DOI: 10.53084/22209050_2021_24_55

E.A. Boiko
«Like a ram he seemeth to me, a ram of thick fleece»: interpretation of myth on red-figure stamnos by Triptolemos Painter

Abstract: The paper discusses the problem of interpretation of the classic painted red-figure stamnos by Triptolemos Painter (c. 470). Subject of the study is a scene of a battle between Ajax and Hector, fighting over a stabbed ram. The signature above the hip of a ram is usually interpreted as the name of Patroclos. Only three letters have survived from the entire inscription: "PAT" – however, proportions of the ram are close to human proportions, and the composition resembles an iconographic scheme of the battle over the warrior's body. Such a metaphor, according to our hypothesis, is a result of combination of three pictorial themes: the battle over a warrior's body, sacrifice and torment of an animal. Triptolemos Painter probably depicted the death of the Trojan hero as a sacrifice, not only to express a personal attitude towards Patroclos death, but also to point at the cult basis of the myth. The epic logic of the death of Patroclos is
strongly connected with Mediterranean substitution cults. Patroclos-charioteer became Achilles' cult substitute, his atoning sacrifice. Scenes of the battle over a warrior's body are often complemented by pictorial friezes with scenes of animal torment. Such parallelism is traditional in archaic and classical Greek art. Triptolemos Painter hints on such torment: he depicts the lion on Hector's shield, above the ram. Vase painter is supposed to combine two traditional compositions: a scene of a battle over the warrior's body and a scene of torment.

Keywords: vase painting, classics, "Iliad", Triptolemos Painter, battle over the warrior's
body, ritual substitute

To cite this article: Boiko E.A. «Like a ram he seemeth to me, a ram of thick fleece»: interpretation of myth on red-figure stamnos by Triptolemos Painter. Аристей XXIV (2021): 55–67.

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Author:

E.A. Boiko