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Message:: [QUOTE="GinoLR, post: 11823371, member: 128351"]The Vienna skyphos by the "Brygos painter" is a true masterpiece for me. It represents the episode in Ilias book 24 l.475 ff. when Priamos suddenly appears out of the blue in front of Achilles who was quietly having dinner, forgetting all the suffering he had inflicted, because of his selfish "wrath", to his friends and foes as well..."The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant souls of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs and every bird"... In Homer, "(Achilles) was newly ceased from meat, even from eating and drinking, and the table yet stood by his side. Unseen of these great Priam entered in, and coming close to Achilles, clasped in his hands his knees, and kissed his hands, the terrible, man-slaying hands that had slain his many sons." Priamos is an old man, Achilles is a very young man, the youngest hero of the whole Achaean coalition (it is said in the poem). A noble old man begging a youth, humiliating himself in front of a youth, was a very shocking scene for the Greeks (and for all other cultures). "Achilles (was) seized with wonder at sight of godlike Priam, and seized with wonder were the others likewise, and they glanced one at the other." then... "But Priam made entreaty, and spake to him, saying: “Remember thy father, O Achilles like to the gods"... Touché. Achilles is still very young and commits a lot of mistakes, being far from his old father Peleus whom he will never see again. His reaction at Priamos' words : "So spake he, and in Achilles he roused desire to weep for his father; and he took the old man by the hand, and gently put him from him. So the twain bethought them of their dead, and wept; the one for man-slaying Hector wept sore, the while he grovelled at Achilles' feet, but Achilles wept for his own father"... The Brygos Painter chose to represent Priamos entering Achilles' tent, just before kneeling in front of him and kissing his hands. This quiet  Priamos showing no emotion is the very image of dignity. This is new : this scene was very often represented on vases, but Priamos was always depicted in an emotional mood, rushing to Achilles. Like on this vase : [ATTACH=full]1526708[/ATTACH](Toledo Museum) or on this one :[ATTACH=full]1526709[/ATTACH] (Harvard University) The very solemn and quiet Brygos Painter's Priamos is different. And Achilles turns his head. Why? Is it because he has not yet noticed Priamos' presence, or is it because he is afraid of making eye contact? I remember in Odyssey Book 16 l. 179 Telemachus' reaction when he first realizes that the man before him is actually his father returned at last : "And his dear son marvelled, and, seized with fear, turned his eyes aside, lest it should be a god." Maybe the Brygos Painter remembered this verse too, and drew Achilles reacting like Telemachus "lest it should be a god". This final scene of the Iliad is the climax of the epic. Achilles is no longer the arrogant talented teenager who respects nothing and nobody, thinking only of himself... He lacked a father to teach him some wisdom, he has found one he did not expect: Priamos ! Never underestimate the shock it is for a young man to be suddenly told : "Luke, I am your father" <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. More seriously, this Iliad climax was later reproduced by Tirso de Molina, Molière, Lorenzo da Ponte with Mozart: it is the moment when Don Giovanni is having dinner when suddenly the statue of the old Commendatore appears in front of him... [MEDIA=youtube]y1lQ-XjD2E8[/MEDIA][/QUOTE]

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