Etruscan amphora showing Troilos
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The Ure Museum's Etruscan amphora showing Troilos is a mid to late 6th century black-figure terracotta amphora of the 'Pontic' type[1] attributed to the Tityos Painter.[2] The main decoration is a depiction of the ambush of the Trojan Troilos by the Greek hero Achilles.
Both sides of the neck of the amphora feature demi-Gorgons. The upper half of the main body depicts the ambush of the Trojan prince Troilos by the Greek hero Achilles, with the two sides depicting differing scenes of the event.[2]
One side has Achilles seizing Troilos outside the well-house, or, as Professor Percy Ure suggested,[3] carrying him to the shrine. Achilles is shown fully armoured – with ornate crested helmet, cuirass and greaves – while Troilos appears almost completely undressed.
The other side has two riders and an unmounted horse passing a fallen man. The lead rider next to the unmanned horse and above the fallen man is shown armoured with helmet and cuirass; the second rider and fallen man are clothed in a Thracian style, with soft caps and patterned cloaks.[3] Ure believed this to be an illustration of Achilles's attack on Troilos, with the following rider coming to Troilos's aid.[3]
It has been suggested that the changes to the normal Greek telling of the story, for example the lack of a depiction of Polyxena, by the Etruscan decorator may be a muddling of the tale as it travelled to Etruria or even a deliberate change to better suit local tastes.[3]
The lower half of the amphora is decorated with wild animals: two male goats on their hind legs (as if rutting), two lions (one licking its paw) and a winged humanoid.[1]
The middle of the amphora features a band of palmettes, and the base a simple geometric triangle pattern.[1]
Both Ure and Professor Brian Sparkes noted that it is the rarity of the amphora opposed to its quality that marks it as an important example of the 'Pontic' type.[3][1]
Acquisition
Ure acquired the amphora for the museum, then the Museum of Greek Archaeology, at auction in London in 1947.[3] Then, as now, very little was known of the amphora's provenance. It is thought to originate from the Etruscan city of Vulci, north-west of Rome – Ure noted that the scene of Achilles' ambush of Troilos was a popular one for decorating tombs in the area.[1] A poorly written description in the auction catalogue enabled Ure,[3] after seeking advice from Sir John Beazley, to acquire it at a relatively economic price.
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