In Greek mythology Nestor's Cup is a legendary golden mixing cup which was owned by the hero Nestor . The cup is described in the Iliad , and possibly appeared elsewhere in the Epic Cycle . Despite its brief appearance in the Iliad , the cup was the subject of significant attention from ancient commentators on Homer.
20-604: (Redirected from Nestor Cup ) Nestor's cup , the Cup of Nestor or the Nestor Cup may refer to: Nestor's Cup (mythology) , legendary golden cup owned by the mythical hero Nestor and described in Book 11 of the Iliad Nestor's Cup (Mycenae) , golden cup discovered in a shaft grave at Mycenae, so named for its similarities to the cup described in
40-408: A detailed description of the imagery which decorates the new shield. Starting from the shield's center and moving outward, circle layer by circle layer, the shield is laid out as follows: The shield of Achilles can be read in a variety of different ways. One interpretation is that the shield represents a microcosm of civilization, in which all aspects of life are shown. The depiction of law suggests
60-450: Is recognized as the first example of cosmological mapping in the history of Greece . The theme inspired related illustrations and paintings, for example Thetis Receiving the Weapons of Achilles from Hephaestus by Anthony van Dyck . At least since the beginning of the 18th century scholars and artisans attempted to recreate the shield in detail on paper, gold, and bronze. Homer gives
80-463: Is used in classical epics. The images on the shield are narrated as cryptic parables linking powerful symbolism (creation and cosmos, origins and destiny, war and peace, life and death, the seasons, urban and agricultural civilization, identity and eternity) with specific predictions regarding events in corresponding verses in the Iliad and Odyssey , therefore not only raising anticipation and suspense in
100-560: The Iliad Nestor's Cup (Pithekoussai) , clay cup discovered at Pithekoussai, Italy, which has an inscription referring to the legendary cup The Nestor Cup, a Gaelic football trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Connacht Senior Football Championship Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Nestor's Cup . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
120-616: The Iliad , the cup of Nestor may have appeared elsewhere in the Epic Cycle . Stephanie West argues that there was a pre-existing body of poetry which dealt with Nestor's heroic exploits in his youth, and which told of Nestor's cup. Peter Allan Hansen suggests that the cup may have appeared in the Cypria , perhaps in the episode known from a citation in Athenaeus where Nestor gives Menelaus counsel after
140-466: The Shield of Achilles in Book 18 – the cup was the subject of a great deal of attention in antiquity. Ancient critics writing on the Iliad were particularly interested in three aspects of Nestor's Cup: its size, why it was that only Nestor could lift it, and the doves on its handles. At least as early as the fifth century BC, scholars including Glaucon , Antisthenes , and Stesimbrotos addressed
160-438: The abduction of Helen. An eighth century BC inscription on a cup from Pithekoussai references the mythological cup of Nestor, but there is nothing in the inscription specific to its appearance in the Iliad ; Steven Lowenstam suggests that the author of the inscription knew of Nestor's Cup from a different source. Despite its relatively brief description in the Iliad – a mere six lines, compared to some 130 describing
180-502: The basic forms of a civilized, essentially orderly life. This contrast is also seen as a way of making "us…see [war] in relation to peace". The images of the shield can also be interpreted as a visual expression of specific themes that were found in corresponding text sections elsewhere in the Iliad and the Odyssey . This suggests symbolic imagery of Achilles ' own life and of overcoming both inner and outer enemies, therefore endowing
200-458: The existence of social order within one city, while feuding armies depict a darker side of humanity. The imagery of nature and the universe also reinforce the belief that the shield is a microcosm of Greek life, as it can be seen as a reflection of their perception of the world. In a poetic and descriptive way, some scholars read it as a summation of the whole of human knowledge in the Homeric era. Also,
220-444: The god Hephaestus to provide replacement armor for her son. He obliges, and forges a shield with spectacular decorative imagery. Homer's description of the shield is the first known example of ekphrasis in ancient Greek poetry; ekphrasis is a rhetorical figure in which a detailed (textual) description is given of a (visual) work of art. Besides providing narrative exposition , it can add deeper meaning to an artwork by reflecting on
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#1732884224409240-424: The grammarian Dionysius Thrax commissioned a silver replica of Nestor's cup. This article relating to Greek mythology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Shield of Achilles The shield of Achilles is the shield that Achilles uses in his fight with Hector , famously described in a passage in Book 18, lines 478–608 of Homer 's Iliad . The intricately detailed imagery on
260-542: The hero with a special and different power and protection in his second attempt at fulfilling his fate as a warrior – this time with a shield that reveals a diverse, balanced, and more mature imagery than the typical battle shield for example used by Agamemnon , who was bearing a simpler image of a bloody head of the Gorgon Medusa with twisted snakes in place of hair, which projected a less refined but more common form of intimidating brute force in war. The construction of
280-412: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nestor%27s_Cup&oldid=1093155620 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Nestor%27s Cup (mythology) It is not to be confused with
300-674: The process of its creation, in turn allowing the audience to envision artwork that they can't see. The passage in which Homer describes the creation of the shield has influenced many later poems, including the Shield of Heracles once attributed to Hesiod . Virgil 's description of the shield of Aeneas in Book Eight of the Aeneid is clearly modeled on Homer. The poem The Shield of Achilles (1952) by W. H. Auden reimagines Homer's description in 20th-century terms. Of other significance, this passage
320-403: The question of why Nestor was the only one who could lift his cup; the problem continued to be addressed throughout antiquity at least up until the time of Porphyry , who included it in his Homeric Questions . The doves were discussed by Asclepiades of Myrlea , and caught the imagination of Martial , who mentions them in his description of Nestor's cup in poem 8.6. According to Athenaeus ,
340-820: The real gold cup excavated at Mycenae in 1876, which is commonly known as "Nestor's Cup". This has both similarities and differences. Nestor's Cup is described in Book 11 of the Iliad . Machaon , son of Asclepius, is injured by Paris, and taken back to the Greek camp by Nestor; a healing drink is prepared for him in the cup. The cup is described over six lines. πὰρ δὲ δέπας περικαλλές, ὃ οἴκοθεν ἦγ᾽ ὁ γεραιός, χρυσείοις ἥλοισι πεπαρμένον: οὔατα δ᾽ αὐτοῦ τέσσαρ᾽ ἔσαν, δοιαὶ δὲ πελειάδες ἀμφὶς ἕκαστον χρύσειαι νεμέθοντο, δύω δ᾽ ὑπὸ πυθμένες ἦσαν. ἄλλος μὲν μογέων ἀποκινήσασκε τραπέζης πλεῖον ἐόν, Νέστωρ δ᾽ ὁ γέρων ἀμογητὶ ἄειρεν. — Homer , Iliad 11.632-637 —Translated by Samuel Butler , 1898 Along with its description in
360-453: The shield also allegorises the role of fate in the Iliad. Fate in ancient Greek mythology is unchangeable even by the gods, because it is the three Moirai that spin the destiny of each human life like a thread from the laws of the universe . The description of the shield has been considered a form of foreshadowing , a narrative technique that underlines the inevitability of future events and
380-461: The shield has inspired many different interpretations of its significance. In the poem, Achilles lends Patroclus his armor in order to lead the Achaean army into battle. Ultimately, Patroclus is killed in battle by Hector, and Achilles' armor is stripped from his body and taken by Hector as spoils . The loss of his companion prompts Achilles to return to battle, so his mother Thetis , a nymph , asks
400-417: The sun and the moon are shown shining simultaneously, which some consider representative of a general understanding of the universe and awareness to the cosmological order of life. The shield shows images of conflict and discord by depicting the shield's layers as a series of contrasts – i.e. war and peace, work and festival. Wolfgang Schadewaldt, a German writer, argues that these intersecting antitheses show
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