The Iconography of the Athenian Hero in Late Archaic Greek Vase-Painting Elizabeth Anne Bartlett Tucson, Arizona Bachelor of Art, Scripps College, 2006 Master of Art, University of Arizona, 2008 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy McIntire Department of Art University of Virginia May 2015 ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ –ABSTRACT– This study questions how Athenian vase-painters represented heroic figures during the late sixth and early fifth centuries B.C. – specifically from the death of Peisistratos in 528 B.C. to the return of Theseus' bones to Athens in 475/4 B.C. The study focuses on three specific Attic cult heroes with a strong presence both in the Greek world and on Athenian vases: Herakles, Theseus, and Ajax. Although individual studies have been published regarding various aspects of these three heroes, such as subject matter, cult worship, literary presence, and social history, the current one departs from them by categorizing, comparing, and contrasting the different portrayals of the three chosen heroes. Using Athenian vases as the primary form of evidence, the current study endeavors to uncover how individual iconography can – or cannot – identify the heroic figure. By using an iconographic approach of looking at attributes, dress, gestures, poses, and composition, a more complete picture of the image of the hero may be understood. Evidence of both the cult of, and importance of, the Athenian hero is stressed both in ancient texts and through archaeological evidence, thus supplemental material is taken into consideration. Illustrations of Greek heroes can be found on a variety of vase shapes of various techniques, and the accompanying catalogue includes almost 300 examples. The first chapter introduces the concept of the hero in ancient Athens. The subsequent chapters are organized by the hero examined (e.g., Herakles, Theseus, Ajax) and the final chapter is devoted to combinations and juxtapositions of heroic subjects. Based upon the evidence, there appears to be no correlation between the general iconography of all heroic figures; yet the evidence does support the conclusion for certain similarities between the iconography among individual heroes, or natural pairings and groupings of heroes, whether by means of poses, attributes, or even composition. In addition, the evidence points to a similarity in representation between heroic figures and general depictions of athletes and warriors on vases. As a result of this iconographical conclusion, along with the combined and juxtaposed compositions of heroic subjects on a single vase, one can argue that these three heroes were presented in a manner that alluded to everyday life of the active citizen. For my brother, Daniel, who was the bravest hero that ever lived. – TABLE OF CONTENTS – Acknowledgements……………………………………………………........ i Abbreviations………………………………………………………………. iv List of Figures…………………………………………………………........ vi Chapter I: Introduction: Heroes, Vases, and Iconography……….…….…… 1 Introduction……………………………………………….…....…… 1 A. Finding the Greek Hero……………………………………….... 5 B. Heroes in Athens……………………………………………….. 12 C. Past Study of Heroic Iconography…………………….……....... 14 D. Athenian Heroes on Late Archaic Vases……………..……..….. 18 Chapter II: Herakles: Cult, Myth, and Panhellenic Struggles……………… 25 Introduction…………………………………………….……..……. 25 A. Cult of Herakles in Athens………………………….…..………. 27 B. Mythology of Herakles…………………………….…………... 29 C. Herakles in Greek Art…………………………….…………..... 32 D. Herakles in Late Archaic Vase-Painting…………….………..... 34 Depictions of Religious Acts…………………………..………. 36 a. Sacrifices………………………………………..……….. 41 b. Libations………………………………………..………... 43 c. Reclining……………………………………..………….. 46 d. Musikos Argos……………………………..…………….. 50 Depictions of Struggles…………………………..…………….. 53 Early Struggles…………………………………..…..…………. 53 Struggles after 550 B.C…………………………..………..…… 59 a. Struggle for the Tripod……………………..……………. 63 b. Amazonomachy…………………………..……………… 67 c. Geryon……………………………………..…………….. 68 d. Busiris………………………………………..………….. 70 e. Erymanthian Boar……………………………..…………. 70 f. Triton/Nereus…………………………………..………… 72 g. Antaios……………………………………………..…….. 74 h. Cretan Bull………………………………………..……… 76 i. Nemean Lion…………………………………….……….. 77 General Conclusions……………………………………….………. 80 Chapter III: Theseus: Cult, Myth, and Panathenaic Struggles……..………. 87 Introduction…………………………………………………..…….. 87 A. Cult of Theseus in Athens…………………………………….... 88 B. Mythology of Theseus……………………………………….…. 92 C. Theseus in Greek Art…………………………...………….…… 94 D. Theseus in Latin Archaic Vase-Painting………………….……. 101 Struggles with Beasts…………………………………….…….. 102 a. Minotaur…………………………………………………. 106 b. Marathonian Bull………………………………………… 109 c. Krommyon Sow………………………………………….. 115 Struggles with Men…………………………………….……….. 116 a. Prokrustes………………………………………………… 117 b. Skiron…………………………………………………….. 118 c. Kerkyon…………………………………………………... 119 d. Sinis……………………………………………....………. 120 e. Combined Struggles on Cycle Cups………….…...……… 122 Struggles with Women…………………………….…....………. 125 E. Iconographic Allusions to Herakles……………….…………….. 127 a. Club-Bearer………………………………………………. 127 b. Bull-Tamer……………………………………………….. 128 F. Possible Political Implications…………………………………... 130 General Conclusions……………………………………....………… 133 Chapter IV: Ajax: Cult, Myth, and Epic Struggles…………………………. 137 Introduction…………………………………………………………. 137 A. Cult of Ajax……………………………………………………... 140 B. Mythology of Ajax………………………………...……………. 143 C. Ajax in Early Representations…………………...……………… 145 D. Ajax in Late Archaic Vase-Painting……………...…………….. 146 Ajax with Achilles………………………………...……………. 152 a. Carrying the Body of Achilles………………..………….. 153 b. Ajax and Achilles Playing a Boardgame……..………….. 159 Duels……………………………………………………………. 164 a. Battle for the Body of Potroklos……………………….… 165 b. Hektor……………………………………………….…… 167 Ajax with Odysseus…………………………………….………. 169 a. Embassy to Achilles…………………………….……….. 169 b. Quarrel/Vote for the Armor of Achilles……….………… 170 Alone/Suicide……………………………………….………….. 174 Stealing Ajax………………………………………….……………. 177 General Conclusions……………………………………………….. 179 Chapter V: The Heroic Vase: Juxtaposition………………………………... 181 Introduction……………………………………………………….... 181 Juxtaposed Heroes in Late Archaic Greek Vase-Painting………..... 184 A. Herakles and Herakles………………………………………..… 185 B. Theseus and Theseus…………………………………………… 187 C. Herakles and Theseus…………………………………………... 189 D. Ajax and Heroes………………………………………………… 192 a. Ajax and Ajax……………………………………………. 193 b. Ajax and Achilles……………………………….………... 193 c. Ajax (with Achilles) and Herakles……………………..… 195 d. Ajax (with Achilles) with Other Heroes…………………. 196 E. Other Heroic Juxtaposition…………………………….……….. 197 a. Achilles and Achilles…………………………….…….… 197 General Conclusions……………………………………….……….. 199 Conclusion………………………………………………………….………. 202 Catalogues………………………………………………………….………. 215 Chapter II…………………………………………………….…….. 216 Chapter III…………………………………………………….……. 225 Chapter IV…………………………………………………….……. 232 Chapter V………………………………………………………..…. 242 Figures……………………………………………………………………… 249 Bibliography………………………………………………………………... 316 i –ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS– Many individuals and organizations assisted in the research and development of this doctoral thesis, for which I would like to extend my gratitude. First and foremost, I would like to thank the University of Virginia's McIntire Department of Art and the Program in Classical Art and Archaeology, without whose many resources this study would not have been possible. Foremost among those resources stands the woman to whom I owe much of my current status as a teacher and scholar: my graduate and dissertation advisor, Tyler Jo Smith. Her valuable and constructive suggestions during the planning, researching, development, and editing of this work as well as her willingness to give her time so generously has been very much appreciated, as well as her unwavering guidance. I cannot express enough thanks to the rest of my other committee members, John Dobbins, Paul Barolsky, and Jenni Strauss Clay, for their direction, discussions, edits, continued support, and above all their time. I would like to thank other faculty members of the Art History and Classics Departments for their conversations and encouragement regarding my research, notably Jon Mikalson and Natasha Dakouri-Hild. A great deal of thanks is owed to Lucie Wall Stylianopoulos, the former head of the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library at the University of Virginia, and the staff of the McIntire Department of Art. I would like to offer my special thanks to Eleni Hasaki, my Masters Studies advisor, for her continued support and unwavering friendship. In addition, I am indebted to both Richard Seaford and Alan Shapiro for sharing their expertise and insights in the field of iconography with a budding scholar such as myself. The resources at the Beazley Archive (Oxford) were fundamental to my project, and I would like to acknowledge Thomas Mannack and Claudia Wagner for indulging my requests and ii opening the archive for my personal use. Assistance provided by Bob Bridges and the entire staff at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens was particularly helpful in receiving permits necessary to visit museums and sites around Greece pertinent to my research. I would also like to thank the following personages for enabling me to visit their museum collections and storerooms