Etruscan Studies Journal of the Etruscan Foundation Volume 10 Article 15 2007 Dionysiac Imagery in Archaic Etruria Dimitris Paleothodoros University of Thessaly Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/etruscan_studies Recommended Citation Paleothodoros, Dimitris (2007) "Dionysiac Imagery in Archaic Etruria," Etruscan Studies: Vol. 10 , Article 15. Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/etruscan_studies/vol10/iss1/15 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Etruscan Studies by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Dionysiac Imagery in Archaic Etruria by Dimitris Paleothodoros he emergence of Etruscan Dionysiac iconography was made possibLe by the adop - tion and imitation of prototypes found on imported Attic vases 1. The first TDionysiac images produced by Etruscan craftsmen date to 550 BC and are found on bLacK-figured vases by the Paris Painter, and the painters of the Ivy-Leaf and the La ToLfa Groups. Between the mid 6th and mid 5th centuries BC, Etruscan artists decorate aLmost 170 bLacK-figured and added-red vases with Dionysiac images, 13% of the totaL pro - duction of figured vases. 2 This group of images, suppLemented by other pieces of evidence, such as mirror engravings and bronze statuettes, forms the basis of the present study, which is the preLiminary report of a thorough investigation of Dionysus in archaic Etruria. In the recent past, schoLars have deveLoped the concept of “Dionysism without Dionysus,” to account for the paradox of the scarcity of Dionysus’ images in archaic Etruria, in contrast to the great popuLarity of images of his foLLowers, i.e. satyrs and mae - nads. 3 According to this theory satyrs and maenads, once incorporated in the ItaLic reper - toire, assumed an independent roLe, not LinKed to the patron god of the thiasus. However, Dionysiac images on vases do not support this theory: under the infLu - ence of Attic vase painting, especiaLLy the worK of the Amasis Painter, the painters of the Ivy-Leaf Group produced a distinctive group of images of the Dionysiac thiasus in its fuLL form. One may find a very “GreeK” Dionysus, with Long beard and hair, dressed in chi - ton and himation and hoLding a drinKing horn, a cantharus, an ivy Leaf, or a vine, escort - ed by satyrs (Fig. 1 ) and maenads. 4 Another image of the Dionysiac thiasus that copyies Attic prototypes appears on a fragmentary Pontic amphora once in Munich. The god is seated on a throne, hoLding a huge cantharos, whiLe satyrs and maenads approach him from both sides. 5 A much Later amphora in Richmond, 6 dating from the beginning of the 5th century BC, aLthough Atticizing in styLe and composition, preserves an extraordinary detaiL. Dionysus, fLanKed by a satyr and a maenad, is wearing winged boots. 7 In totaL, Dionysus is found on 18 bLacK-figure and added-red vases, haLf of which – 187 – –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dionysiac Imagery in Archaic Etruria –––––––––––––––––––––––––– beLonging to the earLier stage of Etruscan bLacK-figure vase painting. Thirteen times he is escorted by satyrs and maenads, whiLe on five vases he is found in the company of other gods or mortaLs. Beyond vase painting, the figure of the god is much rarer. He appears in the company of two satyrs on a painted tomb in Tarquinia, with Oinopion on a steLe from San Ansano, and as a soLe figure on three gems, a statuette, and some Less secureLy identified monuments. 8 The rarity of the god’s image is not an Etruscan pecuLiarity. Rather it appLies to aLL archaic schooLs with the singLe exception of the Attic one. In generaL, artists prefer to iLLustrate the other members of the thiasus, the satyrs and the maenads, who are the mythoLogicaL prototypes for reveLing humans. 9 MythoLogicaL images invoLving figure 1a – Cambridge G 58, amphora, drawing of face B. Ivy-Leaf Group. After CVA Dionysus are rare in Etruria. The birth and Cambridge 1, p. 22, fig. 2. infancy of the god is not represented before the third quarter of the 5th century BC. 10 Ariadne and SemeLe appear at about the same time 11 . The return of Hephaistus to OLympus is the most popuLar Dionysiac myth in Etruria, occurring on three amphorae by the Ivy-Leaf Group and two unattributed vases. 12 The god is depicted with Oinopion on the aLready mentioned steLe from Ansano, and appears side by side with ApoLLo on an amphora from the Ivy-Leaf Group and an added-red Kyathos of the Praxias Group 13 . The myth of the Tyrrhenian pirates appears on a weLL-Known hydria in ToLedo. 14 Dionysus appears once in the Gigantomachy, on the group of the ridge-poLe statues from the Late-archaic tempLe of Satricum. 15 The SiLenomachy is the onLy native myth invoLving Dionysiac figures. In a cLassic essay, Zancani Montuoro has demonstrated that the motif of the battLe between HeraKLes figure 1b – Cambridge G 58, amphora, drawing of face B. Ivy-Leaf Group. After CVA and the satyrs threatening Hera was first Cambridge 1, p. 22, fig. 2. introduced on the metopes of Hera’s tempLe – 188 – ––––––––––––––––––––––––--––––––––––––– Dimitris Paleothodoros –––––––––––-––––––––––––––––––––––––––– figure 2 – Orvieto, necropolis of Cannicella. Neck-amphora. After StEtr 14, 1941, pl. 31a-b I at the Foce deL SeLe near Paestum. It was Later transmitted to Etruscan art, to transform eventuaLLy into a confLict between HeraKLes and Hera/Juno Sospita. 16 Two of the metopes from the Heraion show a pair of satyrs throwing stones, whiLe on a third, a man is drawing his sword in order to protect a woman. 17 On bronzes from VuLci HeraKLes and Juno are depicted opposing a coupLe of satyrs, a subJect which aLso appears on 6th century vases. 18 In vase painting the SiLenomachy is found on two vases by the MicaLi Painter. On an amphora in PaLermo, HeraKLes threatens a group of satyrs, whiLe on an amphora in the Vatican, Hera is armed and Dionysus appears Leading a troop of satyrs. 19 Images of HeraKLes defending the goddess from a band of aggressive satyrs appear in Attic art onLy in the earLy 5th century and seem to be inspired by a satyr pLay. 20 Hundreds of vases, mirrors, smaLL bronzes and other worKs of art bear represen - tations of satyrs. The earLier exampLes are dis - figure 3 – Göttingen F 8, oinochoe. Manner of the tinctiveLy Attic, with human Legs and feet and Micali painter. Photo Stephan Eckardt, courtesy 21 pronounced ithyphaLLism. Later, satyrs have of Göttingen Museum. – 189 – –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Dionysiac Imagery in Archaic Etruria –––––––––––––––––––––––––– either feet or hooves (an Ionian feature) 22 , human or equine ears, and are with or with - out taiLs. 23 Hairy satyrs are rareLy depicted in Etruscan art: an exampLe is found on a goLd pLaque from VignaneLLo. 24 BeardLess, adoLes - cent and chiLd satyrs are found in the worK of the MicaLi Painter, 30 years before their first occurrence in GreeK art. 25 ELderLy satyrs are found in Etruscan art at the end of the 6th century. 26 Aged satyrs, with white hair, are found on earLy 5th century amphorae by the Painter of the Dancing Satyrs. 27 Satyrs are LinKed to wine, dance, music and sex. They dance around a Krater (Fig. 3, Left), and drinK wine from cups or winesKins. 28 Less frequentLy in vase painting, but quite often on other media, they recLine hoLding a drinKing horn in hands. 29 Satyrs pLaying or carrying musicaL instruments (the doubLe auLos, the Lyre and the syrinx) are numerous. 30 figure 4 – Göttingen F8 oinochoe. Detail. Photo SexuaL scenes are rare and seem to Stephan Eckardt, courtesy of Göttingen Museum. derive from Attic prototypes. Intercourse is shown on a Pontic amphora and a reLief of doubtfuL authenticity in the Louvre 31 . A unique scene of fellatio is shown on an amphora by the MicaLi Painter in Würzburg, probabLy, cLoseLy matching the scene on an Attic red-figured cup in the Louvre showing naKed youths and hetairai. 32 The Paris Painter has depicted a mas - turbating satyr on an amphora in Tarquinia, directLy copying Attic images. 33 By contrast, olis - boi are found in Etruscan imagery onLy in reLation to satyrs, whiLe in GreeK art, they are used mainLy by naKed hetairai. 34 Maenads are recognizabLe onLy from the iconographic context in which they appear. The figure of the maenad wearing a saKKos, a chiton and Leopard- or fawn-sKin, and hoLd - ing snaKes, smaLL animaLs, vases and the thyrsus, is rare in Etruscan vase-painting. 35 This rit - uaL costume, estabLished in Attic art as earLy as 560 BC, is, however, quite frequentLy found on Late archaic mirror engravings 36 . Maenads are often shown dancing with satyrs. 37 They may pLay the crottala , as on an amphora by the Paris Painter in Copenhagen, 38 and the dou - bLe auLos, as on an earLy cLassicaL mirror 39 . In one exampLe, two satyrs and a maenad are maK - ing wine, a weLL Known theme in Attic vase painting. 40 Apart from the mythoLogicaL scenes of the Dionysiac thiasus, there are various images that prove the existence of LocaL expressions of Dionysiac cuLt from as earLy as the mid 6th century. A group of 13 vases of the Ivy-Leaf Group shows men and women carrying an enormous ivy Leaf, the very attribute that gave the group its name. According to Werner’s – 190 – ––––––––––––––––––––––––--––––––––––––– Dimitris Paleothodoros –––––––––––-––––––––––––––––––––––––––– recent treatment of the subJect, this is the first undisputed piece of evidence for the cuLt of Dionysus in archaic Etruria. 41 Later in date, but equaLLy iLLuminating, is the image of a youth running towards a coLossaL satyr-masK.