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The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

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Herodotus gives no details about the appearance <strong>of</strong> zw|di/wn, which is the genitive<br />

plural <strong>of</strong> zw|&dion. 504 This treatment suggests that zw|di/wn is used here <strong>in</strong> a general sense.<br />

What can be understood from the passage is that they are decorative elements <strong>of</strong> some<br />

k<strong>in</strong>d on the outer rim <strong>of</strong> the bronze krater. In this sense, they are rem<strong>in</strong>iscent <strong>of</strong> the zw|~a<br />

encountered earlier on the clothes from the Caucasus, the breastplate <strong>of</strong> Amasis, <strong>and</strong> also<br />

those on Egyptian build<strong>in</strong>gs. <strong>The</strong> huge size <strong>of</strong> the krater, <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation with its be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

made <strong>of</strong> bronze, a valuable material, suggests accomplished craftsmanship. 505 <strong>The</strong>se two<br />

characteristics justify its use as a diplomatic gift <strong>in</strong>tended for a k<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> its subsequent<br />

dedication at the Samian Heraion, which is consistent with the long tradition <strong>of</strong> rich<br />

votive gifts (e.g., tripods <strong>and</strong> cauldrons) at sanctuaries. Further, the fact that the<br />

commissioners <strong>of</strong> this krater were Lacedaemonians accords well with the prom<strong>in</strong>ent<br />

position that Laconia is thought to have held <strong>in</strong> the production <strong>of</strong> bronze vessels dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the Archaic period. 506 Herodotus uses the word plh&santej, which derives from the verb<br />

pi/mplhmi, mean<strong>in</strong>g “to fill,” to <strong>in</strong>dicate a Laconian preference for cover<strong>in</strong>g the outer rim<br />

with zw|&dia. 507 Plh&santej gives the impression <strong>of</strong> a densely covered surface, thus<br />

suggest<strong>in</strong>g abundant decoration <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tricate craftsmanship. <strong>The</strong> plural zw|di/wn, which<br />

504 9<br />

LSJ , 758, s.v. zw|&dion; also for –idion as a st<strong>and</strong>ard suffix <strong>of</strong> neutral dim<strong>in</strong>utives, see Smyth, Greek<br />

Grammar 235.<br />

505<br />

De Sél<strong>in</strong>court <strong>and</strong> Mar<strong>in</strong>cola, Herodotus. <strong>The</strong> Histories 31, suggest five hundred gallons; for a detailed<br />

discussion <strong>of</strong> calculat<strong>in</strong>g the capacity <strong>of</strong> the krater <strong>and</strong> equated it with 7800 liters, see A. Rumpf, “Krath&r<br />

Lakwniko&j,” <strong>in</strong> K. Schauenburg, ed., Charites. Festschrift für E. Langlotz (Bonn, 1957) 131. For bronze<br />

as a valuable material <strong>of</strong> vessels, among them kraters, see C. Rolley, tr. R. Howell, Greek Bronzes<br />

(London, 1986) 140; for a discussion <strong>of</strong> bronze as a costly material for vessels <strong>in</strong> the fifth century, <strong>and</strong> also<br />

the higher status <strong>of</strong> bronze-smiths <strong>in</strong> comparison to that <strong>of</strong> potters, see M. Vickers <strong>and</strong> D. Gill, Artful<br />

Crafts: Ancient Greek Silverware <strong>and</strong> Pottery (Oxford, 1994) 98-99.<br />

506<br />

Accord<strong>in</strong>g to C. M. Stibbe, <strong>The</strong> Sons <strong>of</strong> Hephaistos: Aspects <strong>of</strong> the Archaic Greek Bronze Industry<br />

(Rome, 2000) XIII, n. 3, Laconia was “the lead<strong>in</strong>g Greek centre for bronze work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the first half <strong>of</strong> the<br />

sixth century.” For a discussion <strong>of</strong> both fictile <strong>and</strong> bronze examples <strong>of</strong> Lakonian mix<strong>in</strong>g bowls, see also his<br />

study, Laconian Mix<strong>in</strong>g Bowls: A History <strong>of</strong> the Krater Lakonikos from the Seventh to the Fifth Century<br />

B.C. (Amsterdam, 1989).<br />

507<br />

Blakesley, Herodotus, with a Commentary 52 translates the term as “filled up.” Similarly, Sheets,<br />

Herodotus, Book 1 34, traces plh&santej to the verb pi/mplhmi, which means “to fill.”<br />

269

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