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The Argonauts Krater in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

October 2008 (112.4)
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The Argonauts Krater in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

112.4
Eurydice Kefalidou
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A fragmentary Corinthian column krater, formerly in a private collection and now in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, is known for its unique iconography and its inscriptions. On it, Jason is healing Phineus’ blind eyes in the presence of the Dioskouroi, and the Boreads are pursuing the Harpies; almost all the figures are named. In this article, I reexamine the inscriptions to clarify and correct previous readings that were based mainly on photographs of the fragments. I also propose an inscription for one of the figures: KΛEITA. I argue that this is the first known representation of Queen Kleite, wife of Kyzikos, who played a role in the Argonauts’ adventure as described by Apollonius of Rhodes. Furthermore, I argue that her presence in the Phineus episode gives a new dimension to the interpretation of the figured scene.

More articles like this: 
Iconography
Inscriptions
Painting
Pottery
Greece > Central Macedonia

The Argonauts Krater in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

By Eurydice Kefalidou

American Journal of Archaeology Vol. 112, No. 4 (October 2008), pp. 617–624

DOI: 10.3764/aja.112.4.617

© 2008 Archaeological Institute of America

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