Odysseus (page 708, with art)

Chapter 17, The Return from Troy

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Aristotle, Poetics 15.1454a

An example of unnecessary badness of character is Menelaos in the Orestes; of character that is unfitting and inappropriate the lament of Odysseus in the Scylla and Melanippe’s speech; of inconsistent character Iphigeneia in Aulis, for the suppliant Iphigeneia is not at all like her later character.  Greek Text

Argos, Museum C 149: fragment of Protoargive krater with reclining Polyphemos, who is being blinded by two Greeks holding a long stake; Odysseus may be the larger Greek; part of left leg of third Greek is preserved on the right

P. Courbin, “Un fragment de cratère protoargien” Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 1955 (79) fig. 12 bis

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Eleusis, Archaeological Museum 2360: Protoattic neck-amphora, whose neck has an illustration of the blinding of Polyphemos: three Greeks thrust long stake into eye of seated Polyphemos; right Greek, who was colored white, is likely Odysseus; seated Polyphemos attempts to remove stake from his eye while holding wine cup

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Rome, Musei Capitolini 172: Orientalizing krater signed by Greek artist named Aristonothos and found in Caere (in Etruria): five Greeks thrust pole into eye of seated Polyphemos; Greek on the far left pushes off left border (=cave wall?); behind Polyphemos, rack with six cheeses?

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Beazley Archive Pottery Database

Aigina, Archaeological Museum 566: fragmentary Protoattic oinochoe (Ram Jug) with forepart of sheep and torso of Greek clinging to its underside; second sheep with Greek clinging to its underside; and hindquarters of third sheep with toes? of third Greek

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Athens, National Museum 354: Melian amphora with Hermes and Kalypso?

Archaiologike Ephemeris (1894) pl. 14

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Paris, Cabinet des Médailles 190: interior of Laconian black-figure cup with four Greeks (only the left one is bearded = Odysseus?) starting to blind seated Polyphemos with a stake; at the same time, front youth offers Polyphemos a kantharos (a deep wine cup); Polyphemos holds a leg of a murdered Greek in each hand; above, a long snake; in exergue below, a large fish

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Beazley Archive Pottery Database

Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 99.518: Attic black-figure cup by Boston Polyphemos Painter, with (side B): kneeling Polyphemos (head missing) in center; he is approached by Odysseus (upper body missing), who holds a pitcher of wine; behind Odysseus, Athena and a fleeing Greek; behind Polyphemos, a Greek with a large wineskin and two armed Greeks; on side A, Kirke transforms Odysseus’ men into different animals (see Gantz page 709); Odysseus approaches from the left while drawing his sword, and Eurylochos flees on the right

Drawing of side B, from S.B. Luce, “A Polyphemus Cylix in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston,” American Journal of Archaeology 17 (1913) p. 4 fig. 2

Side A, from Museum of Fine Arts

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Perseus Art & Archaeology Artifact Browser

Paris, Louvre F342: Attic black-figure oinochoe with Odysseus? heating stake in embers; and Greek and Odysseus? prepare to blind sleeping Polyphemos

Gazette archéologique: revue des Musées Nationaux 12 (1887) pl. 1

History of Ancient Rome

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Beazley Archive Pottery Database (no photos)

Basel, Hert A. Cahn Collection HC 1418: Attic black-figure krater fragment with hairy Polyphemos feeling back of a ram to which Odysseus (named) clings 

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Beazley Archive Pottery Database (no photo)

Karlsruhe, Badisches Landesmuseum B32 (167): Attic black-figure column krater by Sappho Painter with Odysseus clinging to belly of ram while lifting a sword in his right hand

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Beazley Archive Pottery Database

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Basel, Antikenmuseum and Ludwig Collection BS 425: Middle Corinthian aryballos with Odysseus next to mast on his ship (see right image), while a Seiren hovers on the right, beyond a chariot (see left image)

H.A. Shapiro, “Homer in the City of Erasmus,” American Journal of Archaeology Online Publications: Museum Review (2009) fig. 5

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Tags:

#Polyphemos

#Odysseus

#ram

#Hermes

#Kalypso

#wine+cup

#wineskin

#Athena

#Kirke

#Eurylochos

#Seiren

Artistic sources edited by Frances Van Keuren, Prof. Emerita, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Univ. of Georgia, September 2022

Literary sources edited by Elena Bianchelli, Retired Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, April 2023

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