Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 3,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (earthquake, clouds, wind, dew, rain, meteorits): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1940)

512 Pyre-extinguishing rain

have already fallen, one beside Amphitryon, the other at the feet of
Antenor. Moreover, two Hyades from above are drenching the py>e
with streams of water from their hydriai. And (a remarkable trait1)
the black air thick with white raindrops is spanned by a rainbow
of reddish purple and white. The presence of Aos, the dawn-
goddess, who holds a mirror in the top right-hand corner, marks the
time of day and seems to promise a fairer future. An arrip'101^
from Capua, also in the British Museum, repeats the scene wit
some modifications (fig. 323)2. Alkmene on the altar raises bo
hands, appealing to Zeus, who is not seen. Antenor appi'oacn^s
with a torch in either hand: Amphitryon is omitted. Over bo
figures in the foreground extends a rainbow painted in three colou1^
red, white, and black, while the Hyades, as before, are employ1"*'
their hydriai to extinguish the flames. These attendant n>/nil
furnish an interesting case of adaptation from an earlier art-tyP^
Python, wanting to represent the extinction of a theatrical W ^
recalls the cremation of Herakles3 as shown in Satyric drama-
Apulian krater from Ruvo, formerly in theCaputi collection (fig' 3 ^
has Herakles in full vigour stepping on to the chariot of Nike> v
will drive him up the slopes of Olympos. Above, the gods &
represented by Aphrodite and Eros. Below, the blazing l°£s &
drenched by three damsels, perhaps fountain-powers5. ^crO0
dancing Silenos sufficiently indicates that the scene is take11 ^
some Satyr-play. A pelike at Munich (fig. 325)" in the style 0
Kadmos Painter' (c. 420—410 B.C.') gives the fire consuming

1 This appears to be the earliest naturalistic representation of a rainbow in a

For another remarkable rendering see supra p. 36 f. pi. iv. colle/''orie

2 Brit. Mus. Cat. Vases iv. 99 no. F 193, R. Engelmann 'Vaso del ^icb = n1)'
Alessandro Castellani' in the Ann. d. Inst. 1872 xliv. 1—18 pi. A (part of_w ,bverse)
fig- 323)> Reinach Rip. Vases i. 328, 2, Corp. vas. ant. Brit. Mus. iv E. a pi- <>i 7a

and 7 b (reverse) with text p. 5 by A. H. Smith and F. N. Pryce.

3 SuPra 9°3 n. 2. fig. 324)'

4 T. Avellino in the Bull. Arch. Nap. Nuova Serie 1855 iii. 173 P1- 14 \^noli l8?7
Reinach Rip. Vases i. 481, G. Jatta Vast italogreci del signer Caputi l^prlf'
no. 260, H. Heydemann Vase Caputi mit Theaterdarstellungen [Winckelmann^
Halle ix) Halle 1884 p. 11 n. 28, H. BlUmner in Baumeister Denhn. i- 3°Lcjjer.'

s S. Reinach loc. cit.: ' les Hyades apportent de 1'eau pour eteindre le ^ .jyfoft e

6 Jahn Vasensamml. Miinchen p. 127 f. no. 384 (now no. 2370), J- R° \j0fi.d-^'
apotheose d'Hercule' in the Ann. d. Inst. 1847 xix. 263—278 pi. o (reverse), jrevets_e)'
iv pi. 41 (obverse) = Reinach Rip. Vases i. 130, 9 and 10 (obverse), *7+ jggilt&}
H. Heydemann Vase Caputi mit Theaterdarstellungen (Winckelmannsfest-WOIF^^i V-
Halle 1884 p. 10 {., F. Hauser in Furtwangler—Reichhold—Hauser Gr.J j0t1
254—257 fig. 91 (reverse), pi. 109, 2 (obverse = my fig. 325)1 }■

Vasenmaler des rotfigurigen Slils Tubingen 1925 p. 452 no. 3.

7 M. H. Swindler Ancient Painting Yale Univ. Press 1929 p- J93-