|
|
|
Wine cup used by Pericles found in grave
north of Athens
A cup believed to have been used by Classical Greek statesman Pericles has
been found in a pauper's grave in north Athens, according to local reports
Wednesday.
The ceramic wine cup, smashed in 12 pieces, was found during building
construction in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia, Ta Nea daily said.
After piecing it together, archaeologists were astounded to find the name
"Pericles" scratched under one of its handles, alongside the names of five
other men, in apparent order of seniority.
Experts are "99 per cent" sure that the cup was used by the Athenian states
man, as one of the other names listed, Ariphron, is that of Pericles' elder
brother.
"The name Ariphron is extremely rare," Angelos Matthaiou, secretary of the
Greek Epigraphic Society, told the newspaper.
"Having it listed above that of Pericles makes us 99 per cent sure that these
are the two brothers," he said.
The cup was likely used in a wine symposium when Pericles was in his
twenties, and the six men who drank from it scrawled their names as a
memento, Matthaiou said.
"They were definitely woozy, as whoever wrote Pericles' name made a
mistake and had to correct it," he said.
The cup was then apparently gifted to another man named Drapetis
("escapee" in Greek) who was possibly a slave servant or the owner of the
tavern, said archaeologist Galini Daskalaki.
"This is a rare find, a genuine glimpse into a private moment," she said.
Ironically, the cup was found on Sparta street, Athens' great rival and
nemesis in the Peloponnesian War that tore apart the Greek city-states for
nearly 30 years.
General of Athens during the city's Golden Age, Pericles died of the plague in
429 BC during a Spartan siege.
The cup will be displayed in the autumn at the Epigraphical Museum in Athens.
[AFP] |
|
| |
| |
|
