T40.7 THE PURIFICATION OF ORESTES
| Museum Collection | British Museum, London |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | London 1917,1210.1 |
| Beazley Archive No. | N/A |
| Ware | Paestan Red Figure |
| Shape | Krater, Bell |
| Painter | Attributed to Python |
| Date | ca. 360 - 320 B.C. |
| Period | Late Classical |
DESCRIPTION
Orestes is purified by Apollo at the shrine of Delphi. The hero crouches in supplication at the holy omphalos stone below the sacred tripod. Apollo stands beside him conversing with an avenging Erinys (Fury). The god is crowned with a wreath of laurel and holds a laurel-branch in his hand. The winged vengeance-demon is dressed as a huntress with a knee-length skirt and boots. On the opposite side stands the hero's patron-goddess Athena. She wears a crested helm and Gorgon-headed aegis cloak. The ghost of Clytemnestra observes the scene in the upper left-hand corner. Before her, just above the tripod, is a second Erinys wreathed in vipers.
IMAGE DETAIL 1
Detail of Apollo and Erinys.
IMAGE DETAIL 2
Detail of Erinys.
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