Aethiopis – Memnon’s Death
The kylix
Eos poignantly lifts her fallen son, Memnon, who lies listlessly in her arms. She is dressed in a finely pleated Ionic chiton which reveals the lines of her legs, wears a patterned sakkos on her head, and has elaborately patterned wings. Her arms and parts of the torso of Memnon are gone and restored with plain clay. Memnon's head and arms fall lifeless down at the right. Some details of his anatomy and the bleeding wounds are done in dilute glaze. The border around the tondo is formed of alternating crosses, maeanders (alternating directions), and X's; the last two maeanders above the exergue mistakenly overlap.
All characters are named. Above Eos' head, her name “hεος” is reported, near the painter’s signature : Δορις | εγραφσεν – Douris painted.
Below, the face of Memnon, in three lines filling all the space, the are the name of the character, Μεμλον, and the potter’s signature Καλ[λ]ιαδες | εποιεσεν, Kaliades made.
On the left, below Eos’ winges an inscription arranged in three parallel lines reading
[?]ενεμεκνερινε - hερμογενες | καλος{3}. The first sequence is mysterious and disputed, but probably connected to the sexual appeal of the “awesome Hermogenes”.
Source: www.perseus.tufts.edu
CAV / CAVI @ www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/
The Poem Aethiopis.
Proclus' synopsis of the Aethiopis' contents is preserved before the text of the Iliad in the tenth century manuscript known as Venetus A. The poem was divided into five books, and its length may therefore be estimated at some 2,500-3,000 lines. It was attributed to Arctinus of Miletus.
Memnon’ s account is narrated in the Aethiopis’ second book. He is the son of Tithonus and Eos. Accompanied by a large force of Aethiopians, he arrived to assist the Trojans. Thetis prophesied to her son Achilles about the encounter with Memnon. She warned him that if he fought Memnon, he would kill him, but be killed himself after a short time. When battle is joined, Antilochus, Nestor’s son, is killed by Memnon, but then Achilles kills Memnon. The circumstances are assumed to be as related by Pindar, Pyth. 6. 28-42. One of the horses drawing Nestor's chariot is hit by an arrow shot by Paris, preventing Nestor's escape from the onset of Memnon, he shouts to his son Antilochus for help, and Antilochus came and fights Memnon, losing his own life but saving his father's. It is further conjectured that Achilles wanted to avoid Memnon because of his mother’s warning, but that now, incensed by the death of his young friend Antilochus, he joins battle with Memnon killing him. Eos confers immortality upon her son after prevailing on Zeus.
Source: West M.L., "Iliad" and "Aethiopis"
Attic red figure kylix
H. 12 cm; Dm. 26 cm.
Attributed to Douris as painter by signature, and Kalliades as potter by signature
485 – 480 BC
From Capua
Paris, Musée du Louvre, G 115
Aethiopis – Memnon’s Death
The kylix
Eos poignantly lifts her fallen son, Memnon, who lies listlessly in her arms. She is dressed in a finely pleated Ionic chiton which reveals the lines of her legs, wears a patterned sakkos on her head, and has elaborately patterned wings. Her arms and parts of the torso of Memnon are gone and restored with plain clay. Memnon's head and arms fall lifeless down at the right. Some details of his anatomy and the bleeding wounds are done in dilute glaze. The border around the tondo is formed of alternating crosses, maeanders (alternating directions), and X's; the last two maeanders above the exergue mistakenly overlap.
All characters are named. Above Eos' head, her name “hεος” is reported, near the painter’s signature : Δορις | εγραφσεν – Douris painted.
Below, the face of Memnon, in three lines filling all the space, the are the name of the character, Μεμλον, and the potter’s signature Καλ[λ]ιαδες | εποιεσεν, Kaliades made.
On the left, below Eos’ winges an inscription arranged in three parallel lines reading
[?]ενεμεκνερινε - hερμογενες | καλος{3}. The first sequence is mysterious and disputed, but probably connected to the sexual appeal of the “awesome Hermogenes”.
Source: www.perseus.tufts.edu
CAV / CAVI @ www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/
The Poem Aethiopis.
Proclus' synopsis of the Aethiopis' contents is preserved before the text of the Iliad in the tenth century manuscript known as Venetus A. The poem was divided into five books, and its length may therefore be estimated at some 2,500-3,000 lines. It was attributed to Arctinus of Miletus.
Memnon’ s account is narrated in the Aethiopis’ second book. He is the son of Tithonus and Eos. Accompanied by a large force of Aethiopians, he arrived to assist the Trojans. Thetis prophesied to her son Achilles about the encounter with Memnon. She warned him that if he fought Memnon, he would kill him, but be killed himself after a short time. When battle is joined, Antilochus, Nestor’s son, is killed by Memnon, but then Achilles kills Memnon. The circumstances are assumed to be as related by Pindar, Pyth. 6. 28-42. One of the horses drawing Nestor's chariot is hit by an arrow shot by Paris, preventing Nestor's escape from the onset of Memnon, he shouts to his son Antilochus for help, and Antilochus came and fights Memnon, losing his own life but saving his father's. It is further conjectured that Achilles wanted to avoid Memnon because of his mother’s warning, but that now, incensed by the death of his young friend Antilochus, he joins battle with Memnon killing him. Eos confers immortality upon her son after prevailing on Zeus.
Source: West M.L., "Iliad" and "Aethiopis"
Attic red figure kylix
H. 12 cm; Dm. 26 cm.
Attributed to Douris as painter by signature, and Kalliades as potter by signature
485 – 480 BC
From Capua
Paris, Musée du Louvre, G 115