Audiobook Birch, Samuel, Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp) History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 2 (of 2)

The text provides a detailed examination of the subjects depicted on ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman painted vases, serving as a primary visual source for classical mythology and antiquities. The authors discuss how vase-painters drew upon epic poetry, particularly the Homeric epics and the Cyclic poems, while maintaining freedom from strict literary dictation. The work explores the representation of the Olympian deities, beginning with the Gigantomachia and the birth of Athena, and surveys the individual myths associated with Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, and other major divinities. Subsequent sections delve into the Dionysiac cycle, chthonian deities, the under-world, and the influence of the stage on later vase-painting. The analysis extends to minor deities, cosmogonic figures, personifications of nature and abstract ideas, and heroie legends ranging from Herakles and Theseus to the Trojan cycle. Furthermore, the book catalogs depictions of ordinary Greek life, athletic contests, religious rituals, and historical subjects, offering a thorough exploration of how material culture reflected the religious and social life of antiquity.