Historical Subjects
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp) and Birch, Samuel
The number of vases on which undoubted historical subjects have been discovered is very limited, though the old systems of interpretation exerted much ingenuity in eliciting an historical meaning from many scenes of daily life, with or without names inscribed over the figures. In the instances given below, the names are given in most cases, obviating all doubts. It is worth noting that the subjects chosen are not as a rule those that would most obviously suggest themselves. They fall into two classes, one relating to historical events and persons, the other to literary celebrities:
I. (1) The weighing of silphium by Arkesilas, one of the descendants of Battos, who ruled at Kyrene—probably the second of the name (B.C. 580–550). This scene occurs on a Cyrenaic cup in the Bibliothèque at Paris (Cat. 189: see Vol. I., p. 342, Fig. 92), which is probably a contemporary production.
(2) Kroisos, the king of Lydia, on the funeral pyre (B.C. 545). See above, p. 6.
Fig. 132 = Reinach, i. 85 = Baumeister, ii. p. 796, fig. 860 (in Louvre).
From Baumeister. FIG. 132. KROISOS ON THE FUNERAL PYRE (VASE IN LOUVRE).
(3) Harmodios and Aristogeiton slaying the tyrant Hipparchos (B.C. 510).
B.F.: Arch.-epigr. Mitth. aus Oesterr. iii. (1879), pl. 6. R.F.; Reinach, i. 449; and see a late Panath. amph. in B.M. (B 605).
(4) Diitrephes shot to death with arrows, B.C. 479 (?). See Paus. i. 23, 3, and Frazer’s note.
Bibl. Nat. 299 = Jahrbuch, 1892, p. 185 (but see Reinach, ii. p. 255, and p. 15 under Gigantomachia).
(5) The Persian king and queen.
Helbig, p. 281 = Reinach, i. 275 (see Hartwig, Meistersch. p. 525).
(6) The Persian king hunting.
Petersburg, 1790 = Reinach, i. 23 (Xenophantos): cf. Naples 2992.
(7) Dareios in council, with various deities and personifications as spectators.
Naples 3253 = Reinach, i. 194 = Baumeister, i. pl. 6, fig. 449.
(8) Battle of Greeks and Persians (with spectator-deities, etc.).
Naples 3256 = Reinach, i. 98: see also p. 179; Reinach, ii. 84; Hartwig, Meistersch. pls. 55–56 and p. 518.
(9) Battle of Greeks and Messapians.
Berlin 3264 = Reinach, i. 270.
II. (1) Sappho.
(a) As single figure.
De Witte, Coll. à l’Hôtel Lambert, pl. 3.
(b) With Alkaios.
Fig. 133 = Munich 753 = Baumeister, iii. p. 1543, fig. 1607.
(c) Reading her poems.
Athens 1241 = Dumont-Pottier, pl. 6 = Reinach, i. 526.
(d) In rivalry with Muses.
Jatta 1538 = Reinach, i. 526.
(e) With Eros (named Talas).
Abhandl. d. k. sächs. Gesellsch. viii. (1861), pl. 1, fig. 1: see p. 49.
(2) Aesop.
Helbig, 154 = Jahn, Arch. Beitr. pl. 12, fig. 2.
(3) Anakreon.
B.M. E 18: cf. E 266–67, 314–15; and see generally Jahn, Gr. Dichter auf Vasenb. in Abhandl. d. k. sächs. Gesellsch. viii. (1861), p. 699 ff.