First Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage First Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Southern Italy (21of Southern Italy (21st st -23-23rdrd of May 2015, Siracusa) of May 2015, Siracusa)

The Killing of Rhesus on Three Apulian The Killing of Rhesus on Three Apulian Vase-paintings: iconography and iconologyVase-paintings: iconography and iconology Maria Emanuela OddoMaria Emanuela Oddo

IMT LuccaIMT Lucca

LITERARY SOURCESLITERARY SOURCES

The Iliad: Book X Tragedy: RhesosTranslator: A. T. Murray Translator: V. Liapis

Chorus: “A god, O Troy, a god, Ares himself – the colt born from Strymon and Muse the singer has arrived and breathes upon you.”

(Rhes. 385-387)

“Then in answer to him spake Odysseus of many wiles: "How is it now, do they sleep mingled with the horse-taming Trojans, or apart? tell me at large that I may know."Then made answer to him Dolon, son of Eumedes: "Verily now this likewise will I frankly tell thee. [...] But why is it that ye question me closely regarding all these things? For if ye are fain to enter the throng of the Trojans, lo, here apart be the Thracians, new comers, the outermost of all, and among them their king Rhesus, son of Eïoneus.” (Iliad X, 424-435)

Athena: “Have you not heard that Rhesus has arrived as an ally to Troy in no negligible fashion? Should he survive this night till tomorrow, there is no way Achilles nor Aiax's spear can keep him from ravaging all of the Argive boat-houses, having razed the walls to the ground, and launching with his spear a wide-ranging onslaught within the gates. If you kill him, then your mission is accomplished.”

(Rhes.598-605)

Musa: “ He will not enter the ground of dark heart; this much I shall ask of the bride below, the daughter of the corn-bearing goddess Demeter: to release his soul into the Upperworld. After all, she owes it to me to show manifest honour to Orpheus' kin. To me, of course, he will be from now on as dead and as one who does not behold the light; for he will never meet his mother again, nor ever see her figure. But he shall lie hidden in the cavern of the silver-veined land, as a man-god seeing the light, a prophet of Bacchus who dwell in a grotto beneath Pangaeus, as a revered god amongst those who know better”

(Rhes. 962-973)

ICONOGRAPHYICONOGRAPHY

Situla by the Lycurgus' PainterNapoli, Museo Archeolgicoca. 360 B.C.From Ruvo di Puglia

ICONOGRAPHYICONOGRAPHY

'Berlin' Krater Berlin, Antikensammlung

Unknown provenanceca. 350 B.C.

ICONOGRAPHYICONOGRAPHY

Krater by the Darius' PainterBerlin, Antikensammlungca. 340 B.C.Probably from Canosa

ICONOGRAPHYICONOGRAPHY

Krater by the Darius' PainterBerlin, Antikensammlungca. 340 B.C.Probably from Canosa

““È inoltre rilevante sottolineare come in tutti e tre i casi sui lati secondari siano raffigurate scene È inoltre rilevante sottolineare come in tutti e tre i casi sui lati secondari siano raffigurate scene

dionisiache che, secondo gli esegeti che propendono per l’interpretazione tragica della scena, dionisiache che, secondo gli esegeti che propendono per l’interpretazione tragica della scena,

richiamerebbero i legami del dio col mondo del teatro. Esse d’altra parte lasciano trasparire ulteriori richiamerebbero i legami del dio col mondo del teatro. Esse d’altra parte lasciano trasparire ulteriori

significati rituali e religiosi, tenuto conto sia degli stretti legami cultuali che legano la figura di Reso, significati rituali e religiosi, tenuto conto sia degli stretti legami cultuali che legano la figura di Reso,

divinità eroico-equestre, a Dioniso, cui l’eroe trace risulterebbe connesso in quanto suo prophetés, sia divinità eroico-equestre, a Dioniso, cui l’eroe trace risulterebbe connesso in quanto suo prophetés, sia

della funzione dei vasi. Si potrebbe dunque ipotizzare una duplice lettura simbolica per questo episodio: della funzione dei vasi. Si potrebbe dunque ipotizzare una duplice lettura simbolica per questo episodio:

esaltazione dell’ideale eroico ellenico rappresentato da Odisseo e Diomede e funzione salvifico-esaltazione dell’ideale eroico ellenico rappresentato da Odisseo e Diomede e funzione salvifico-

escatologica rappresentata dal legame Reso-Dioniso e dalla divinizzazione dello sconfitto ma valoroso escatologica rappresentata dal legame Reso-Dioniso e dalla divinizzazione dello sconfitto ma valoroso

guerriero trace. Inoltre, anche in questo caso, come già rilevato a proposito delle immagini relative guerriero trace. Inoltre, anche in questo caso, come già rilevato a proposito delle immagini relative

all’agguato a Dolone, l’ambientazione della scena in un luogo selvaggio e di confine tra l’accampamento all’agguato a Dolone, l’ambientazione della scena in un luogo selvaggio e di confine tra l’accampamento

acheo e quello troiano, il suo svolgimento sotto forma di agguato notturno e la vittoria conseguita dai acheo e quello troiano, il suo svolgimento sotto forma di agguato notturno e la vittoria conseguita dai

due campioni achei grazie alla metis si oppongono alla prassi consolidata del combattimento eroico. due campioni achei grazie alla metis si oppongono alla prassi consolidata del combattimento eroico.

Anche la fine di Reso come quella di Dolone, si rivela dunque esattamente contraria all’eroico ideale Anche la fine di Reso come quella di Dolone, si rivela dunque esattamente contraria all’eroico ideale

della bella morte. Pertanto si possono nuovamente riconoscere in questo episodio gli elementi della bella morte. Pertanto si possono nuovamente riconoscere in questo episodio gli elementi

caratteristici (collocazione liminare del luogo dell’azione, oscurità, uso dell’astuzia e dell’inganno) della caratteristici (collocazione liminare del luogo dell’azione, oscurità, uso dell’astuzia e dell’inganno) della

caccia efebica, che, come si è detto, rientra in quei riti di passaggio tipici della paideia aristocratica caccia efebica, che, come si è detto, rientra in quei riti di passaggio tipici della paideia aristocratica

ateniese e spartana, attestati anche in Magna Grecia. Si può quindi supporre che nella raffigurazione ateniese e spartana, attestati anche in Magna Grecia. Si può quindi supporre che nella raffigurazione

dell’agguato a Reso si mirasse ancora una volta ad alludere a quelle prove di prestanza fisica e di metis dell’agguato a Reso si mirasse ancora una volta ad alludere a quelle prove di prestanza fisica e di metis

cui dovevano sottoporsi gli adolescenti per poter avere accesso all’età adulta”cui dovevano sottoporsi gli adolescenti per poter avere accesso all’età adulta”

M. Maggialetti, Epica in L. Todisco (ed.) La ceramica a figure rosse

della Magna Grecia e della Sicilia, 3 voll, Roma 2012, Vol.II, p.253

ICONOLOGYICONOLOGY

RHESOS, DIONYSOS' RHESOS, DIONYSOS' PROPHETPROPHETÉÉSSMusaMusa: “ And you: “ And you, Athena, , Athena, cause of this massacre –cause of this massacre – neither Odysseus nor neither Odysseus nor Tydeus' son did anything – Tydeus' son did anything – do not think that your act do not think that your act has excaped notice.has excaped notice. And yet And yet it is your own city that all of it is your own city that all of us sisters, the Muses, rank us sisters, the Muses, rank highest, and it is its own highest, and it is its own land that we do frequent the land that we do frequent the most. And the torches of the most. And the torches of the mystic rites, which we do not mystic rites, which we do not speak of, were revealed by speak of, were revealed by Orpheus, the very cousin of Orpheus, the very cousin of this dead man here, whom this dead man here, whom you have slain. And Musaeus you have slain. And Musaeus tootoo, your own august , your own august citizen and the most citizen and the most suprememly accomplished suprememly accomplished of men, was instructed by of men, was instructed by us, namely Phoebus and us, namely Phoebus and my sisters. And as my my sisters. And as my recompense for all these recompense for all these things, I now lament my things, I now lament my son, therefore I will never son, therefore I will never bring another skilled bring another skilled artist.artist.””

(Rhes(Rhes. 938-949)

MusaMusa: “ He will not enter : “ He will not enter the ground of dark heart; the ground of dark heart; this much I shall ask of this much I shall ask of the bride below, the the bride below, the daughter of the corn-daughter of the corn-bearing goddess Demeter: bearing goddess Demeter: to release his soul into the to release his soul into the Upperworld. After all, she Upperworld. After all, she owes it to me to show owes it to me to show manifest honour to manifest honour to Orpheus' kin. To me, of Orpheus' kin. To me, of course, he will be from course, he will be from now on as dead and as now on as dead and as one who does not behold one who does not behold the light; for he will never the light; for he will never meet his mother again, meet his mother again, nor ever see her figure. nor ever see her figure. But he shall lie hidden but But he shall lie hidden but will lurk hidden in the will lurk hidden in the cavern of the silver-cavern of the silver-veined land, as a man-veined land, as a man-god seeing the light, a god seeing the light, a prophet of Bacchus who prophet of Bacchus who dwell in a grotto beneath dwell in a grotto beneath Pangaeus, as a revered Pangaeus, as a revered god amongst those who god amongst those who know betterknow better””

(Rhes. 962-973)(Rhes. 962-973)

The Krater of the Darius PainterThe Krater of the Darius Painter

Dionysos TaurosI century A.C.Roman copy from greek originalNarbonne, Musée Archéologique

STEALING THE HORSES: A RITE OF PASSAGE

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

● Ancient artifacts representing the Killing of Rhesos are rare and scattered. On the contrary, these apulian vase-paintings are homogeneous in terms of style, context, provenance and dating.Why?

➢ It is well known that theatrical subjects were popular in South Italian vase-paintings: a favorable reception of the Pseudoeuripidean play could have influenced the tastes of potters and patrons.(V. Liapis)

➢ Diomedes of Thrace > Rhesos > Diomedes of Argos

● We should now integrate the images with the artifact. The three vases come from burials, but a question stay still open: were they expressly made to be part of the funerary equipment or had they a life before being buried?

➢ The Kraters were probably ment to be funerary goods since the beginning (cfr. iconography; functional specialization of the shape).

➢ The iconography of the Situla would suggest that it was realized for another occasion (e.g. rite of passage) and then buried with its owner. Unfortunately we cannot have more solid proof of it.

Any image has a hundred facets, connected with its contemporary visual and literary Any image has a hundred facets, connected with its contemporary visual and literary culture, with the artifact, the potter, its workshop, etc. The only way to understand culture, with the artifact, the potter, its workshop, etc. The only way to understand ancient artifacts is to put all this facets togheter in order to rebuild the polyhedron.ancient artifacts is to put all this facets togheter in order to rebuild the polyhedron.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHYSELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Capriotti Vittozzi, G. Note sull'immagine di Alessandro Magno in Egitto, in S. Russo (ed.) Atti del V Convegno Nazionale di

Egittologia e Papirologia (Firenze, 10-12 dicembre 1999), Firenze 2000

Carpenter, T. H. Dionysos and the Blessed on Apulian Red-Figured Vases, in R. Schlesier (ed.) A Different God? Dionysos and

Ancient Polytheism, Berlin 2011, 253-261

Cirio, A. M. Nuovi dati sull’iconografia del mito di Dolone e di Reso, in Aspetti del mondo classico: lettura ed interpretazione dei

testi- seminari in collaborazione con l'A.I.C.C.-sede di Salerno, Napoli 2006, pp.25-39

Fantuzzi, M. The myths of Dolon and Rhesus from Homer to the « Homeric/cyclic » tragedy « Rhesus », in Bakker (ed.) La poésie

épique grecque : métamorphoses d'un genre littéraire : Vandœuvres-Genève, 22-26 août 2004 : huit exposés suivis de discussions,

Genève-Vandœuvres 2006, pp. 135-176

Fasciato, M., Leclant, J. Notes sur les types monétaires présentant une figure imberbe à cornes de bélier, in “Mélanges de l'Ecole

Française de Rome, Antiquité” LXI (1949), 7-33

Fenik, B. Iliad X and the Rhesus: the myth, Bruxelles 1964

Giacobello, F. Il furto dei cavalli di Reso nella ceramica apula in I. Colpo, I. Favaretto, F. Ghedini (eds.) Iconografia 2006. Gli

eroi di Omero, Roma 2007, 208-215

Giuliani, L. Rhesus between dream and death: on the relation of image to literature in Apulian vase-painting, “BICS” 41 (1996),

71-86

- Il complesso vascolare del Pittore di Dario, in R. Cassano (ed.) Principi, imperatori vescovi. Duemila anni di storia a Canosa (Catalogo della mostra, Bari 1992), Venezia 1992, 516-519

- Tragik, Trauer und Trost: Bildervasen für eine apulische Totenfeier, Berlin 1995

Guaitoli, M. T. Il culto “incrociato” di due eroi – Reso e Diomede: cavalli, regalità e sacrificio, “Ocnus” 3 (1995) pp.77-86

Liapis, V. A commentary on the Rhesus attributed to Euripides, Oxford-New York 2012

- The Thracian cult of Rhesus and the Hero equitans, “Kernos” 24 (2011), 95-104

- Rhesus. Myth and iconography, in J.R.C. Cousland, J. R. Hume (eds.) The play of texts and fragents. Essays in honour of

Martin Cropp, Leiden 2009, 273-291

- Rhesus revisited. The case for a fourth-century Macedonian context, “Journal of Hellenic Studies” 129 (2009) pp.71-88

- Zeus, Rhesus and the mysteries, “The Classical Quarterly” 57 (2007), 381-411

Lucchese, S. Forme vascolari. Il cratere, in L. Todisco (ed.) La ceramica a figure rosse della Magna Grecia e della Sicilia, Vol. II-

Inquadramento, Roma 2012, 129-133

Maggialetti, M. Epica, in L. Todisco (ed.) La ceramica a figure rosse della Magna Grecia e della Sicilia, Vol. II-Inquadramento,

Roma 2012, 230-277

Markantonatos, A. Ἡρώων θεραπείαι : Orphism and Euripides' « Rhesus », “Skepsis” 13-14 (2002-2003), 293-304

Melotti, M. Riti di passaggio, in “Enciclopedia dell’Antichità classica”, Milano 2000, 719-720

Merkelbach, R. Die pisistratische Redaktion der homerischen Gedichte, “Rheinisches Museum für Philologie” XCV (1952) 44ss.

Merro, G. L'esegesi antica al « Reso », in G. Avezzù e P. Scattolin (eds.) I classici greci e i loro commentatori : dai papiri ai

« marginalia » rinascimentali : atti del convegno, Rovereto, 20 ottobre 2006, Rovereto 2006, pp.139-150

Moret, J. M. L’Ilioupersis dans la céramique italiote, 2 voll. Ginevra 1975

Schmidt, M. Orfeo e orfismo nella pittura vascolare italiota, in ACT XIV (1975), 105-137

Taplin, O. Pots and plays: interactions between vases and Greek vase-painting of the fourth century B. C., Los Angeles 2007

True, M. Rhesos in A.A. V.V. Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, VIII Suppl., Zürig und Düsseldorf 1997, 1044-1047

- The Murder of Rhesos on a Chalcidian neck-amphora by the Inscription Painter, in Carter, B. e Morris, S. P. (eds.) The ages of Homer, Austin (Texas) 1995, 415-430

Vidal-Naquet, P. Le chasseur noir. Formes de pensées et formes de société dans le monde grec, Paris 1981