Ακόμα μια ερμηνεία της παράστασης του κρατήρα του Ζωγράφου του Δίνου από τη Γέλα

A new interpretation of the scene on the krater of the Dinos Painter in Gela

My tribute to Professor Petros Themelis involves a new interpretation of a complex scene depicted on an Attic red-figured krater from Gela, which dates to 420-410 BC and is attributed to the Dinos Painter. The vase was recently published by A. Shapiro, who identified the scene mentioned with the departure of Theseus from Crete. This suggestion was lately refuted by J. Oakley, who identified the scene with the departure of the Argonauts from Kolchis, and M. Tiverios, who proposed that the departure of Theseus for Crete is actually shown. All these interpretations involve that the scene is unique in existing iconography and shows some figures rarely seen on ancient art, if at all. On account of these and other problems, I put forward an alternative interpretation and suggest that the vase-painting in question depicts the stopover of the Argonauts in Crete, which brought about the death of Talos. The argument is based on the iconographic correspondences that the vase from Gela shows with a few other Attic vases of the late 5th century BC, as well as on literary evidence. I further pursue an inquiry into the source that inspired the scene and offer an explanation for the latter’s current ambiguity.