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44-687: The Arkesilas Cup is a kylix by the Laconian vase painter known as the Arkesilas Painter , whose name vase it is. It depicts, and is thus named after, Arkesilaos II , king of Kyrene (d. 550 BC) and is dated to about 565–560 BC. The cup was found at Vulci and is now on display in the Cabinet des médailles of the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris (inv. 189). It depicts Arkesilaos seated under

88-514: A servant attending the symposium with the players. The kottabos game seems to have originated in Sicily, or the land of the Sikels, but it spread through Greece, from Thessaly to Rhodes, becoming especially fashionable at Athens. Evidence of its origin can be found on an Attic red-figure psykter by Euphronios , depicting four hetairai . One of the hetairai on the vase, Smikra, is swinging her cup, as

132-523: A balance), the lecanis (λεκανίς, a large saucer), and the manes (μάνης, a bronze figurine). The discovery in Etruscan burial sites (by Wolfgang Helbig in 1886) of two sets of actual apparatus in Umbria , near Perugia , as well as various representations on Greek vases help explain the somewhat obscure accounts of how kottabos was played. The rhabdus (pole) had a flat base, and the main structure tapered towards

176-405: A drinking horn (or "rhytum"). According to Helbig, three games were played with this apparatus: The plastinx (small saucer) was fixed on top of the rhabdus (pole), with the lecanis (large saucer) below. The players tried to fill the plastinx with enough wine to tip it over (with a crash) onto the lecanis. Played exactly the same as method No. 1, except that the plastinx was supposed to hit

220-488: A drinking vessel as well as the cup shape of a flower. It is possibly related to the Latin word calix , also meaning 'cup', and may have originally been borrowed from a non- Indo-European language. Kylix appears to in antiquity refer to the characteristic wide and short shape of the vessel and may have referred to many types of drinking vessels. Some types of kylikes have their own names with their own etymology. One such variety

264-460: A kottabos player. The inscription beside her is Doric , the dialect used by the Sicilians. As Antiphanes wrote in his play: "the kottabos player puts the index finger of the right-hand through the handle of the drinking cup, palm upwards; and the remaining fingers are spread as playing a flute." The player reclines on the couch, leaning on the left elbow; and, moving only the right-forearm, throws

308-417: A pole and a bowl at the bottom. It combines the kottabos kataktos with the variation involving oxybapha. The lower was probably the lekane used to float the oxybapha, while the pole can be used to play the original form. Sunken kottabos (Κότταβος κατακτός) is not so simple. The apparatus (kottabeion, pl. kottabeia) were the rhabdus (ῥάβδος, a bronze pole), the plastinx (πλάστιγξ, a small saucer like that on

352-406: A prize. There are many types of kylix that have been defined by archaeologists, often denoting a regional variance or chronological difference. One of the major features of early cups is if they have an offset lip or not, the lack of an offset lip means that if one were to place the cup on a flat surface the lip would be parallel to the surface the cup is set on rather than angled in some way. Of

396-499: A solid color without adornment. If present, the tondo contains either black-figure or red-figure styles of the 6th and 5th century BC, and the outside was also often painted; an example of a tondo can be seen to the left. Black glaze type B kylikes appear to have been a popular export to Etruscan settlements and are not as commonly found in the Athens area, where it is believed they developed. This may suggest that these were made with

440-529: A tent-like sheet and wearing an African hat. Because of this dress style and another vase depicting the nymph Kyrene wrestling a lion, the Arkesilas Painter was initially assumed to have been active in North Africa. Later finds indicate that he was Laconian. The king is watching seven men who are packing, weighing and stacking trade goods. Added inscriptions specify their activities and the king's name. It

484-414: A tripod which is placed on a flat pan. The pan is inscribed KOTABOS, so it is certain which game is played. This target is unique, and it emphasizes the erotic side of both the game and the symposium. Before the kottabos player throws the wine-lees, the turn is dedicated to a lover . The player's words can be a sort of toast or dedication to the person of affection. The toast can serve as a question about

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528-481: A young man a rooster as a sign of love. It is debated if this is the reasoning behind the presence of roosters as cock fighting was also a common form of entertainment at the time, many other common symbols seen in the art of kylikes are similarly debated in meaning. At other times the meaning is less debated, as in some kylikes there are sexually explicit images portrayed as were scenes of parties. Many kylikes also drew from mythological stories in their art. A few of

572-518: Is komast cups , where komast refers to the name of the type of drunken figures painted on them, which is characteristic of the style. Another uniquely named type is a Siana cup , which is named after a site in Rhodes where it was originally found. The last major variety that has a specific name is the Little-Master cup , which is translated from German which references the small scale of the adornments on

616-600: Is not clear what products or products they are loading. Some scholars suggest it is silphion , a rare plant for which Arkesilaos had a trade monopoly. His watchful stance mays support this. Several African animals underline the African location of the image. In style and subject the painting is very unusual in Greek vase-painting. The depiction of a living political figure is extremely rare and unusual in vase painting, and images of Arekisalos II are similarly rare. For technological history,

660-506: Is often adorned in the bottom so that as the liquid is consumed an image is revealed; this adornment is usually in a circular frame and called a tondo . There are many variations of the kylikes, other cups available in the era include the skyphos , or the kantharoi . Kylikes were also popular exports, being the most common pottery import from Attica found in Etruscan settlements. The Greek word kylix , meaning 'cup', could refer to both

704-427: The 6th and 5th centuries BC. It involved flinging wine-lees (sediment) at a target in the middle of the room. The winner would receive a prize (κοττάβιον or " kottabion "), comprising cakes, sweetmeats, or kisses. Ancient writers, including Dionysius Chalcus , Alcaeus , Anacreon , Pindar , Bacchylides , Aeschylus , Sophocles , Euripides , Aristophanes , and Antiphanes , make frequent and familiar allusion to

748-438: The cup. Kylikes are most famous for their association with symposiums and wine, where the set of kylikes could match the kraters , which are the mixing vessels for diluting wine. These symposiums included various vessels for the preparation and drinking of wine and often were adorned with images of Dionysus and his worshippers. However, the images in the tondo contained a variety of themes meant to surprise and amuse

792-418: The cup. Band cups on the other hand are mostly black save for a band of decoration all around the cup often containing images of people. Stemless cups are known for their lack of stem and most surviving examples are plain black and lacking decoration. Kylikes are most famous for their adornments; adorned kylikes were part of a set used for special occasions such as a symposium , the most common kylikes were of

836-521: The depiction of weighing scales is of major significance, as their structure and use is shown. Historically, the production of such imagery in Laconia is also important, in that it illustrates the close links between Sparta and North Africa. Another vase by the same painter, depicting the nymph Kyrene, patron of the city of Kyrene , in North Africa, was found on the island of Samos , also a close ally of Sparta. Kylix (drinking cup) The inner basin

880-426: The intention of exporting these kylikes. Some of the earliest designs found on kylix include spiked flower designs and whorled shells. These designs could be paired with chevrons or dot designs between the whorls or spiked flowers to fill space, although this was more common with whorled designs. Later designs included the presence of roosters, which is believed to be reminiscent of the fact that an older man may gift

924-435: The liquid they contained. Most kylikes were made of ceramics however, but it is believed they were modeled after metal drinking vessels of the elite. Individual kylikes with articles include: [REDACTED] Media related to Kylixes at Wikimedia Commons Kottabos Kottabos ( Ancient Greek : κότταβος ) was a game of skill played at Ancient Greek and Etruscan symposia (drinking parties) , especially in

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968-407: The majorly chronological types there are types A, B and C. Type A developed in the late 6th century BCE and fade out of production by the early 5th century. This type is characterized by a smooth profile, lack of an offset lip and a wide, short stem. These cups also featured both red and black figure art, sometimes on the same cup called bilingual kylix. Type B is very reminiscent of Type A, except

1012-427: The manes (figurine) on the way down to the lecanis. Played exactly the same as method No. 1, except that the manes (instead of the plastinx) was fixed on top of the rhabdus, and it was at this that the wine was thrown. Another variation of the kottabos involves a different kind of target. On a red-figure cup by Apollodoros, it shows some symposiasts aiming at a target with a phallus-headed bird balancing on top of

1056-497: The more famous painters of the time were Onesimos , Makron , and Douris . Ridged varieties of kylix have much more variety in shape and appear to have less consistent qualities of craftsmanship than those with smooth profiles. This may be due to smooth profiled kylikes being intended for more elite consumers who could pay for more carefully made and decorated pieces. Kylikes that had been polished or had their pores filled with slip made better drinking vessels as they did not absorb

1100-482: The outside of the cup which grants this style its name. Another type is the Siana cup ; this style is known for its tall feet and lips when compared to the komast cups. They are also defined with a decorated tondo and are decorated in a style reminiscent of eastern Greek traditions. Their decorations can be large when compared to those of other types, often covering from foot to lip, or having layers of decoration to cover

1144-416: The outside of the cup. When compared to Little-Master cup , their basins are deeper and have a less defined lip. Little-Master cups are named for the small details in their decorative elements, they are characterized by half globe basins and tall thin stems. They can often be divided into two more specific styles, lip cups and band cups. Lip cups have a more offset lip, often focusing on the lower parts of

1188-462: The party guest. One such theme is that of sailing, often adorning mixing vessels in the late 6th century, ships and other maritime scenes were popular, as there were comparisons made between symposiums and sailing in literature of the time. Other themes would include humorous designs, including on the base of the cup, such as the male genitals on the Bomford cup, a late 6th century kylix. At symposiums

1232-471: The plastinx fall to the manes, causing a bell-like sound. Both the wine thrown, and the noise made, were called latax (λάταξ). Kottabos kataktos was the traditional and correct way of playing, but there were various modifications that were acceptable: In Kottabos with an oxybaphon (Κότταβος δι᾽ ὀξυβάφων), or kottabos in a bowl, the target of the throw is a bowl, or lekane. The lekane is filled with water, and empty shallow saucers (ὀξύβαφα or oxybapha) float on

1276-476: The plastinx falls, or the oxybapha are sunk. This break in equilibrium symbolizes the uncertainty a person may feel when a lover is present. So when balance is broken, the sound of the plastinx falling onto the manes, and the sunk of the oxybapha , serves as a good omen, indicating that the love of the player is assured. The successful play of the kottabos game would represent success when pursuing love or being loved by young men and women. Women were not usually

1320-403: The players might easily be arranged around the target, and follow each other in rapid succession. Like all games in which the element of chance found a place, it was regarded as more or less ominous of the future success of the players, especially in matters of love – and the excitement was sometimes further augmented by some object of value being staked on the event. The stake in the game was often

1364-451: The possibility of success in love, which would be answered by the outcome of the throw. It emphasizes the love nature of this game, and the core idea of bonding at the symposium. One of the most famous inscriptions is on the red-figure psykter of the four hetairai by Euphronios . On this psykter , Smikra is dedicating her turn to Leagros. The inscription says: " Tin tande latasso leagre (I am throwing this for you, Leagros)." Leagros

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1408-581: The practice; and it is depicted on contemporaneous red-figure vases. References to the practice by the writers of the Roman and Alexandrian periods show that the fashion had died out. In Latin literature, it is almost entirely unknown. Dexterity was required to succeed in the game, and unusual ability was rated as highly as corresponding excellence in throwing the javelin . Kottabos was customary, and, at least in Sicily , special circular buildings were established, so

1452-427: The process of mixing the wine was completed by a master of ceremonies then passed around by a young male slave. The mixing of the wine and small drinking vessels are believed to possibly be an effort to allow a guest to enjoy his wine, but also avoid a drunken scandal, by encouraging moderation and lowering alcohol content. Thus the shape of the kylix may have been an ideal shape for not only displaying art, but also for

1496-455: The recipient of the kottabos toast, so a scene depicting women kottabos players, like the four hetairai by Euphronios , naming a popular youth as the subject of the toast, might be a joke. Another interpretation of the four hetairai is that these female symposiasts are Spartans. This would account for the Doric dialect used on the inscription and also the absence of couches, which is consistent with

1540-420: The reclined positions that men would sit or lay in while drinking at symposiums. The short broad shape allowed for reclined drinking with minimal risk of spilling. The handles allowed the guests to play kottabos , where a guest would put their right index finger into one of the handles and attempt to fling the last of their wine into a target, often a container on a pedestal or floating in a pool, in order to win

1584-439: The sentence: " lykoi (for Lykos)", who was a youth popular at the time, and known from other inscriptions. Apparently, the god is used as a mouthpiece for a human to speak of his affection. On another red-figure cup, the inscription, " ho pais kalos (the youth is beautiful)", seems to spring out from the player's cup, and follow the trajectory of the wine that is being thrown. Kottabos involves disruption of equilibrium when

1628-418: The stems are thinner and has a more curved joining from the basin to the stem of the cup. This type is the most common found in Etruscan tombs. Type C is less common than types A and B and sometimes has an offset lip and can have carving or molding on the base of the stem. However, they are less decorative than previous types and are often solid black in color and may only be decorated in the tondo . For

1672-531: The stereotypes about Sparta held by the Athenians. The use of female symposiasts as a humorous trope is consistent with several black-figure vases with figures that are interpreted as Etruscan women. As with Spartan women, they were considered to be uncivilized. Most of the cups being used to play the kottabos game were regular kylikes as shown on painted pots. But there is a unique kottabos cup in Oxford: instead of

1716-456: The stylistic and locational types continue to be definitions based on the presence of an offset lip as well as the types of decorations present on the cups. One such type is the komast cup developed in Athens and inspired by Corinthian pottery; it is defined by a narrow lip and sharp offset paired with a short, flared stem. This type is also defined with a decoration of drunken parties portrayed on

1760-414: The top, with a blunt end (on which the plastinx or manes was balanced). The plastinx (small saucer) had a hole near the edge and was slightly concave in the middle. About two-thirds of the way down, the rhabdus was encircled by the lecanis (large saucer). A socket near the top of the rhabdus held the manes (figurine). The manes was in the shape of a man, with his right arm and leg uplifted, sometimes holding

1804-450: The water. The object is to throw the wine-lees onto the oxybapha, to sink them, which is easier than the kottabos kataktos. The player who sank the most was the winner. This form of playing is rarely found on vases, presumably because it would be difficult to paint the interior of the lekane, with oxybapha floating in it, on a vase. There is a special kottabos stand found in Italy, Etruscan with

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1848-408: The wine-lees. When playing kottabos kataktos, also called kottabos with a pole, the target is the plastinx (πλάστιγξ), a small disc, balanced horizontally atop a bronze lamp stand. Halfway down the stand is a larger disc called the manes (μάνης). Sometimes a bronze statuette is used, with the plastinx balanced on its extended arms, or on its head. Some refer to this statuette as the manes, since Manes

1892-429: Was a Phrygian slave name; and it would make sense to connect that name with this small figure. But according to Antiphanes, the plastinx should fall onto the manes with a loud noise, which seems unlikely if the manes is the statuette. The player is expected to throw the wine-lees found in the drinking cup, in such a way that it does not break bulk in its passage through the air, towards the plastinx. Success entails making

1936-465: Was a popular youth frequently named in kalos inscriptions on sympotic vases around this period. Sometimes painters would use gods as representations of a kottabos player when giving a kottabos toast. On a red-figure stamnos by the Copenhagen painter, Dionysus is painted as one of these representations. The inscription beside his arm says: " tot tende (this is for you)." On the left, a satyr completes

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