Vase Catalog Number: Mississippi 1977.3.63

Decoration:

Side A: Herakles and the boar. In the center of the composition Herakles stands facing right, carrying the boar on his left shoulder. He rests his right foot on the rim of the pithos, within which Eurystheus cowers, raising his arms in supplication. Herakles is naked except for his sword. Herakles carries the boar with its head toward the rear. Iolaos stands at the left of the composition, facing right. Young and unbearded, he wears a short chiton and carries both his own club and that of Herakles. Athena stands at the right of the composition facing left. She wears a peplos and a helmet with a tall crest. She carries a spear and a shield with a dolphin shield device.

Side B: A woman stands in the middle of the composition, facing right, flanked by warriors. She wears a peplos and has her himation drawn up over her head. She gestures toward the warrior on the right. Both warriors stand facing left, but the warrior at the left of the composition looks back over his shoulder at the woman. Both warriors wear Corinthian helmets and greaves. Large shields cover their body, but a bit of drapery trails beneath. The warrior on the left has lion protome shield device, while the warrior on the right has a leg.

The neck of the vase is decorated with addorsed palmettes. The lower body of the vase is decorated with zones of a maeander, lotus buds, and rays.

Archaic Attic art emphasizes the fact that Herakles had to capture the Erymanthean boar alive. Artists represent the hero carrying off the subdued boar rather than the actual struggle. This emphasis on the live capture is found in the most complete ancient reference to the story, Diod. Sic. 4.12.1-2, which also has the tradition of Eurystheus hiding in the pithos. The actual delivery of the boar to Eurystheus, rather than scenes of Herakles carrying the boar on his way back, are most popular from the mid sixth century on. The composition depicting Herakles with his foot on the pithos rim begins ca. 530. The presence of Athena and Iolaos at the delivery are typical of the scene. Vases which show Herakles holding the boar with its head toward the rear are fairly rare in black-figure, as is the depiction of Herakles as naked.

Collection History:

Once in the Robinson collection. Harvard Inv. 137.

Sources Used:

Robinson 1956, no. 12; LIMC, V, Herakles, 47-48

(Anne Harrison)