#amazonomachy

Greek lekythos (oil flask) with three mythological scenes

Upper zone: chariot surrounded by men and women (perhaps the abduction of Persephone or the departure of a goddess / god) Middle zone: Achilles mourning Patroklos, and Nereids bringing Achilles' second set of armor Lower zone: Amazonomachy (battle of Greeks against Amazons)

ca. 420 BCE, Eretria Painter

But nope

They were 13. JUST 13!

Penthesilea and her 12 slaves/servants.

That's all.

THE PORTRAIT OF AN AMAZON [V.] Detail of the Bassae Frieze, a multifigure continuous Amazonomachy scene carved in marble and preserved in the British Museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassae_Frieze From the Temple of Apollo Epikourios at Bassae, Messenia, Greece. '..a rare example of an almost complete architectural frieze from the ancient Greek world.. The frieze ran around the interior of the Temple..' [Txt ©BM]. Discovered in 1811-12, Consists of 23 slabs, 420-400 BC.

The British Museum, London | BM [First fl., Room 16 'Bassae Sculptures', 2nd level]

Web : https://www.britishmuseum.org

IG, YT, X, FB : @ britishmuseum

LiN : https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-british-museum

BM | Michael Svetbird Ph ©MSP | 19|08|24 5750X4300 600 [Detail V.] The object photographed is part of the BM collection [Non-commercial fair use | No AI training | Author's rights apply | Sorry for the watermarks]

📸 Part of the "Reliefs-Friezes-Slabs-Sculpture" MSP Online Photo-gallery:

👉 D-ART: https://www.deviantart.com/svetbird1234/gallery/72510770/reliefs-friezes-slabs-sculpture

Apulian red-figure vase, about 330 BCE. Amazonomachy Vase (or Battle of the Amazons). Italian: Vaso dell’Amazzonomachia. Likely the Darius painter. Found in a tomb near Ruvo di Puglia in fragments and restored. Naples Archeology Museum. My photos.

We're looking at this vase tonight because of the familiar, two tailed figures that circle its base, likely related to the Scythian ancestral goddess:

They're described as "winged caryatids" in an academic article discussing the vase. The author also compares them with this Apulian vase, which I wrote about here:

“Niobe” amphora, 4th century BCE. Photo from Valeva.

Like the description "Gigantomachy," or battle of the Giants, Amazonomachy is a fight of the Amazons. Here's photos of the scenes with the Amazons:

I found another Apulian vase with a two-tailed lady:

Detail, Apulian red-figure vase. Shows a scene in garden of Hesperides. 4th century BCE. Archeology Museum of Naples. My photo.

Here's the full vasse

Further reading

Giacobello, F. "Cratere apulo a figure rosse detto" Vaso dell'Amazzonomachia"." Restituzione 2013. Tesori d'arte restaurati. Marsilio, 2013.

The Sarcophagus of the Amazons is a large Etruscan sarcophagus of an unknown artist, dated back to the third quarter of the 4th century BC and preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Florence.

The painted alabaster sarcophagus dates back to 4th century BC (350-325 BC), a rare example of an ancient painting still preserving much of its extraordinary freshness.

The four sides of it are decorated with polychrome paintings depicting various dynamic fighting scenes of battling Greeks and Amazons.

The beautiful artifact represents an ancient Greek tradition of Amazonomachy.

Amazons were modeled on stories of self-confident women of steppe cultures who fought for glory and survival and enjoyed male companionship, but on terms that seemed extraordinary to the ancient Greeks.

The Sarcophagus of the Amazons was unearthed in the Etruscan town of Corneto (now Tarquinia, Italy) in 1869. Once, there was also another similar coffin (but without paintings), which was later lost.

Researchers believe the artifact was manufactured in Greece and shipped to Italy, still semi-finished.

The Greek artisans used the white limestone alabaster stone, a type that does not exist in Etruria, and other decoration features that have no comparison in the Etruscan context.

On the sarcophagus, there are two inscriptions in Etruscan language: a large one on the slope of the lid bears the name of the deceased "Ramtha Huzcnai," the other also bears her name with a few additions and is located on one of the long sides of the chest.

Day 4 - Mythology