T17.3 HELIOS, NYX & EOS

Museum Collection: Metropolitan Museum, New York City, USA
Catalogue No.: New York 41.162.29
Beazley Archive No.: 305499
Ware: Attic Black Figure, White Ground
Shape: Lekythos
Painter: Attributed to the Sappho Painter
Date: ca. 500 - 475 BC
Period: Archaic

SUMMARY

Helios rises from the river Okeanos driving a quadriga (four-horse chariot). He is crowned with sun's orb. Above him to the left is Nyx (labelled Nyks), goddess of the night, crowned with a ball of dark mist and driving a two horse chariot. Facing her is the near identical figure of Eos (labelled Heos), goddess of the day, with a ball representing light, and chariot. Herakles (not shown) sits on a hill roasting spits over a fire. The scene is perhaps from the story of the hero's ambush of the sun-god.