Walters, Henry Beauchamp; British Museum <London> [Editor]: Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum (Band 4): Vases of the latest period (London, 1896)

ETRUSCAN AND LOCAL FABRICS. 2O9

armlets ; their flesh is painted white; the snakes have forked tails. On the r.
is Athene to I., with white crested helmet, long curls, scaly aegis with Gorgoneion
in white, long chiton embroidered with palmettes, wave and other patterns, and
bordered himation, spear in I. hand, shield by her side, with Gorgoneion and
borders of wave-pattern and dots ; in r, hand she holds out a dove by the
wings (see Class. Rev. I. c. ; probably an offering for purification after child-
birth) ; behind her is a cista with chequer and other patterns. Before her, on
a higher level, is an aged female figure, probably a nurse, stooping down to 1.
to rescue Iphitos ; she has white hair, bracelets, long girt embroidered chiton
with spiral and other patterns, and shoes. Behind, above Athene, is Dionysos
seated to r., looking to 1. ; he is bearded, with long curls, and wears wreath,
embroidered himation with egg-moulding and palmette borders over his lower
limbs, and endromides with tops turned over. In his r. hand are a sceptre
ending in a fleur-de-lys and a vine-branch with clusters of grapes ; in 1. he holds
out a cantJiaros ; on the r. hang an embroidered taenia and a bunch of grapes.
In front of the nurse is Apollo Ismenios (indicating the locality) seated to 1.,
looking back, with long curls, laurel-wreath, endromides, bordered himation under
him ; in r. hand a lar^e laurel-branch ; with 1. he supports his head. Above

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him is an Eros flying to 1., with long curls, band over r. shoulder, and armlets,
carrying a dish of fruit; his flesh is painted white. On the 1. is Hermes
on the ground, seated to 1., looking back, beardless, with long curls, petasos,
chlamys with wave-border under him, endromides, and caduceus in r. hand.
Before him stands Artemis, with hair in a top-knot, white fillet wound three
times round the head, and curls in front of her ears, flesh painted white ; she
wears long embroidered chiton with borders of spiral, engrailed, and palmette
patterns and broad girdle, over which is a fawn-skin tied on r. shoulder ; she
holds out a bow in 1. hand and an arrow in r. Above is Zeus seated to r.,
looking back at Artemis, bearded, with long curls ; he wears wreaths round
his head and over 1. shoulder, embroidered himation with border of egg-
moulding over lower limbs, and endromides ; thunderbolt in 1. hand, in r. a
sceptre ending in a fleur-de-lys. By his side is Alcmena (flesh painted white),
pointing to the scene below with r. hand, and placing 1. round Zeus' neck ;
she has long hair with curls in front of cars, necklace, bracelets, long sleeved
chiton, and embroidered himation with border of spirals. Behind them is an
Eros with long curls, fillet, and sandals, kneeling on 1. knee, holding up a taenia
in both hands ; in the field below him, a ball and apliialc.

[This scene is apparently a copy of a painting- by Zeuxis mentioned by Pliny, H. N.
xxxv. 63 ; cf. Philostratus, Imagg. 5, ed. Welcker, p. 607 ; Roscher, i., pp. 2222, 2242 ; Arch.
Zeit. 1868, p. 33 ; Pitturc d Ercolano, i. pi. 7 ; Mon. dclP Inst. xi. pi. 42, 2. A vase of similar
style is published in Mon. deW Inst, x. 51, and Ann. 1878, p. 80 ff.]

{b) Dionysiac scene: In the centre is a Maenad seated to r., looking to 1.,
with hair in a top-knot, tied by a taenia at the back, with curls in front, ear-
rings, necklace, bracelets, and long chiton with wave-border and girdle ; she
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