紀元前7世紀アッティカの葬礼美術 : 《メネラオスの台座》の神話表現を手がかりに

抄録

The Protoattic pottery, the very distinct style of Attic vase painting in the 7^<th> century BCE, was known for including some of the earliest representations of mythological scenes in ancient Greek art. The conical stand that was once in the Berlin Antiquarium (A42), originally with a dinos above it, is one of the most important examples of Protoattic pottery. On the lowest frieze, which depicts the procession of five men in gorgeous himatia, the painted inscription "ΜΕΝΕΛΑΣ" can be read. The stand is commonly known as the Menelas stand. In previous studies, many scholars regarded this inscription as a label which refers to the nearest figure as the hero Menelaos. Others have deliberately avoided such a definitive interpretation, instead considering it as some generic mythological representation which refers to the epic cycle (e. g. Ahlberg-Cornell 1992), because the five men all have the same appearance and the inscription does not clearly single out one from the others. These studies have more or less aimed at the interpretation of the stand's subject matter and have been based only on the connection between the imagery and its inscription; yet, few studies have focused on the original shape and usage of this stand. Thanks to a recent contextual approach to Protoattic pottery (e. g. Whitley 1994), the usage of this pottery in Attic burial customs has gradually come to light. This study first examines the original shape of the Menelas stand, considering its missing parts and its usage, and then reconsiders it and its mythological representation in the wider contemporary context. The original shape of this stand, a dinos or crater with a high stand, has been thought to have originated in Anatolia, especially among the Urartian bronze artifacts. The eastern originals, the so-called bronze cauldrons, were extremely popular in Italy and Greece in the 7^<th> century BCE. The potters of Corinth and Attica imitated the eastern, exotic bronze shape in their pottery. Moreover, in Attic funeral practice, a large quantity of this pottery that stood on high stands was employed for ritual devices, such as offering trenches. At this point, the Attic funeral custom became exclusive to a limited number of the elite, and their burial places were adorned with such lavish, easternized pottery. Based on the original shape of the high stand and its possible usage, I presume that it originally functioned in the burial context of some Attic elites. On the other hand, when its mythological representation is reconsidered, a different aspect comes to light that has not been discussed in previous research. The image or name of the famous epic hero might be due to the social demands of the elite, as a way of enabling them to create a connection with their renowned ancestors. From this perspective, some of the earliest mythological representations of Protoattic pottery have a sociological function.