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There is a small amount of geometric decoration at the base of the vase. This calls attention to its weight bearing ability. The rays that point upward direct our eye to the story being told above.
Just as the Greek valued harmony, they also wanted the function of these object to be obvious at first glance.
Story - Mythology
Herakles or Hercules was the son of the great god Zeus (zoose) and a mortal, Alcmene (alk-MEE-nee). Zeus had tricked Alcmene into believing that he was her husband. Zeus's wife, Hera, was so jealous of her husband's love for Alcmene that she made Herakles' life miserable.
When Herakles was a grown man with a family of his own, Hera sent madness upon him and drove him to kill his entire family. He went to the ORACLE at Delphi (DEL-fie) to seek penance for his horrific crime. The oracle told him that he had to go see the king of Mycenae (my-SEE-nee) and do whatever the king had told him to. When he completed the deeds, his sins would be forgiven.
The king of Mycenae first ordered Herakles to kill the Nemean (nee-MEE-un) lion that had been threatening a nearby village for many years. The village people told him it could not be killed by weapon or arrow. Herakles tried to shoot the lion, but his arrows could not wound the beast. Finally, he wrestled the lion to the ground and strangled it with his hands. He kept the skin as proof and wore it as a cloak, which gave him even greater strength.
Herakles' second task was to capture a savage boar from the mountain of Erymanthus (err-a-MAN-thus). Herakles trapped the fearsome boar and brought it back alive to the king to prove he had accomplished his task. The king was so frightened by the beast that he ran and hid in a bronze jar.
Much to everyone's amazement, Herakles went on to successfully complete ten more seemingly impossible tasks. Because of him, many people lived without fear. Zeus was so impressed by Herakles' strength, courage, and hard work that he made him a god. Athena (a-THEE-na) the goddess of war, wisdom, and the arts, came down from Mount Olympus (OH-limp-US) in her |
chariot to carry Herakles to live among the gods.
GREEK SOCIETY AND ITS ART
The subject matter of Greek art is almost always human and animal The love of Homeric legends linked Greek culture and much of the art depicts legends from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Gods and goddesses were portrayed as human in art and literature. Physically, they reflected the Greek ideal of beauty; harmonious proportion, order and balance, but they had character flaws, just like humans. Greek artists idealized the human form, which reflected the value that Ancient Greeks placed on the individual within the larger society.
Symbols
Armor - Identifies Athena as the Warrior Goddess. She fought for good cause and not for destruction.
Boars & Lions – Herakles conquered these animals as the second or his 12 labors.
Hermes - The Messenger God who guided Herakles on his many journeys.
Cloak – Athena’s cloak is made of serpents and is a reference to the head of Medusa given to her by Perseus.
Techniques and Terms
Terracotta – a type of red clay used in Greek pottery.
Engobe – A clay and water solution used for painting on pottery. It turns black after firing.
Incised Lines – Lines carved into the pottery to give details.
Optional Categories
The Artist
Uses of the Object
Placement of the Object
Comparison of one object to another
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he main narrative are smaller bands. The bottom band contains lions and wild boars. The upper band shows soldiers with armor. The upper band seems to have more movement than the lower band.