History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 2 (of 2) — A Reader’s Guide

Mythological Repertoire and Its Sources

The volume catalogs vase paintings by subject, beginning with the Olympian pantheon. The authors note that certain myths, such as the Gigantomachia or the birth of Athena, appear repeatedly, while others are rare. They connect these choices to literary traditions: Homeric scenes are common, but dramatic treatments from Aeschylus or Euripides also appear. A striking detail is the inclusion of personifications like Iris, Hebe, and abstract concepts such as Victory or the Winds, which are rendered as human figures with attributes. The classification reveals a structured system where vase painters drew from a shared mythological repertory, adapting it to the vase's shape and function.

Etruscan Pottery: Imitation and Independence

Walters devotes a substantial section to Etruscan wares, arguing that local painted pottery was rare and largely imitative. He contrasts the Polledrara ware and Caere jars with the imported Greek vases found in Etruscan tombs. The Caeretan hydriae, once thought to be Etruscan, are identified as Greek imports, with local imitations forming a separate class. The author observes that Etruscan artists excelled in engraving on mirrors and cistae, where flat surfaces allowed for detailed figure work, but they did not transfer this skill to vase painting. This failure is linked to the difficulty of decorating curved surfaces, a challenge Greek painters had mastered.

The Role of Imported Vases in Etruria

The text traces the chronology of Greek imports into Etruria: Corinthian vases appear in early fossa tombs, later replaced by Attic black-figure and red-figure wares. Walters notes that the Etruscans did not replicate these painted styles but instead used them as sources for engraved designs. The interior of kylikes, with their circular compositions, provided models for mirror backs. This selective borrowing suggests a deliberate aesthetic choice rather than a lack of ability. The author cites Dümmler's identification of Etruscan imitations of Caeretan hydriae, demonstrating that local potters could copy Greek forms but chose not to adopt the painting technique.

From Myth to Daily Life: Shifting Subjects

The final chapters move from heroic legends to scenes of ordinary life: religious rituals, athletics, drama, and funerals. The authors note that vase painters often blurred the line between myth and reality, as in burlesques of mythological scenes or the depiction of athletes with heroic attributes. A recurring image is the symposium, where vases themselves were used, creating a self-referential quality. The volume also covers Roman pottery, emphasizing the decline of painted decoration in favor of relief ware like Arretine. The structural arc from myth to daily life mirrors the historical development of Greek vase painting itself.

Readers approaching this volume will benefit from having the first volume at hand, as the text frequently cross-references earlier discussions of shapes and fabrics. The detailed subject index and plate list are essential for navigating the dense catalog of mythological scenes. Walters' analysis of Etruscan pottery offers a corrective to assumptions about cultural influence, showing that artistic choices are shaped by medium as much as by motif. This is a reference work best consulted alongside visual examples, many of which are reproduced in the plates.