beaker

This large beaker (H. 24.6 cm) was found near Volterra, Italy, in or before 1919. It was blown from two gathers of almost colorless glass. The ornament was facet-cut, polished, and engraved. The beaker is Roman and the style of the ornament indicates that it was made in the late second or third century A.D. The principal ornament consists of a continuous frieze containing two figures and an assortment of vegetation and other motifs. The first figure is a man running from the viewer's left to right. His head is turned back to look over his shoulder. Near his foot is a ball-like object. An inscription in Greek letters identifies him as Hippomenes. The second figure is a woman, also running from left to right, apparently in pursuit of the man. She holds a sword in her right hand and she reaches out as if to grasp the man. A second inscription in Greek letters identifies her as Atalanta The scene illustrates a well-known story from Greek mythology. Atalanta, the swiftest mortal, had been warned by the Delphic oracle never to marry. When her father told Atalanta to take a husband, she agreed to do so on the condition that she be allowed to race against her suitors. She would accept any suitor who could beat her, but would kill all of those whom she defeated. One of her suitors, Hippomenes, sought help from the goddess Aphrodite, who gave him three golden apples and told him to drop them one by one during the race. On the beaker, Hippomenes is in the lead. Atalanta is about to catch up with him. Expecting to overtake Hippomenes and win the race, she is ready to kill him with her sword. Hippomenes, however, has no intention of losing the race and he drops an apple to distract Atalanta. In the story, Atalanta stopped three times to pick up the apples, and lost the race.