![]() They both listen as a third judge, Rhadymanthos, gestures imperiously. Triptolemos, in elaborate drapery, is seated with an eagle-topped staff, while Aiakos stands beside him. They appear on this vase on the right of the palace, and inscriptions give their names. Hades and Persephone were the principal rulers in the Underworld, but there were other figures who served as arbitrators of disputes among the dead. The story of a young girl disappearing underground and emerging each year is reminiscent of plants that wither and die only to re-emerge in the spring, and is deeply connected with ancient Greek beliefs about the seasons, fertility, birth, death, and marriage-all of which will warrant another article. This meant that she would always have to spend a third of the year down below. Though she found her in the end, crafty Hades ensured that Persephone had taken a bite from a pomegranate while she had been among the dead. Demeter, Persephone’s mother, was understandably distraught, and spent months searching for her daughter. Hades seized Persephone to be his bride and brought her down to rule with him in the Underworld. Also known as Plouton and Kore, they enjoy food and drink together as they sit in an imposing temple-like structure, with elegant figures serving as columnar supports. To begin, though, here’s a quick guide to who’s who in the Underworld as depicted on the vase.įront and center, we have the king and queen, Hades and Persephone (the name “Hades” can be used for both the god and the place). We’ll learn just how extensively as our work proceeds, and in the coming months we will keep you updated with further articles and videos. It was found in fragments, so even as we begin our studies, we know that it was heavily restored in the 19th century. Rich burials in the region almost always included a large volute krater (you may recall the trio presented in our Dangerous Perfection exhibition), but this is a particularly grand example, measuring 1.60 meters (5.2 feet) in height. The krater was discovered by 1848 in the area of Altamura, in southeast Italy. Both of those projects resulted in exhibitions, and we intend to put the vase on view once the conservation work has been completed. Regular Getty-watchers will remember the statue of Apollo from Pompeii, or the monumental Tiberius from Herculaneum. Demeter was the most nurturing of goddesses and, in turn, was the most nurturing of mothers. The vase is on loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, and is the latest in a series of fruitful conservation projects that we’ve undertaken with our colleagues in Naples. The Greek goddess, Persephone, was the child of Demeter, the goddess of earth’s fertility and harvest, and Zeus, the king of all the Olympians. For this monumental Apulian volute (handled) krater, which bears a detailed depiction of the Underworld, has recently arrived in the conservation studios of the Getty Villa. Happily, you don’t have to go to such lengths to experience Hades these days (and, rest assured, no animals will be harmed in what follows). And as if all of that wasn’t enough, he then had to sacrifice a ram and a ewe. Into this, he was told to pour libations of milk, honey, wine, water, and barley meal. ![]()
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