The Amphiaraos krater is a Late Corinthian red-ground

column krater A krater or crater ( grc-gre, , ''kratēr'', literally "mixing vessel") was a large two-handled shape of vase in Ancient Greek pottery and metalwork, mostly used for the mixing of wine with water. Form and function At a Greek symposium, krat ...

. It is considered the masterpiece of the Amphiaraos Painter (whose

name vase In classical archaeology, a name vase is a specific "vase"In the study of ancient Greek pottery a "vase" is a general term covering all pottery shapes. whose painter's name is unknown but whose workshop style has been identified. The painter is co ...

it is) and one of the major specimens of the red-ground vase painting of

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

. Dated to ''circa'' 560 BC, the Amphiaraos Krater depicts on the front a frieze of horsemen and above it the departure of

Amphiaraos In Greek mythology, Amphiaraus or Amphiaraos (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιάραος, Ἀμφιάρεως, "very sacred") was the son of Oicles, a seer, and one of the leaders of the Seven against Thebes. Amphiaraus at first refused to go with Adra ...

. The back was decorated with a battle frieze, above it again Amphiaraos, this time as a participant in the funeral games of

Pelias Pelias ( ; Ancient Greek: Πελίας) was king of Iolcus in Greek mythology. He was the one who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Family Pelias was the son of Tyro and Poseidon. His wife is recorded as either Anaxibia, daughte ...

. Below one of the handles, a wrestling match is depicted. The paintings on the vessel are considered especially colourful and detailed. Thus, the anger in Amphiaraos eye, looking at

Eriphyle Eriphyle (Ancient Greek: Ἐριφύλη ''Eriphȳla'') was a figure in Greek mythology who, in exchange for the necklace of Harmonia (also called the necklace of Eriphyle) given to her by Polynices, persuaded her husband Amphiaraus to join the ...

, his only family member not to wish for his safe return, is visible. A sorrowful seer indicates the imminent death of the hero. The same scene was depicted on the Kypselos chest in Olympia, as described by

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC * Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...

. The krater used to be on display in the Antikensammlung Berlin, but disappeared at the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Since 1945, the Amphiaraos krater has been housed in the

State Historical Museum The State Historical Museum ( Russian: Государственный исторический музей, ''Gosudarstvenny istoricheskiy muzyey'') of Russia is a museum of Russian history The history of Russia begins with the histories of ...

in Moscow.

Bibliography

* Matthias Steinhart: ''Amphiaraos-Krater'', in '' Der Neue Pauly'' Bd. 1 (1996), Sp. 609

References

{{Kraters Individual ancient Greek vases 6th-century BC artifacts Lost works of art