is of the same

type

as

the two

preceding;

on

the horizontal surface

of the

lip

is a

continuous

frieze,

composed

of

five

pairs

of

combatants,

four

boys

on

horseback,

four

figures

seated on

okladiai,

and

sundry

judges

and

ephebi;

as

usual the

ships occupy

the vertical

surface

of the

lip.

The

Politi

deinos

(d) repeats

the same

pattern-i.e.

horizontal

frieze

of

warriors

arming,

stepping

into

chariots,

pairs

of com-

batants; vertical frieze of five galleys.

The

Hermitage

kelebe

(e),

obverse

Dionysos,

viz.

crowned

and

holding

in

the

left

hand

a

rhyton.

Opposite

him

a

female

figure, possibly

Ariadne;

between

them

a

vine-branch.

Behind

each

a

succession

of

Satyrs

and

Maenads.

Under each

handle

Satyr

and Maenad.

Reverse,

same

scene,

with

slight

alterations.

Vertical side of

lip,

four

galleys.

The

Hermitage

lebes

(f)

has

no

decoration

except

the

five

galleys on the vertical side of the lip.

The

remaining

deinos

(g)

has

a

garland

of

ivy

around

the

neck,

and

on

the horizontal side

of

the

rim

combats of

hoplites

and of

chariots

with

charioteers.

The

regular

scheme

of

decoration

for

this class

of

vases stands

as

follows

:-

Horizontal

side

of

lip,

agonistic types.

Vertical

side

of

lip, galleys.

Where the shape (kelebe) admits of further decoration the

design

is

either

(1)

agonistic

or

(2)

Dionysiac.

In

the case

of one vase

(b)

the

agonistic

type

is

plainly

referred to

Dionysos,

in the case

of

another

(e)

the

galleys

appear

in

conjunction

with

designs

which

are

exclusively

Dionysiac.

I

am

well aware

that

this evidence alone is too slender

to


9/13

26

A

CYLIX BY

NIKOSTHENES.

support

a

theory

of

galley

races

in honour of

Dionysos.

Literary

testimony

can,

however,

be

added.

In

a

former

number

of

the

Hellenic

Journal

(vol.

ii.

p.

90

and

p.

315)

Prof. Gardner

has

brought

together

the

evidence

as

to

boat-races in

general among

the

Greeks,

and

incidentally

of

races

that

seem

to

have been

run

in

honour

of

Dionysos.

In

the

Corcyra

types

of

coins,

which

Prof.

Gardner thinks

refer

to

galley

races,

the

head

of

Dionysos

occurs twice on the

obverse

(vol.

ii.

p. 95),

and one

racing galley

has,

we

note,

the

significant

name

of

Kc^

oq.

Most

important

for our

purpose

is the

passage

of Pausanias

(cited

by

Prof.

Gardner,

ii.

315,

and in connection

with

vase-paintings

by

Gerhard, G.,

A.

V.,

ccliv.

p.

24,

n.

13)

in

which

he

speaks

of

the festival in

honour of

Dionysos

Malanaigis

(Paus.

ii.

35,

1)

in

which there were

contests in

music,

in

swimming

and with

boats

(Kal

7rXioW

rltOEaou-

aOXa).

In

Dumont's

L'Ephibie

Attique,

Inscr. viii.

54,

we

have

noted

a

part

of

the service

rendered

by

the Attic

Ephebi

to

Dionysos

drroso-avr-o

&

ca

u4tXiXav

rTO

wolorXOOt.

We

can

readily

con-

ceive that the Greeks, if they had boat-races at all, would have

races

of

war-galleys.

All

the

agonistic

training

of the

Greeks

was

tinged

with a

certain

fine,

patriotic,

utilitarianism;

the

friendly

contest of

racing

war-galleys

might

be a

fitting pre-

paration

to the

more

serious

la•tXXa

with

an

enemy's

fleet.

The

God

Dionysos

does not

himself

disdain to

go

to

sea.

On

a

beautiful

cylix

in

the

Munich

collection

(No. 339)

we have

Dionysos

of

colossal

size

reclining

in a

galley

shaped exactly

like our Nikosthenes galleys; from the mast rise up vine-

branches

laden

with

huge

bunches of

grapes,

and

all

around the

ship

dolphins

are

playing.

On

the

outside

of

the

cylix,

on

either

side of the

handles,

are

combats of

hoplites;

on the

obverse

and

reverse

are

two

eyes.

According

to

Pausanias

(ix.

20,

4)

Dionysos

contended

with

and

overcame a

Triton who

disturbed

his

worshippers.

Very

frequently

on

vases

of

about

the

date

of

Exekias

we

have

designs

in

which

Dionysos

or

his

symbols appear in connection with the sea; e.g. G., A. V., viii.

we

have a

cylix

in

which a

white-haired

man

holding

a trident

rides

a

hippocamp,

on

either

side

a

huge

eye

surrounded

by

vine-branches and

bunches

of

grapes.

Similarly

an

amphora,

G.,

A.

V.,

viii.,

on

the

obverse

Dionysos

with

cantharos in

his

right

hand

seated

on

an

okladias,

in

front of

him

a

bearded


10/13

A CYLIX

BY NIKOSTHENES. 27

man

(a competitor

in a musical

contest

?)

playing

on a

lyre,

between

them

a

vine;

reverse,

a

triton

holding

an

ivy

wreath,

about him

dolphins.

I would therefore

suggest:-

1st.

That it

is

possible,

and even

probable,

that

where

the

type

of four or

five

war-galleys,

in connection

with

other

agonistic

schemes

appears,

we have in

the

galleys

a

representation

of a

galley

race.

2nd. That

wherever

Dionysiac

attributes

appear

in

con-

junction

with

these

galleys,

the race was

presumably

run in

honour of Dionysos.

3nd.

That,

considering

the

immense

popularity

of

Dionysiac

subjects

about the time

of the

black-figured

vases,

just

before

the time of

the

red-figured

Attic

cylix

masters,

even

where

there are no

Dionysiac symbols,

it

is

probable

the

intention

is

Dionysiac.

4th. That

the

large eyes

which

so

frequently

appear

about

this date

are

Dionysiac,

in

the

simple

sense

that

they

stand

symbolically for galleys which ran races in honour of Dionysos.

5th.

That with the

general

decline of

Dionysiac

subjects,

and

probably,

to

some

extent,

because

of

the

unmanageable

shape

of the

ships,

their

representations

of

galley-races

went

out of

fashion in

the

period

of the

red-figured

Attic

cylix

masters.

6th. That

possibly

the

vases we

have

enumerated

above,

being

all

of the

nature

of

mixing

vessels, i.e.,

deinos,

lebes,

or

kelebe, were of the sort used as prizes in these Dionysiac

festivals,

or

in

some

other

way

specially

connected

with

the

ceremonies.

7th.

That the

Nikosthenes

vase

represents

a

Dionysiac

galley-race,

but

in

just

such

a

way

as we should

expect

from

a

potter

whose manner

was

mechanical.

There

is

a technical

advance

in

the

representation

of

the

race,

inasmuch as the

galleys

are almost

side

by

side,

but

the

representation

is

taken

from

the rim of a mixing vessel, which it suits fairly well, and put

on

to the obverse

and

reverse

of

a

cylix,

which

it

suits

very

badly.

The Sirens

present

are

possibly

borrowed

from

some

definitely Dionysiac

representation (on

the

connection

of

Dionysos

and the Sirens see

Myths

of

the

Odyssey,

p. 161);

but

such

a

meaning

was

scarcely present

to

the

mind of

the


11/13

28 A CYLIX BY

NIKOSTHENES.

mechanical

Nikosthenes,

who

used

the

Siren

merely

as a

piece

of

decoration.

Finally,

resuming

our first

point:

the

representation

of a

boat-race

in honour

of

Dionysos,

the

meaning

of

which

was

only

half

present

to

the

vase-painter,

together

with the

figure

of the Oriental

bird-woman

decoratively

used,

supplied

the

type

which was

ultimately

to

represent artistically

the

myth

of

Odysseus

and the

Sirens.

JANE

E.

HARRISON.

Since

writing

the

above,

I have examined the vase collections

of

Northern

and

Central

Italy

and

the

collections

of the

Louvre,

with

a

view

to

finding

further

instances

of

the

connection

between

Dionysos

and

nautical

races-with the

following

results.

I

letter the

additions,

so

as to

follow

consecutively

the

previous

list.

h.

Lebes.

Louvre,

Campana

coll.:

white label

224,

blue-edged

label

1064-horizontal

lip,

ivy pattern;

vertical

rim,

five

ships

with steersmen

only.

i.

Lebes.

Louvre,

of

very

large

size-horizontal

lip,

a

frieze of

chariot

races,

armed

combats,

seated

judges,

Herakles

and

Nemean

lion,

Theseus

and

Minotaur;

vertical

rim,

six

ships

in

full

sail,

steersmen

and

oarsmen,

white

sails.

j.

Patera.

Louvre,

black

ware with

boss

in

centre;

round

the

boss

frieze

of

ships

racing.

The fore

parts only

shown.

k.

Cylix.

Corneto

(Bruschi coll.)

black-figured-below

each

handle a ship, between each handle two Dionysiac eyes, and

between each of

these

warriors.

Vine

branch

decorations

1.

Amphora.

Corneto

(Bruschi

coll.)

fine

black-figured-obverse

Dionysos

seated

in

large ship;

in

left hand

cantharos,

in

back-

ground

vine and

grapes,

in

outlook

place Satyr.

In

rear of

ship

Maenad with

lyre

and

Satyr

with

cup;

below

handles

dolphins;

reverse

similar

but

differing

in

details.

in.

Neck of

amphora-(noted

Klein,

Meistersignaturen,

Ex-

ekias 5), now in collection of Augusto Castellani, Rome,vertical

rim

for

ships

in

waves,

horizontal

rim,

inscription

E+5EKA M

EPOIEE

X

FPA

/NETOM

M

XAOK

X/\N+APO

PO

I

None of

these

six

last

vases

are, so

ar

as

I

am

aware,

published

--h.

simply

repeats

the

normal

scheme

we

have

noted with

no


12/13

A

CYLIX

BY

NIKOSTHENES.

29

definite

Dionysiac

evidence-i.

adds

agonistic though

not

cer-

tainly

Dionysiac

evidence--j.

belongs

to

the

late embossed

ware,

and I

only

cite it because

together

with it were a number of

other similar

cups

with

chariot

races,

&c. so that

it

seems

to

make

for the fact that the

ships

are an

Agonistic

type.

k.

is

distinctly

Dionysiac,

as is shown

by

the

eyes

and vine

branches-the

warriors between

the

eyes probably

represent

an armed

combat

-1.

belongs

to the same

type

as the beautiful Munich

cylix

cited above

(Munich

No.

339).

There

is

nothing

in

either case

to

indicate

the

subject

of

racing,

but the

vases

are of

course of

great value as showing the connection of Dionysos and

seafaring

matters-rn.

I believe to

be the neck

of

a

deinos

-

it

is

valuable,

as

it

enables

us

to

take

the

type

as

belonging

to

the

time of

Exekias.

I

would

add

to

these

two

instances nearer

hand

which

escaped

my

notice

before.

n. A

small

black-figured

cylix,

British

Museum,

exterior

decorated

by

four

ships

alternately

war

galleys

and

merchant

ships. This is probably a mere decorative caprice of the vase-

painters,

as

the two

sorts

of

ships

would

scarcely

be

entered for

the

same race.

o.

Cup

in

the

form

of

the

prow

of

a war

galley,

British

Museum.

Round the

lip

of the

cup

are

Sirens'

heads,

below

which

is

Seilenos

reclining

in

an

arbour and

playing

on

the

flute.

At

the back

of

the

prow

is

a

Victory.

Mr.

Newton

conjectures

(Guide-book

p.

17)

that

this

cup

may

belong

to the

class

called trieres.


13/13

J. H.S.

18 85.

PI.XLIX.

(Pp. 19-29) Jane E. Harrison - Odysseus and the Sirens-Dionysiac Boat-Races-A Cylix by Nikosthenes

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Transcript of (Pp. 19-29) Jane E. Harrison - Odysseus and the Sirens-Dionysiac Boat-Races-A Cylix by Nikosthenes