Achilles and Hektor fighting over Troilos' corpse
This amphora reports one of the earliest known instances of the beheaded Troilos in Greek vase painting. The painter shows the beheaded corpse of Troilos lying to the left of an altar in shape of mound or “omphalos”. Based upon the prominence of the altar in the scene, it seems probable that the scene makes reference to the heinous murder occurring in the sacred sanctuary of Apollo Tymbraios.
The young victim’s name, ΤΡΟΙΛΟΣ, is inscribed in retrograde beside his body on both. The stance and positioning of Achilles, who is denoted as ΑΧΙΛ(Λ)ΕΥΣ. The hero is represented in a fighting stance, fully clothed with shield, greaves, helmet and cuirass, holding his spear in his left hand while grasping the hair of the decapitated Troilos’ head. Based upon the artist’s detail, it appears that this head is in the process of being flung at the group of Trojan warriors that dominate the right side of the narrative frieze.
The painter’s rendering of Achilles, the altar and the deceased Troilos occupy the far left of the depicted scene, as the center and far right of the frieze are dominated by the representations of five armed Trojan warriors led by Troilos’ brother Hektor; his name is inscribed in retrograde on both pots as ΗΕΚΤΟΡ. Hector is being depicted in fighting stance, holding a round shield with his left hand while raising a spear in his right hand. Hektor’s close companion on both is Aeneas, denoted as ΑΙΝΕΑΣ in retrograde.
The others Trojan warriors are labeled as AGENOR, ALEXANDOS and XALKAS in retrograde, and are also shown in the exact same fighting stance and dress as Hektor and Aeneas, and are given individual “protomes” upon their shields.
Source: D.D. Sampson, Troilos Infelix, 2009
Attic “Tyrrhenian” Group, black figured amphora
Attributed to “The Prometheus Painter”
Ca. 575 - 550 BC
From Pescia Romana, Viterbo
Florence, Museo Archeologico Etrusco
Achilles and Hektor fighting over Troilos' corpse
This amphora reports one of the earliest known instances of the beheaded Troilos in Greek vase painting. The painter shows the beheaded corpse of Troilos lying to the left of an altar in shape of mound or “omphalos”. Based upon the prominence of the altar in the scene, it seems probable that the scene makes reference to the heinous murder occurring in the sacred sanctuary of Apollo Tymbraios.
The young victim’s name, ΤΡΟΙΛΟΣ, is inscribed in retrograde beside his body on both. The stance and positioning of Achilles, who is denoted as ΑΧΙΛ(Λ)ΕΥΣ. The hero is represented in a fighting stance, fully clothed with shield, greaves, helmet and cuirass, holding his spear in his left hand while grasping the hair of the decapitated Troilos’ head. Based upon the artist’s detail, it appears that this head is in the process of being flung at the group of Trojan warriors that dominate the right side of the narrative frieze.
The painter’s rendering of Achilles, the altar and the deceased Troilos occupy the far left of the depicted scene, as the center and far right of the frieze are dominated by the representations of five armed Trojan warriors led by Troilos’ brother Hektor; his name is inscribed in retrograde on both pots as ΗΕΚΤΟΡ. Hector is being depicted in fighting stance, holding a round shield with his left hand while raising a spear in his right hand. Hektor’s close companion on both is Aeneas, denoted as ΑΙΝΕΑΣ in retrograde.
The others Trojan warriors are labeled as AGENOR, ALEXANDOS and XALKAS in retrograde, and are also shown in the exact same fighting stance and dress as Hektor and Aeneas, and are given individual “protomes” upon their shields.
Source: D.D. Sampson, Troilos Infelix, 2009
Attic “Tyrrhenian” Group, black figured amphora
Attributed to “The Prometheus Painter”
Ca. 575 - 550 BC
From Pescia Romana, Viterbo
Florence, Museo Archeologico Etrusco