n - Historia Antigua

178 THE ATIlr PYlrU
Only the animals of the Boston pyxis ' relate to the decoration
of skyphoi by the Group of the Boston Lid. Two sirens frequently
are placed on one wall of a skyphos; 011 the pyxis they appear on
the lid.
One can on1J conjecture for unattributed \'ases or those for
which the group of associated vases is small' that the same
principle is in operation.
The~ seems to be no realization yet that the pyxis requires a
spuial iconography of its own.
A pyxis from a tomb in Myrrhinous. probably by Exckias.
raises questions. The scene depicts the preparation of a chariot
and the name of Stesagoras is written in the field.' Slesagoras was
a member of the Kimonian branch of the Philaid family and
Immerwahr 10 conjectured that he was Slesagoras 11 whose father
Kimon won three Olympic victories with the same team of
horses.1! The fame of the family stables is clearly celebrated on
this "ast.
It is likel)' that the vase was commissioned by Stesagoras,
considering the individuality of the subject matter and the fact
that his name appears on it. But pyxides are only connected with
the graves of women so the pyxis was probably given to a woman
of his family.
Why would a pyxis bear male iconography if it was to be given
to a woman In this case it seems clear that the family pride was
being extended to a female member of the family,
Scenes relating to ~'omen first appear around 500-490 a.c. n
The iconography of pyxides deals over and over again with the
manifold aspects of weddings and mythological paradigms of
marria~ are plentiful, A favorite tale is that of Peleus and
Thelis; the actual wrestling scene is rarely shown but often the
scene of pursuit (Copenhagen 4735 and Munich lex von Schoen.
64J).H And Nereids scatter in alarm anel bring the news to Thctis'
father Ncreus (Cambridge 1933.1. Munich lex von Schoen. 641 PI.
66,2)U who often stands by an ahar with a palm.
That such a scene is a mythological paradigm of marriage is
shown by the meaningful juItaposition of Pe1eus wrestling with
Thetis on the Athens epinetron by the Eretria Painter .....ith !>l't:ncs
of the brides Alcestis (seated befo~ the door of the thalamus) and
Harmonia.a
Another mythological paradigm of marriage is the abduction of
Ordthyia by Uoreas (Athens 1586 [pI. 65,1): Chicago 92.1251. 11
This thcme could be s~'mbolic either of marriage or of death. 17 The
wind gods were intennediaries betvoeen the world abo\"C and
Hades. They were regarded as fenilizing or impregnating but were
also regarded as destructive. A close association between death
and weddings appears again and again in visual and literary
imagery.
There are two examples of the Boreas and Oreithyia theme on
Illlllrllphoroi from the Sanctunry of the Nymph (Bride) in
Athcns. 1I This sanctuary was not dedicated to the nymphs but to
lhe Brirle anel ..he i....till called nymphc today un her ~elldillg
day ill Greece. A boundary stone of the sanctuary, graffiti on
vases, both shape and iconographic characteristics of the vases
make the identification of the sanctuary C'Cnain. The majority of
vases from the sanctuary were loutrophoroi. though other shapes
were included as pyxides. The subjects ~Iated primarily to
weddin~. The vases dated from the middle of the seventh centul)'
to the third century 8.C. 1I
Burcas and Oreithyia also appear on bronze hydriai. some of
which ha~e been found in the graves of women. Indeed Picard
believed all these hydriai 10 have been funerary in purpose,lO In
this case the theme may represent hopes of immonality for the
deceased.
A tomb in Capua included a pair of stamnoi by the Deepdene
Painter. one .... ith a representation of Al I: