#andokides

Two scenes of agon, "conflict" or "contest". Hoplites on one side, egged on by Athena and Hermes; youths at a singing contest. Attic Red-figure amphora by the potter Andokides, c 520 BCE.

Herakles and Athena. Side A of an Attic red-figure bilingual amphora painted by Andokides, ca. 520 B.C., from Vulci. Staatliche Antikensammlung, Munich, inv. 2301. 

Dear Aunty Aspasia 

My wife and I have been married for only two years and things have been rocky. She believes that I’ve been neglecting my role as her Kyrios and ever since she had our twin boys she has been busy with child rearing and whatever other stuff women do. We have yet to create some spare heirs for my oikos but I feel that she doesn’t want to come near me. As a result I have been frequenting the Kerameikos late at night and enjoying the occasional woman and throw of the dice. Yesterday, my wife cornered me in my house and told me she was off at the end of the week to get a divorce, as I am not the citizen man her and her father thought I would be. I yelled at her for her insolence but I am concerned, ultimately my wife wants a divorce and I cannot pay back her dowry. I have to find four hundred drachmas before she initiates divorce proceedings. What should I do to prevent such a mess?

From, By Zeus I’m Broke. 

Dear By Zeus I’m Broke

Your wife is feeling neglected and to accuse you of being a bad citizen is not without merit. She can tell that you are off to the Kerameikos and you are probably not revealing the extent of your nocturnal trips - considering you are lacking four hundred drachmas of her own dowry. If her old Kyrios wishes to have her back than he can and he will demand the dowry. I think your first move should be to placate her and convince her that involving her old Kyrios is not necessary. Show her you are a good citizen man and avoid the Kerameikos at all costs - furthermore, if you have anyone who owes you money or whether you can sell things try and raise the four hundred drachmas somehow in case. If you can placate your wife enough be weary that she may attempt to get a divorce by herself. In order to do so she will have to submit this to the Arkhon and I know for a fact that if this happens you can physically pick her up and take her home (but hopefully it will not come to that). I wish you some luck in your endeavours but you have brought some of this upon yourself. 

Regards,

Aunty Aspasia 

Vocabulary:

Kyrios - normally a man of the household whose role included representing his charges in the law courts and was seen as their ‘protector’ or ‘guardian’. 

Oikos - the term for the family unit in Athens. 

Kerameikos - A place in Athens, think of the word ceramics as it’s where all the potters lived. 

Arkhon - An official role who presided over law courts. Was not a position that you had to be smart or qualified in order to attain it. 

Sources:

Attic Red-figure (bilingual) amphora, c. 530 B.C. Signed by Andokides (potter). Red-figure decoration attributed to the Andokides Painter. Black-figure decoration (the lip) attributed to the Lysippides Painter.

A: Herakles and Apollo vying for possession of the tripod of the Delphic Oracle (agon).

B: Dionysus with Maenad and Satyr

lip: Herakles and the Nemean Lion

Dimensions: H. 22 5/8 in. (57.5 cm)

Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1963

Accession Number: 63.11.6

This reads "andokides made me", which is found on a vase (i had to take a picture of the exhibition poster though, damn you glass reflection!). I find this quite funny because the feeling of DIY pride is strong in us since the dawn of ages, and the artist always signs his piece! Also how cute is it that it's worded like the vase itself was informing the reader. This could means they already personified objects and assigned to inanimate stuff human emotion. This leads wandering minds to image greek youth complaining about how their charriot hates them or slowly muttering to their wobbling perfume vase "oh come on, don't break, i'll love you forever!".

ok maybe i read too far into stuff but no one can actually disprove me, so until then, i choose to believe that this happened!