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'The Black Figure Neck-Amphora With (B) Recovery Of Helen'

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Recommended: Humanities Chapter 2 greek pottery

The Black-Figure Neck-Amphora with (A) Recovery of Helen by Menelaos and (B) Battle Scene is a Greek pottery artifact dating back to the 6th century BCE. The amphora depicts two scenes in black figures against a red background, known simply as a black-figure ceramic. Scene A shows Menelaos, recovering his wife Helen from Paris, while Scene B shows a battle scene between two groups of warriors. The depiction of this story on the amphora served to reinforce the heroic ideals of the Greek society of the time, where bravery and honor were highly valued.
In Scene A, Menelaos standing in the center-left, and Paris is shown in the center-right, with Helen in the far right and an unidentified woman in the far left. The composition of the scene is almost …show more content…

Being abducted, it’s possible that she felt alone, her only source of shelter from the chaos outside being the himation, or outer garment, she can wrap herself in. After being rescued, it is understandable that she would want to rip this garment off, not only to tell Menelaos “It’s really me!” but as a symbol of removing the fear and uncertainty of being in an unfamiliar land. This sequence of emotions mixed in with the outstretched arms toward Menelaos shows Helen in true “damsel in distress” fashion, but a very touching one at that.
In the center Menelaos is seen launching his spear into Paris, perhaps already striking him before this, being that he’s seen already falling to the ground. Menelaos had no plan for a peaceful rescue of Helen; he wanted Paris and all of Troy to pay.
Recovery of Helen by Menelaos in Scene A is a clear demonstration of the ancient Greek’s emphasis on honor and bravery. Menelaos was determined to save his wife, regardless of what he would face along the way. Family honor was important to ancient Greeks, so even if Menelaos started a war with another strong kingdom, it was worth it to save …show more content…

Scene B depicts a battle between two pairs of warriors. This can be confirmed by the direction of each warrior; the two from the right attacking the two on the left, and vice versa. These pairs of warriors most likely represented the two sides of the Trojan War, Sparta, and Troy, considering that the warriors to the right are armed with the same distinct shield Menelaos has in Scene A, implying these are Spartans fighting against Trojans, mirroring Scene A. Scene B expands on Scene A by portraying the war that ensued between the two men after fighting for a woman, as well as the battle for the honor of their

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