Roman seal ring showing Achilles and Penthesilea found in Spain

[Duncan Head]

http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/61633

A nice little item.

[DBS]

Thank you for that, very nice indeed.

The only thing that I would question is the blunt statement that it is too high quality to have been produced by an Iberian craftsman.  Seems a bit snobbish.  I accept probably not knocked up in a small Pyrenean town, but why not from one of the coastal cities?  Also, if their date is correct, interesting that Achilles is sporting what looks like a proper aspis rather than the shield types we assume to have been more common in the first century BC.  I wonder if it might be a little older than they credit...

[Duncan Head]

The aspis survives in art long after it ceases to be carried in battle, especially in scenes of the legendary past; so I wouldn't draw any dating conclusions from its appearance. Compare the Shield of Virtue dedicated to Augustus.

[DBS]

Oh, I know, it is just that is the very point that makes me wonder.

We assume that it is traditional iconography, but preserving details such as the hand and arm grips on an obsolete shield type?  Aristocrats are still cutting around in muscled cuirasses, so fine.  There might be an idea that Greek heroes ought to be depicted with round shields, fine.  But down to the grips?  As I say, just makes me wonder whether we take too readily for granted the assumption of imagery memes being transmitted: after all, we equally have the tendency to portray individuals in contemporary dress, such as the biblical scenes in Dura-Europos.  Even in the nineteenth century, Napoleonic pedants note that artists often portrayed battle scenes with the 1815-1820 styles of uniform, rather than the correct details of a decade earlier, because that is what they see when they look at a soldier cutting about town.  I just wonder whether we too readily assume well informed archaising artistry without considering the possibility that it may be based on supposed archaic details being more readily available for the artist to observe in real live than we suspect.

[Erpingham]

I'm inclined to go with the traditional explanation.  The artist has done a good job translating a legendary incident in a way it would be instantly recognisable despite its small scale and has used various standard formulae to do so.  Achilles is dressed as a "Greek Hero" complete with open helmet that shows his face off (based on a stylised Attic form, IIRC) .  Penthesilea is dressed in the "Persian" style worn by Amazons and , just to be sure the viewer gets it, the artist has somewhat crudely put in the characteristic Amazon weapons, the ornate three-horned pelta and the labrys axe.  Any educated Roman or Greek would easily recognise the scene.