P21.3 ACHILLES & THE BODY OF HECTOR
| Museum Collection | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | Boston 63.473 |
| Beazley Archive No. | - |
| Ware | Attic Black Figure |
| Shape | Hydria |
| Painter | Attributed to the Antiope Group |
| Date | ca. 520 - 510 B.C. |
| Period | Archaic |
DESCRIPTION
Side: Iris, the winged messsenger of the gods, commands Achilles ransom the body of Hector. The hero rides a chariot, dragging the corpse around the tomb of Patroclus. Flitting above the tomb, the ghost of Patroclus is depicted as a tiny winged man, armoured and holding a shield. Priam and his wife Hecabe stand at the gates of the city. The striding warrior before them is probably Hermes disguised as a Myrmidon warrior, preparing to lead the king to the Greek camp. The entire scene is drawn from books 22 and 23 of Homer's Iliad.
Shoulder: Heracles battles Cycnus (not shown).