Vase Catalog Number: Berlin F 1737

Decoration:

Side A: Achilles and Thetis with other heroes. Menelaos and Odysseus have come to enlist Achilles for the Trojan War. Achilles and Thetis stand facing one another. Achilles holds a spear and raises his right hand to his mouth, palm inward. Thetis, dressed in a purple peplos, gestures with her right hand. Behind her stands Menelaos. Patroklos stands behind Achilles. His raised left hand is not preserved (perhaps he was pushing Achilles forward?). Behind him are Odysseus and Menestheus. All the warriors are naked and barefoot. Menelaos and Odysseus are bearded. Menestheus has long sideburns.

Side B: Herakles and centaurs. Herakles battles three centaurs. Herakles has raised his sword against the centaur on the right, Asbolos, who brandishes a tree. Two centaurs gallop to the aid of their companian. They have come up behind Herakles, the first (Petraios) preparing to heave a large boulder at him, the second (Ulaios) ready to strike him with a small tree. The centaurs are bearded, as is Herakles, who wears a short chiton under his lion skin. His empty sword sheath hangs at his side.

Inscriptions:

Figures on both sides are labelled. On side A between the two main figures: THETIS; ACHILEUS, Thetis and Achilles. By the figure on the far right, MENELEOS, Menelaos. In front of the figure behind Achilles, PATRO&koppa;LOS, Patroklos. In front of the youth second from the left, OLUTEN. Around the gesturing hand of the youth on the far left, [M]ENESTHEUS, Menestheus, and by his leg, hOD[...], Od[ysseus]. On side B: hERAKLES, Herakles. He is battling the centaur on the right who is labelled: ASBOLOS, Asbolos. The two centaurs on the left are both labelled, from right to left: PETRAIOS and, retrograde, ULAIOS, Petraios and Ulaios.

Condition:

The vase is in excellent condition. There is some minor loss of added colors.

Sources Used:

Simon & Hirmer 1976, pl. 65.

Other Bibliography:

Gerhard 1843, pl. 13, 1-3; Lücken 1967, pls. 33-34; Schaal Sf. fig. 32; Jb. 46, 49, 4; Neugebauer pl. 26, below; Rumpf 1953, pl. 9, 7; EAA, ii, 496 fig. 686; Arias St. pl. 41, 2; Greifenhagen, A.K. pl. 21; Greifenhagen A.K. 2 27; Johansen Iliad 114; Antikenmuseum Berlin, Museum Nov. 1978, 17; Boardman 1974, fig. 122; Schefold 1978, fig. 163; Gehrig et al. Führer, pl. 45; Mededelingenblad Amsterdam 29 (1983) fig. 12.

(Kathleen Krattenmaker)