Description

Pottery oil lamp . Mold-formed with central motifof Meleager
killing the Calydonian boar as it rushes from a thicket,
ovolo frame around discus; two vent/fill holes on discus.
2nd Century A D

Length: 10 cms

Condition: Complete with good detail

The hero Meleager led the hunt to kill the Calydonian boar, a huge beast sent by Artemis to ravage the land
for a perceived slight. Meleager included the great huntress Atalanta in the group, which caused some
resentment among the band of heros and kin, increasingly after Atalanta drew first blood, following which
Meleager killed the animal and presented the prize skin to her. The dispute escalated into open warfare, in
which Meleager killed his uncles and was in turn pursued by the Erinyes and killed by them, his mother
Cleopatra having burned the brand that she had kept safe since his birth. This tale, with its tragic themes
of honor, jealousy, love, fratricidal strife and copious bloodshed appealed greatly to the classical mind.